PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewSemenya’s unburdening ... In raw, sometimes unpolished prose, Semenya breaks her long silence, calling out her critics and asserting her right to be celebrated for her natural gifts, as other athletes are, rather than punished for them.
Daniel Lieberman
PositiveThe New York TimesBooks about exercise are nothing new — especially not at this time of year. But Exercised is different from the usual scrum, in that its objective is not to sell a diet or fitness plan ... Lieberman’s inquisitiveness as both a researcher and a fitful fitness adherent allows him a distinct vantage on the subject, not just that of a curious layman or alarm sounder ... Instead, Lieberman, drawing on his expertise and knowledge of the way evolutionary forces work, takes ideas that have been spun and spun again, often based on shaky information, and cracks them open ... Sure, Lieberman pokes fun at the pomp and circumstance of a typical Iron Man competition, but he also explains why humans can be really good at exercising for long periods of time ... Lieberman mostly avoids getting too technical for nonscientists, and scatters the book with odd or fun details to keep the narrative moving along ... Lieberman also gives us permission to be kind to ourselves if we’d rather not bother ... Most important, Lieberman doesn’t judge those who find exercising difficult, even after knowing that they should be doing it, because exercise still isn’t all that fun — and I say that as someone who has run multiple ultramarathons without anyone demanding that I do so.
