Bowerman and the Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Cofounder Paperback – September 4, 2007

I like reading books. I liked reading books about running. And, I like writing about these books because I think people should read them. Not only because they recount stories of running, but also because they impart lessons for how to live life.BOWERMAN AND THE MEN OF OREGON by Kenny Moore is one such book. At its surface, the book is the story of the University of Oregon’s legendary Track & Field Coach and Nike’s (yes, that Nike®) co-founder. At its core, however, this book illustrates a model for how to live life.At +400 pages, BOWERMAN is a seemingly daunting read that somehow floats by once you get going — almost like a great middle distance runner. The book is filled with captivating stories – some that seem hard to believe that one man could have been involved in them all. Some of my favorites include:Early Years: The book devotes several chapters to the early coaching years of Bill Bowerman at smaller educational institutes. It’s here that you begin seeing Bill’s character and philosophy materialize. It’s also here that Bill’s life takes a detour when he serves in World War II. His experience in war and as a leader are both somber and somewhat hilarious with the benefit of hindsight (noteworthy the story of demanding the surrender of the Italian army in person).1972 Munich Olympic Games: The infamous Olympic games where Israeli athletes were taken hostage and sadly murdered by a faction of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Bill Bowerman was there as the USA Head Coach and, in my interpretation, saved the lives of his American athletes when the Olympic Village was raided. Read the book and see if you reach the same conclusion.Pre – One of the world’s most memorable middle distance runners. This book offers rare accounts of what it was like to coach and raise Steve Prefontaine in his era of PR crushing performances followed by his untimely death.Bill Hayward – The man for whom the University of Oregon’s track is named. Prior to this book, I never fully appreciated that the legacy of Bill Hayward extended beyond his own accomplishments to the legion of men he coached and mentored to do extraordinary things on their own. Read about the man, who arguably, plucked and started Bill Bowerman on his journey in life.Lasting Legacy – Bowerman was an excellent coach who built men on and OFF the track. Many of his athletes achieved their greatest accomplishments after running for Bowerman — becoming accomplished lawyers, accountants, public servants, and businessmen (beyond Phil Knight the other co-found of Nike). Bill’s ability to see that life extended beyond running and college was a great gift to his athletes.Quarks – Bowerman was an inventor and tinkerer. Perhaps not the image of your typical High School or College Track Coach. Aside from experimenting with running shoes, Bill genetically bred chickens, practiced international diplomacy, drew architecture plans, innovated track surfaces, and was an accomplished non-profit fundraiser. A modern day Benjamin Franklin! Bill is proof that a life can be full, interesting, and varied — a true Renaissance man. Indeed, it turns out that the name Bowerman means BUILDERMAN.In short, Bill was a man that put himself into the arena of life. As a result, he experienced life and was constantly in the center of action. And this perhaps is my biggest takeaway from the book and the life of Bill Bowerman:Do Something. Do it to the best of your ability. Then, encourage others to do it better. When it’s over, do something else. Do more. Do you.Or, more succinctly: JUST DO IT.Take the time, read the book. I’d encourage you not to read the book as a lesson on how the empire of Nike was built. There are other books for that. Instead, read the book as a lesson on how to build yourself into your best version. Who knows, you might just make your own empire in the process.See you at the Finish Line,-George

I came across this book as a result of reading "Shoe Dog", the story about Phil Knight's odyssey in creating Nike. What stands out is the process of how men like Bill Bowerman became icons of their times, what motivated them, and who inspired them to accomplish so much in a lifetime. The one Bowerman characteristic that stands out for me was his ability to develop a plan for his track athletes from the 100 meters to the marathon, and across 30 years of world-class competition. He did this by looking at each athlete, assessing his talent and grit, assessing the competition, then creating a race plan to maximize success in that particular race.This is the life story of a man who pursued excellence over 80 years, molded character in his charges, was strong, yet gentle in his own way. If you're a person who deeply believes there are more solutions than problems in life, please read this wonderful, inspiring book by Kenny Moore.

The book is basically an entire biography of Bill Bowerman, including his family history before he was born. There's a lot of information in this book. Personally, I wasn't that interested in the life and times of Bill Bowerman until he got back from service in WW II and started coaching at Oregon. The book does have plenty of insight since the author, Kenny Moore was a runner for Bill Bowerman for four years. This book is not an all-out, glowing review of Bill Bowerman. I think Kenny Moore has a very difficult job in writing this book. First, he was a former runner of Bill's, so there is that aspect that creates a filter. The second is that it is very difficult to get all access to someone without being truly objective and critical. If you do, then your access is cut off. I think the author does a good job of balance. Personally, I wish the book could have shown some more of coach Bowerman's flaws and shortcomings. I wish there was more input and reflections from alot more of his former runners about what they liked and not liked about the person and the coach. There are no training programs in here.....it's a history and biography book.If you love Oregon running, then this is a must have book (or Kindle edition). If you love track-n-field and its history, then I imagine you would want to own this book as well.

I greatly enjoyed this look into the extraordinary achievements and innovations that Coach Bowerman brought to middle distance running in the 20th century. Author Kenny Moore, a world class marathoner himself, was the perfect individual to communicate to the reader the intensity of elite track and field. This book is a great read for anyone interested in endurance athletics snd athletes.

This book was perfect for a round trip train journey, plowed through it without losing any interest despite a fair length and not expecting the narrative to be as excellently written as it turned out to be (not to say expectations were low, it's just that good a book!)

Really well written book. Moore combines his journalism experience with his inside knowledge of Bowerman and the team to perfect effect. This is a must read for serious distance runners everywhere.

What a guy that Bowerman was.....bit of an epic read but would recommend it to running fans.....

Muy bien escrito y entretenido, con mucha información y muchos datos interesantes. Un libro ideal para amantes del running y del deporte