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Finding Gobi: The Amazing True Story: A Little Dog with a Very Big Heart
Unknown Binding
Published June 13, 2017
4 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Dion Leonard
19 books99 followersDion Leonard is a 41 year old Australian who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with his wife Lucja. Dion has not only completed but competed in some of the world’s toughest ultra marathons across the planet’s most inhospitable landscapes. This includes running across the brutal Moroccan Sahara desert twice in the 250km Marathon Des Sables and also twice across South Africa's Kalahari Desert, also 250km. Dion's latest 250km race across the Gobi Desert in China turned out to be a completely different race where he fell in love with a stray dog (later named Gobi) that followed him during the week and who would change both of their lives forever.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 10, 2026
I really liked how Finding Gobi is a very moving memoir. It feels like Dion Leonard really thought through how he was going to write Finding Gobi, and it is a very interesting book because of how well the story is told. Dion’s motivation and perseverance to run an ultramarathon race is very impressive. It was really cool how Gobi changed Dion’s perspective from really wanting to win to helping others. I was surprised by how powerful the friendship of animals can be. I recommend this book to anybody who likes dogs.
August 7, 2025
Listened to the audiobook. I’m giving it 5 stars for Gobi. ❤️
August 10, 2025
Great story
February 4, 2026
Ok, I am in the total minority here but I found the author to be arrogant, obnoxious, narcissistic and racist. I don't understand why people thought this story was heartwarming. Just because there is a dog involved doesn't make up for how self-centered and racist Dion is...
1. At one point he accuses the leader in the race, Tommy, of intentionally ignoring the flags that mark the racetrack and says when you're in front you never miss the flags because you know to look for them. However later in the book Dion is in the front and misses the flags completely and runs off-track.
2. During a windstorm one of the women running the race is trying to fix a tent and instead of helping, Dion goes over to tell her to fix HIS tent because he "paid a lot of money to enter this race". Uh, why not help her??
3. When the dog goes missing, he basically accuses everyone in China of wanting to steal him for ransom or eat him, including the women from the race who was trying the fix the tents and her husband. He had no evidence that she or her husband stole the dog for ransom, but he accuses them anyway. Moreover, he goes to live in China for 4 months for Gobi to be quarantined, and basically hides in his apartment THE ENTIRE TIME because he's so terrified the people in China are going to steal or eat his dog.
I just don't understand how anyone could ignore how offensive & narcissistic this author is and actually like this book. No amount of dogs could make me like him.
1. At one point he accuses the leader in the race, Tommy, of intentionally ignoring the flags that mark the racetrack and says when you're in front you never miss the flags because you know to look for them. However later in the book Dion is in the front and misses the flags completely and runs off-track.
2. During a windstorm one of the women running the race is trying to fix a tent and instead of helping, Dion goes over to tell her to fix HIS tent because he "paid a lot of money to enter this race". Uh, why not help her??
3. When the dog goes missing, he basically accuses everyone in China of wanting to steal him for ransom or eat him, including the women from the race who was trying the fix the tents and her husband. He had no evidence that she or her husband stole the dog for ransom, but he accuses them anyway. Moreover, he goes to live in China for 4 months for Gobi to be quarantined, and basically hides in his apartment THE ENTIRE TIME because he's so terrified the people in China are going to steal or eat his dog.
I just don't understand how anyone could ignore how offensive & narcissistic this author is and actually like this book. No amount of dogs could make me like him.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews