Running with Sherman

The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero

By: Christopher McDougall

Narrated by: Christopher McDougall

"A delight, full of heart and hijinks and humor . . . McDougall is a gifted storyteller who gets to the heart of the human-animal connection." --John Grogan, author of Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog

From the best-selling author of Born to Run, a heartwarming story about training a rescue donkey to run one of the most challenging races in America, and, in the process, discovering the life-changing power of the human-animal connection.

When Chris McDougall agreed to take in a donkey from an animal hoarder, he thought it would be no harder than the rest of the adjustments he and his family had made after moving from Philadelphia to the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country. But when he arrived, Sherman was in such bad shape he could barely move, and his hair was coming out in clumps. Chris decided to undertake a radical rehabilitation program designed not only to heal Sherman's body but to heal his mind as well. It turns out the best way to soothe a donkey is to give it a job, and so Chris decided to teach Sherman how to run. He'd heard about burro racing--a unique type of race where humans and donkeys run together in a call-back to mining days--and decided he and Sherman would enter the World Championship in Colorado.

Easier said than done. In the course of Sherman's training, Chris would have to recruit several other runners, both human and equine, and call upon the wisdom of burro racers, goat farmers, Amish running club members, and a group of irrepressible female long-haul truckers. An entire community comes together to help save Sherman and, along the way, Chris shows us the joy of a life with animals.

Sweet entertainment

This story is so well written, so entertaining even with serious moments, and very well read by the author-which is rare.
I couldn't wait to get into it each day.

Outstanding story based on some real facts.

Loved everything. Author seems to go off on tangents but not really. He ties it ALL back in for a deeper story. Thank you for this wholesome tale.

Who ever heard of donkey racing?

This book was delightful. It centered around the transformation of a severely neglected donkey into a loving, inspiring athletic pet. I learned a lot about the history of human animal connectedness as well as about the Amish community in general. It was a lovely story.

Heartwarming adventure

Wonderful story of an unexpected survivor. New life goal to run with a donkey. Must read!

Side stories that are educational, informative, entertaining, and all tie the whole story together.

I liked everything about this book. It will cause you to laugh and even cry tears of joy. Through all of the trials and tribulations, failures and successes, and the human/animal spirit connections that to many people in today's world have forgotten, this book bring it all together in a heart warming story.