Tom Simonds recently gave me a copy of Born to Run by Christopher McDougal.  It is sub-titled "A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen."  

Bill Rodgers (four time winner of the Boston Marathon) says "Born to Run is hilariously funny, weird and nonstop fun to read. Runners can sink their teeth into it."

The narrative begins with the author's search for Caballo Blanco, an expatriate living among the Tarahumara Indian Tribe in Copper Canyon, a remote part of the Sierra Madres. The tribe calls itself Raramuri (Running People). A thirty or fifty mile run is a stroll for them, and they run in sandals (huaraches) made of old tire tread and held on by straps 

As the story unfolds Caballo Blanco tries to put together an ultra on the Tarahumara home ground.  In telling the tale, the author introduces the reader to amazing athletes and oddball, unpredictable characters, whose lives revolve around running.  One such character is Barefoot Ted who snubs running shoes altogether. His only concession to footwear is to occasionally wear the Vibram Five Fingers

In addition to being entertaining, the book sets a lot of traditional training thought on its ear, from nutrition to footwear.  After finishing the book, you will be hard pressed to not re-assess everything you think you know about running.