3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Dolphins Don’t Run Marathons: 26.2 loving thoughts on why you should not run a marathon by Sam Brand is a non-fiction book that outlines the dangers of running a marathon. This book can be viewed allegorically, since a marathon can represent any obsession in life, but the author gives an overview of the situation from his own example.
In a very simple way, the author describes the dangers and consequences of an accelerated life. This book is based on the categorization of people into three groups. Those are ants, chimpanzees and dolphins. Ants are people who are overworked, stressed out in their lives, mostly unhappy and unable to balance their private lives with work. Chimpanzees, on the other hand, are people who are happier than ants and can enjoy life. Dolphins are the smartest ones who know how to balance life and enjoy it. They are wise and know what they are doing. The author emphasizes that we should all strive to be dolphins.
I liked the uniqueness of this book and the way the author related and compared the stressful lifestyle to the marathon. I really like the message of this book, which is that we need to be aware of what matters in life, and not neglect it for irrelevant things. The author conveys this message perfectly to the readers. The chapters in the book are quite short, which allows the author to get the reader’s attention to the very essence of the book. I also like the comparison of certain groups of people with the animals mentioned. This way the book is much more interesting than other books of a similar type and purpose.
What I didn't like about this book is that it has no direct tips and steps to follow to avoid a stressful lifestyle. For certain individuals this book would be too simple and over-generalized, and they would not be able to create a clear picture of what they need to do to become dolphins. Although the book is very interesting and quick to read because of its brevity and the way it is written, I would have liked it to be at least a little longer. I also think the author could have delved even further into the story and that he could have described in more detail the groups of people he compared to animals.
Overall, I really liked the book. I've never read anything like this. I didn't recognize any grammatical errors while reading the book, so it seems to me that the book is very well edited. I decided to give this book 3 out of 4 stars. I wish the book had specific steps and tips that could be followed, but I still believe that many people can benefit from reading this book. I would recommend it to those who enjoy short self-help books, but I find that those who seek in-depth observations and solutions would not like it.
******
Dolphins Don’t Run Marathons
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
