Walking: One Step At a Time - Book Review

This review was originally posted on Amazon by Jeff Swystun.

At its core, this is a book about walking and is superlative when judged on that topic. The author shares what the practice does for him. It is his therapy. It is mine, as well.

With some irony, I was born on the flat Canadian prairies. I now live in the Laurentians of Quebec. Every morning I wake to see Mont Tremblant from our home, a mountain I have hiked hundreds of times. And there have been countless other hikes in the region.

Many of the insights and observations made by the author, I have “stumbled” across on my treks. The book is an avatar for my diary, if I had one. However, he is a far more accomplished explorer and a tremendous writer. I thank him for penning a succinct and engrossing book.

Kagge uses the practice of walking as a metaphor for life and all things one encounters. There is the simple adage of, “one foot in front of the other”, to issues of greater depth. Along the way, he talks about our feet and body and how both work to propel us, how our gait is as distinct as fingerprints, and that Darwin, Jobs and Einstein took walks to clear their minds and discover new innovations. On the latter point, the author shares a Stanford University experiment that gave people tasks designed to measure creative thinking. Participant’s scores rose dramatically after taking a walk.

Walking for me is meditation even though I may be listening to a book on military history or a podcast on literature. I do unplug. There are times when I lose myself so much on a trail that time virtually evaporates. Equally so, I can stretch a minute to seemingly last for hours in the observance of a tree or in the enjoyment of a running stream.

Much of the book was relatable while many passages were new and enlightening. I learned of the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing”. Research proves that immersing ourselves in the woods actually lowers stress and blood pressure. Even more impressive, forest bathing “can strengthen the immune system, lower cholesterol levels, and act as preventative medicine.” Certain types of trees emit essential oils that protect them from bacteria and insects. The more time spent among these trees allows us to take in the substance and benefit from its effects.

This is a book about walking and about much more. It is about quieting your mind by putting one foot in front of the other. To observe and breathe. To exist and move. Reading the book felt like I was taking a walk. It provides a welcome digression. A mixture of conscious mind activity while allowing the subconscious to roam.

Kagge ends the book with a simple equation involving “the ability to walk far” and the “will to walk far”. It is a message of never giving up by always exploring. It highlights our finite lives. The implications would be clear at any time, more so now given what the world is experiencing. All we can do is take it one step at a time.