Born to Walk: The Transformative Power of a Pedestrian Act

by Dan Rubinstein, Kevin Patterson (Foreword)

The case for getting back on our feet The humble act of putting one foot in front of the other transcends age, geography, culture, and class, and is one of the most economical and environmentally responsible modes of transit. Yet with our modern fixation on speed, this healthy pedestrian activity has been largely left behind. At a personal and professional crossroads, writer, editor, and obsessive walker Dan Rubinstein travelled throughout the U.S., U.K., and Canada to walk with people who saw the act not only as a form of transportation and recreation, but also as a path to a better world. There are no magic-bullet solutions to modern epidemics like obesity, anxiety, alienation, and climate change. But what if there is a simple way to take a step in the right direction? Combining fascinating reportage, eye-opening research, and Rubinstein’s own discoveries, Born to Walk explores how far this ancient habit can take us, how much repair is within range, and guarantees that you’ll never again take walking for granted.

Genres: Nonfiction, Walking, Canada, Audiobook, History, Health, Travel

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Dan Rubinstein is a National Magazine Award–winning writer and editor. He contributes to publications such as The Walrus, the Globe and Mail, The Economist and enRoute, and has edited magazines in Ontario and Alberta. These days, he does most of his walking in Ottawa.
Kevin Patterson is a medical doctor who works mostly in British Columbia and Nunavut. He is the author of the novel Consumption, the short story collection Country of Cold (which won the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize), and the memoir The Water in Between: A Journey at Sea.

Reviews

[سارة سمير · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب مهم عن المشي يوضح اهمية هذا النشاط البسيط على حياتنا من كل الجهات ومقسم لثمانية اقسام

الاول الجسد .. ويتحدث فيه عن اهمية المشي للجسد لتحسين اللياقة والشفاء من امراض كثيرة بعضها يخص العظام والعضلات ايضا

الثاني العقل .. علاقة المشي بالعقل والتركيز والاسترخاء الذهني واعادة ترتيب الحياة ذهنيا اثناء نشاط المشي فقط وما يفرزه من هرمونات تساعد على سير الحياة واتخاذ القرارات بشكل ايسر

الثالث المجتمع .. ترابط المجتمع عن طريق المشي والتعرف على اصدقاء وجيران ومعارف وتجارب جديدة مريحة من خلال نشاط مرهق ومريح في نفس الوقت

الرابع الاقتصاد .. المشي مهم لتحسين الاقتصاد وضرب مثلا بساعي البريد واهمية الوظيفة والتي تتمحور حول المشي

الخامس السياسة .. علاقة الناخبين بالمرشحين واهمية التجربة للمرشح للتعرف على الناس والمجتمع والمشاكل التي تواجههم

السادس الابداع .. علاقة الفن بكل انواعه مع المشي وتعرف الفنان رسام او نحات او كاتب على شكل الطبيعة ليصل الى افكار جديدة والهام مهم لاعماله الفنية او الادبية

السابع الروح .. علاقة المشي بالارتقاء الروحي وتجربة المشي الاسترخائي وتجربة الكاتب مع المعابد البوذية وتجربة المشي على الجمر ليصل لمرتبة اعلى من الارتقاء الروحي

الثامن العائلة .. ترابط العائلة من خلال تجربة المشي الممتعة في وسط الطبيعة لتبدأ الحوارات الجميلة التي تربط كل اطراف الاسرة سويا عن طريق فتح مجال جديد للحوار والتقارب الحواري


كتاب في المجمل جميل جدا ومهم وحماسي فيما يخص المشي بالطبع على الرغم من الاسهاب في الحديث عن بعض المواقف او الشخصيات الكثيرة فشعرت بالقليل من الملل ولكن كانت تجربة ممتعة فطريقته في عرض الاحداث روائية نوعا ما فكانت ممتعة بشكل لو بآخر

شكرا صديقتي الكاتبة الجميلة اميرة ناصف على ترشيح الكتاب الجميل ومشاركة القراءة 💐💕

[إيمان الشريف · Rating 4 out of 5]

قبل خمسة أعوام قرأت كتاب مذكرات شيريل سترايد "في البراري" وكان ممتعاً جداً. وعندما أعلنت دار ملهمون عن ترجمتها لهذا الكتاب، وكوني من محبي رياضة المشي وأمارسها يومياً، تحمست بشدة لاقتنائه.

الكتاب مختلف عن كتاب في البراري، فالكاتب دان روبنشتاين لم يكتف بسرد مذكراته الشخصية في المشي كما فعلت شيريل، بل تعدى ذلك إلى الغوص في فوائد المشي، حيث قسم كتابه إلى ثمانية فصول، يتناول كل فصل منها أثر المشي على شيء ما (الجسد، العقل، المجتمع، الاقتصاد.. إلخ). الكتاب يحتوي على الكثير من الإحصائيات، ويُحسب للكاتب اطلاعه على كمّ كبير من الكتب المشابهة لموضوع كتابه (ومنها كتاب البراري المذكور سابقاً).

في العادة لا أحب التقليل من جهد المترجم، وأحاول قدر الإمكان التغاضي عن الأخطاء البسيطة، حتى أنني في بعض الأحيان أمسك بقلم أسود لتصحيح بعض الأخطاء. الترجمة في هذا الكتاب كانت ممتازة في النصف الأول، لكن لا أدري لماذا انخفض مستوى الترجمة بعد ذلك. المشكلة أنك ستجد فقرات غير متماسكة، أسلوب شرط دون جواب، بل حتى في بعض الصفحات وردت الترجمة بصيغة المؤنث مع أن المتكلم مذكر!

يعيب الكتاب أيضاً كونه جافاً في بعض المواضع، لكنه بشكل عام مفيد وغني بالمعلومات.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wide-ranging look at many of the benefits of walking: health, social, environmental, etc. Rubinstein presents an interesting mix of science, personal experience and observation regarding the diminished role of walking in most of our lives and the improvements that follow from walking more.

On a personal note, witnessing the many-blocks-long line of cars outside our local elementary school at dismissal time each day, I had to wonder why no such line existed when I was in school. I live now, as I did then, in a stereotypically safe middle-class suburban neighborhood. I walked home from school as a kindergartener (.6 of a mile, thank you Google Maps!). I now live .7 mile from the elementary and zero children walk past my house when school gets out. Trader Joe's is .6 miles from my house, and one doesn't need to cross a single busy street to get there. Yet when I mention walking there or having my kids walk there, I'm met with astonishment.

Rubinstein dissects not only the health changes that result from all those schoolkids being driven back and forth to school, but the changes to the social fabric.

[ولاء شكري · Rating 2 out of 5]

"من الممكن لشيء بسيط للغاية أن يكون له تأثير عظيم على حياتنا"

​في هذا الكتاب، يتناول الكاتب الجمال الذي يكون عليه البشر حين يمشون، والخسائر التي يتكبدونها حين يُقلِعون عن المشي. فهو يُبيّن لنا التبعات المدمرة لعدم الحركة، والفوائد العظيمة للحركة على المستويين الصحي والفلسفي. كما يُوضّح لنا كم هو من السهل استعادة تلك الفوائد إن فُقدت، فما على المرء إلا أن ينهض ويَمشي خارجًا.

​الفوائد التي يركز عليها الكتاب:
• ​يُعدّ المشي أداة قوية لتغيير الأفكار والعواطف. "الحركة تغير نمط التفكير لدى الناس، وكيف يخافون، وكيف يفهمون أنفسهم."
• ​المشي لنصف ساعة خمس مرات أسبوعيًا يساعد على تقليل مشاعر التوتر والغضب والارتباك.
• ​يرى العلماء أن المشي يساعد على منع الانكماش الدماغي، مما يؤدي بدوره إلى منع أمراض العته والزهايمر.
• ​المشي يُحسّن الدورة الدموية في الجسم.
• ​كما ثبت أن التمرين لمدة ٢٠ دقيقة يمكن أن يحسّن الأداء الدراسي للتلاميذ المصابين باضطراب نقص الانتباه والنشاط الزائد (ADHD).

​ويذكر الكتاب أن خير الأماكن لممارسة المشي هو البيئة الطبيعية، والأفضل أن يكون ذلك مع الأصدقاء.

​الكتاب هو دعوة للاحتفاء بالمشي وتذكير بأننا جميعًا "نحتاج لأن نمشي كما تحتاج الطيور للطيران"

[Kⲁrim Hⲁlim · Rating 3 out of 5]

أنا ربنا نصرني

[Paulcbry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author makes the case for walking proclaiming sitting is the new smoking . It does get a bit dry in parts especially when reporting on statistics. But overall the author makes a strong case for getting ambulatory. But I suspect that for those who take the time to read this book, he is preaching to the choir.

[Wendelle]

This book extols the benefits of walking as regular exercise, by referencing the results of medical studies on impacts such as cardiovascular health, as well as by looking on the effects on several communities of their reconnection to nature, the land and each other. (Read 3/4ths only)

[Scott Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how he broke down so many aspects of walking. Each of these aspects deserve to be acknowledged, while also supplementing each other into an aspect of life we need to get back to.

[Jay French · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author mentions in this book using Google to look things up. As I read through this book of walking and noticed the sections, including sections on the physical and mental benefits of walking, cops walking a beat, walking (more marching) in protest, and more, I found myself wondering if the author had just googled the term “walking” and categorized the results, writing parts of the book based on how popular the categories were. This is a broad overview of the term “walking”, and the sections do not congeal. Perhaps “walking” is too loose a connection between these topics. I think a focus on walking as a method of civic transformation, like the subtitle hints at, would have been enough of a topic to make a fine book. This just reached a bit too far. I enjoyed the voice of the author, and would consider reading more of his work.

I listened to this in the Booktrack audio edition. In this version, the book narration was accompanied by light background music and occasional appropriate sound effects. For instance, when quoting cops walking a beat, car horns and other city traffic noises were mixed in. I had mixed feelings about this experience. I actually enjoyed the sound effects and most music. I felt it raised the feel of the performance to be similar to listening to a well done NPR radio story. However, I noticed a few times while listening in the car that the choice of music unexpectedly was more of a repetitive industrial noise than music, and more than once I thought I had brake problems, or was dragging a metallic object, because of that noise. I recommend the Booktrack folks consider where their listeners tend to be when listening, and try not to send the wrong message with their additions to the monologue. Safety first.

[Marinda Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me a good book focused entirely on the benefits of walking.
It's almost a lost art, and we are no better for the loss.
This author broke it down into several categories, many I've thought about but a couple that I hadn't.
In summary
...."Walk more. Walk Anywhere"...
You will never regret making daily walks part of your life.
It was especially fun to listen to this one while walking with my husband.

[Jordana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Braden Wright did a great job narrating (though there were a number of unnecessary and distracting accents inserted). A great reminder of the importance of walking!

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the author about the importance of walking and how it is in the central part of being human. I also agree with the benefits that we obtain by being outdoors and nature. I also think that in our current society it is a bit of an uphill battle, but that does not mean that we cannot change.

[Christie Bane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took almost three months to read NOT because it was slow (although it was, a little) but because it was my read-out-loud-in-the-car-to-my-boyfriend book, and we didn't take a trip of any length together between August and now.

Anyway! He loves to walk (thru-hiked the AT) and I enjoy it slightly less, but still walk 8-10 miles in an average day for my job. So we both know something about walking. I was expecting a more interesting book. There are two types of writing in the book: stories about other people who are into walking, and statistics about walking as it relates to health, the environment, urban development, and probably other things I have forgotten. The first type is way, way more interesting, though still not nearly as interesting as, say, Bill Bryson. (I have read two books by Bill Bryson that were mostly about walking and that were more interesting than this one: A Walk in the Woods, about the AT, and that one about Little Dribbling, about England. Okay, that book was not only about walking, but a lot of it was about walking. I have to say, I wish this author had taken more of a Bill Bryson approach to walking and less of an academic/scholarly one.)

Basically, walking is good for people and good for communities, and I just said in one sentence what it took the book 250 pages to say. No, not really; the book is not bad, except for the fact that the author never uses a short word when a long, fancy word is available. I mean never, in 250 pages. My favorite chapter was the one where he and his daughter got hit by a car. (They were fine.) My least favorite was the one about creativity, which described lots of things that I would not consider art, not that anyone asked me.

Do I have anything more to say about this book? No, I don't think I do. Oh yes, one more thing. THERE WERE ERRORS. I mean, little tiny errors, like with missing words or extra words that, damnit, an editor should have caught. There were probably 8-10 throughout the book, and every one was an interruption, because I had to point it out to my boyfriend. There is no excuse for that in a book that has supposedly been edited. I can't quite bring myself to drop it one whole star for that, but MAN was it annoying.

[Julie lit pour les autres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un essai très intéressant, qu'il est préférable de déguster lentement. Rubinstein, un marcheur convaincu, met la marche en contexte : que ce soit au plan biologique, historique, économique, spirituel ou même politique, quelque chose se passe quand nous mettons un pied devant l'autre. La pertinence de la réflexion de l'auteur nous fait lui pardonner une certaine monotonie dans l'écriture et les nombreuses coquilles. Des idées vraiment intéressantes, une perspective stimulante : cet essai plaira aux amateurs de marche, qui ont envie de réfléchir sur ce que cette activité change en eux et autour d'eux.

"Still, she [Jennifer Keesmaat, Toronto's Chief Planner] emphatically declares that walking is at the heart of her strategy to transform the city, When Keesmaat discusses this subject with colleagues there is usually a strange moment, she says, when people realize that focusing on "this essential part of everyday life is actually a radical idea."" (p.228.)

[Jason Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook. Good narration. I got an extra kick out of finding out the author is also from Ottawa. It was a great book to listen to while hiking through snowy Gatineaus or trying to make a trail through ice covered streets in my neighbourhood.

I especially liked the chapters about forest bathing (so that's why I always gravitate to woods) and I felt the end of the book was the kick in the ass I needed to try and get my kids walking to school at least one day a week.

It was -25C in Ottawa when I started listening to this book and it got me motivated to brave the weather and restart a habit I'd let fall to the wayside while recovering from surgery.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first couple chapters. But then it turned into a bit of a grab bag of anecdotes -- definitely lots of great and interesting ideas, though. I'd recommend if you love walking/hiking.

[Majdahalmazroei · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب ملهم لمحبي المشي، مزج المؤلف بين مذكراته الشخصية في المشي والدراسات التي قدمت في هذا المجال، مؤكدًا أن المشي له تأثير إيجابي على الصحة، الجسدية والنفسية وعلى التفكير وكذلك على العلاقات الاجتماعية..
٤١١ صفحة

[PJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

-a few spelling mistakes (Botantic instead of Botanic)
-although segments are linked by topic, sometimes they jump dramatically in regard to subject

[Brian Gilchrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book. I've been thinking more and more about simplifying, being more intentional, less rushed, more thoughtful. This book fits well into the genre and gives a lot of food for thought.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quando eu comecei a ler esse livro, jamais pensei que ele entraria na lista daqueles livros para os quais há um antes e um depois.
A primeira vez que me recomendaram eu estava, por uma ironia do destino, fazendo um relatório sobre atividades físicas e esportivas. Na época, pensei em ler pra ajudar na pesquisa, mas acabei deixando de lado. Afinal, aquilo era trabalho e uma certeza na minha vida era que eu não gostava de esportes.
No entanto, anos depois, quando me desliguei daquele trabalho e de todas as pesquisas adjacentes que vieram daquele relatório - e quando o significado da atividade física já tinha se transformado na minha mente - resolvi, meio por nostalgia meio por saudade daqueles meus mestres professores de educação física com quem trabalhei, finalmente dar uma chance.
Comecei a ler durante os primeiros meses após a morte do meu pai, e era como entrar num refúgio, onde a vida parecia fazer sentido com um ato tao simples, como o caminhar.
Ao longo das páginas o autor foi me lembrando de como o caminhar foi tão central na minha vida e de como eu nem mais conseguia me lembrar de um momento em que eu só estivesse destinada a contemplar - andando - o mundo ao redor. Qual foi a última vez que você só andou, ou só deu uma volta de bicicleta ou mesmo pegou um ônibus e não fez nada? Não leu um livro, não escutou uma música, não se atualizou no último podcast?
Por ironia da vida novamente, voltei da casa da minha mãe e esqueci o livro e aí, começou a pandemia. Tão simbólico pra mim que meu prazer em pensar e realizar o caminhar estivessem ambos tolhidos e, ao mesmo tempo, todo o mundo estivesse em um momento de retomar a contemplação e os próprios fantasmas. Quão mais fácil teria sido a quarentena se nós lidássemos com eles diariamente ao caminhar?
Nos últimos dias relutei em pegar o livro pra ler. Não queria que acabasse. Encontrei nele um refúgio, um sentido simples e potente pra vida: regressemos à caminhada e a natureza, e o resto das respostas virá.

[Jennie S · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you enjoy walking, you'll probably enjoy this book.

For me, I like the idea of walking, but only for its pragmatic applications. I would much prefer a physical activity that would spike my adrenaline.

Sometimes we read books that confirms our beliefs so we can feel good about doing the things we already do. I agree wholeheartedly with the author about the benefits of walking, and also concur that a more ambulatory infrastructure would benefit society as a whole.

This book felt like one big long walk. The author takes the readers with him on a walking journey, while talking about the various healthful benefits of bipedalism (a fancy sesquipedalianism for walking). This book is just the right combination of personal backstory, medical research, and theory.

At times I felt the story is a little dry, and the underlining message a bit repetitive. There are no surprises. Although I liked it, I had to struggle a bit to finish.

Maybe it would be a good idea to take the audio version of this book on a hike- listening to stories about walking and thinking about its benefits while taking a walk.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should acknowledge upfront why it took me 18 months to read this book. It has nothing to do with the book itself, which I really enjoyed. Rather, I thought it would be cool to listen to it (I bought the audiobook from Chirp) while walking. It was supposed to motivate me to get out of the house more, which turned out not to work. Again, no reflection on the book, which is very well organized and researched. I enjoyed the first 3 chapters, titled Body, Mind, and Society, so much that I listened to them twice. And now, thanks to Rubenstein, I have a longer list of books I want to read about walking as it relates to human evolution, biopsychosocial development of modern humans, and geopolitical influences on city and park planning. The middle chapters (Economy and Politics) describe a lot of what we already know about the difficulties of walking in urban spaces designed for cars, not pedestrians. Finally, I didn't glean as much from the chapters on creativity, spirit, and family; some interesting personal anecdotes was about all. Thus 4 stars.

[Michelle Korting · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. It was suggested by a friend whose family walks a lot.
I was skeptical if I’d like this book- walking is walking BUT, it’s not! There is a definite difference and health benefit besides getting into shape and maintaining muscle mass IT’S mental health!

I agree with almost ALL of the studies listed in the book especially the one regarding ADHD and mental illness.

I believe that many of us young and old are incorrectly diagnosed as having anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc.
No what we have is inactivity, fresh air and family.

Get outside and challenge not only yourself but your family to walk each day. Find new areas to walk in take the time to look around you as you walk, breathe deep!
You will be amazed at how good you will feel.

[Travis Fantina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a sort of a love-hate relationship with this book, and it all depends on the chapter. I found some of the chapters transformative, life-changing, and well written: full five stars! Other chapters were drawn out, loosely related and often felt like a highschool essay attempting to reach a word count: one star. However, there were far more of the really, really, good chapters then the bad ones so I'd wholeheartedly recommend this book.

The best of this book, in my opinion, is found in these chapters: Mind, Society, Politics, Spirit, and Family (that last one surprised me but it was actually quite interesting and relevant to walking).

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm generally a sucker for any contemplation about walking. This book references a lot of other great books; the problem is I've already read them and liked them. Not much new here, and I'm concerned with the parroting of some non-scientific fear-mongering about modern health. This was initially a DNF for me, not because I hated it, but because my Hoopla rental stopped working and I realized I didn't care enough to try again. Until this month when I had some spots to use up before they reset; the rest was fine but I don't have much to add to my review. 2.5

[سلطان | Soltan · Rating 1 out of 5]

باسم الله، الترجمة سيئة جدا، على الأقل هذا ما رأيته. قرأت الفصل الأول وبداية الثاني ثم قررت التوقف، لم؟ لسببين (غير الترجمة) أجدهما في نفسي الان، أولهما أني رأيت عدم دلالة القصص التي يرويها عن نفسه وغيره على شيء، إلا أنها تتضمن مشيا، ولا أظن أني استفدت أي شيء علما أو عاطفة من هذه القصص. والسبب الآخر أني شعرت أن الكاتب سيظل يذكر إحصائيات ودراسات إلى نهاية الكتاب في حين أني غير منكر لفائدة المشي عموما. أخيرا أقول لعل هذه الصفات التي وجدتها أنا تروق لبعض القراء فهذه مراجعة بعيدة عن الموضوعية.

[SR · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and concise summary of many sources of literature, scholarship and film centered around walking, with a focus on the spiritual goals of individual pedestrians. For anyone who enjoyed Rebecca Solnit's Wanderlust or the movie The Way with Martin Sheen, this book will provide additional context and background, interspersed with personal narratives.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contained a series of fascinating accounts about how a shift toward walking could cure a multitude of societal ills. It was not always the most engaging and my attention occasionally wandered, however, I love the idea of this simple, natural solution for increased health and sustainability.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book which I listened to as an audiobook during my daily walks. Few disjointed bits but it’s a good book about the joys and benefits of walking.

Main issue was the narrator is absolutely terrible at doing accents (especially Scottish!) so that was off-putting. Otherwise it would have had a higher rating

[Tofupup · Rating 4 out of 5]

While none of this was particularly new information for me, Rubenstein's writing brought situations and people to life and made the listen very compelling. I loved all the Canadian research and references.

I did a double-take and had to check the publication date when one expert mentioned a possible global pandemic that would change everything.