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Perfect Motion: How walking makes us wiser
Since our first ancestor rose up to place one foot in front of another, our desire to walk has produced fundamental changes in our bodies and minds.
In Perfect Motion, Jono Lineen investigates that transformation, and why walking has made us more creative, helped us to learn, constructed our perception of time, strengthened our resilience and provided a way of making sense of our life – and death.
After the tragic loss of his younger brother, Lineen experienced walking’s regenerative power firsthand. Grief-stricken and adrift, he set off on a 2700-kilometre solo trek across the Himalayas. He walked for months until his legs ached and feet blistered, and by the end of the expedition something had changed in him. He was stronger – not just physically, but psychologically and emotionally.
What had happened? What had given him this feeling of peace; joy even? Determined to find out, he began researching the science and history of walking and running, and discovered that there were fascinating reasons for his metamorphosis. Now, weaving together his own remarkable personal stories with evolutionary research, psychology, neuroscience, anatomy and philosophy, Lineen reveals for the first time the powerful effect that even the shortest strolls can have on us. And why walking is what we’re made to do; it is our perfect motion.
In Perfect Motion, Jono Lineen investigates that transformation, and why walking has made us more creative, helped us to learn, constructed our perception of time, strengthened our resilience and provided a way of making sense of our life – and death.
After the tragic loss of his younger brother, Lineen experienced walking’s regenerative power firsthand. Grief-stricken and adrift, he set off on a 2700-kilometre solo trek across the Himalayas. He walked for months until his legs ached and feet blistered, and by the end of the expedition something had changed in him. He was stronger – not just physically, but psychologically and emotionally.
What had happened? What had given him this feeling of peace; joy even? Determined to find out, he began researching the science and history of walking and running, and discovered that there were fascinating reasons for his metamorphosis. Now, weaving together his own remarkable personal stories with evolutionary research, psychology, neuroscience, anatomy and philosophy, Lineen reveals for the first time the powerful effect that even the shortest strolls can have on us. And why walking is what we’re made to do; it is our perfect motion.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 16, 2019
18 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Jono Lineen
5 books7 followersJono Lineen is an author, museum curator and public speaker. His books include River Trilogy, Into the Heart of the Himalayas and Perfect Motion.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 14, 2019
Lineen's diverse and highly engaging personal stories add depth to the idea that walking - one of humanity's oldest and most crucial skills - is good for the soul. Intuitively, the idea feels right when you consider it, but it really hits home with his detailed exploration of the topic he has chosen. A highly rewarding read.
November 26, 2019
Having been incapacitated and stuck in a wheelchair for six months....I can understand the truth of this book. As I healed and took tentative steps like a toddler again, I found that my brain, my creativity began to sizzle and fire again. This is a fascinating book with memoir and biology and adventure and soul. I really enjoyed it immensely. I was moved in parts and let myself wonder at the amazing and sometimes terrifying adventures that Jono Lineen 'walked' through over the years. It was both educational, entertaining and inspiring. Highly recommended!!
January 9, 2023
Perfect Motion is a book that can't decide what it wants to be. It's more accurate to call it an incomplete biography of Lineen than a book about walking. Roughly one third academic essay filled with quotes from the usual suspects (Murakami, Harari, Csikszentmihalyi, Harford, Gladwell), one third biography of Lineen's childhood, and one third walking stories from the Himalayas and Canberra.
Lineen obfuscates his academic credentials as well. The book was written under supervision at Griffith University, likely as a PhD and Lineen is curator at the National Museum of Australia, but the only credentials mentioned in Perfect Motion are working as a tree planter for 18 years.
Lineen's attitudes to others also illustrate a need to feel superior at all times. Amongst the Maobadi and uniformed Maoist soldiers of Nepal Lineen remarks it is the Westerners who are the true revolutionaries for breaking the menstrual taboo. Amongst his own sons in Yankee Hat, ACT, Australia, Lineen looks down upon them for their perceived lack of undertanding or care about the local Aboriginal rock art.
Lineen's views are also inconsistent. The Maobadi's veneration of Prachanda is sneered at; while Lineen himself venerates the Dalai Lama similarly. Belfast's Catholicism and Protestantism are disdained as divisive; while the Hinduism and Buddhism of the Himalayas are lauded as demonstrating a deeper understanding of mankind. The Maobadi and Tejan Superman's attitudes to women are mocked; while the ACT Aboriginals who hold much stronger menstrual taboos and prohibit women from going to men's cultural sites are venerated. Lineen's attitudes bring to mind Said's remarks on Orientalism in which the foreign is exoticised.
Would have been much stronger as a short article on walking or an honest and more comprehensive biography. The academic citations are the weak point and don't add anything of value to the work. It's also interesting Lineen sells $7600 tickets to walk in Bhutan.
Lineen obfuscates his academic credentials as well. The book was written under supervision at Griffith University, likely as a PhD and Lineen is curator at the National Museum of Australia, but the only credentials mentioned in Perfect Motion are working as a tree planter for 18 years.
Lineen's attitudes to others also illustrate a need to feel superior at all times. Amongst the Maobadi and uniformed Maoist soldiers of Nepal Lineen remarks it is the Westerners who are the true revolutionaries for breaking the menstrual taboo. Amongst his own sons in Yankee Hat, ACT, Australia, Lineen looks down upon them for their perceived lack of undertanding or care about the local Aboriginal rock art.
Lineen's views are also inconsistent. The Maobadi's veneration of Prachanda is sneered at; while Lineen himself venerates the Dalai Lama similarly. Belfast's Catholicism and Protestantism are disdained as divisive; while the Hinduism and Buddhism of the Himalayas are lauded as demonstrating a deeper understanding of mankind. The Maobadi and Tejan Superman's attitudes to women are mocked; while the ACT Aboriginals who hold much stronger menstrual taboos and prohibit women from going to men's cultural sites are venerated. Lineen's attitudes bring to mind Said's remarks on Orientalism in which the foreign is exoticised.
Would have been much stronger as a short article on walking or an honest and more comprehensive biography. The academic citations are the weak point and don't add anything of value to the work. It's also interesting Lineen sells $7600 tickets to walk in Bhutan.
May 3, 2021
Take a long walk and bring this book along for company. The spiritual, emotional and physical benefits of movement all started to make sense as the stories and science unfolded in this book. The chapter on marathon running brought together ideas which have long puzzled me. I’m not sure about perfect motion, but pretty damn close.
October 16, 2021
Though interesting the emphasis on flowery language often meant I would zone out. Some of the experiences were wonderfully applied and some didn't seem. To really fit the points being made.
January 15, 2024
An exploration of walking commencing in prehistoric times, including some scientific research and some personal stories. Walking is my favourite activity and I now have pages of excellent quotes and philosophical thoughts about walking, life and death to re read at leisure. I liked the concept of walking being past, present and future. That it is meditative, creative, takes us into landscapes- including its history and there is a sweet pace where the mind and body merge. It was a little disjointed at times and while the autobiographical stories were captivating some had only slightly tenuous links with walking. Overall an enlightening read.
November 22, 2023
Walking is directly tied to innovation and creativity. Motion makes manifest. Ideas are set in motion when we are set in motion. Full of beautiful and incredible findings and connections and ideas, as well as some sort of self righteous personal anecdotes
February 24, 2020
Only skimmed this book. It goes into details of what walking is doing for humans. Gives experience of author walking in mountains to overcome pain of brother's death.
February 25, 2020
liam gareth lineen?
liam gareth lineen?
liam gareth lineen?
liam gareth lineen?
liam gareth lineen?
liam gareth lineen?
liam gareth lineen?
liam gareth lineen?
liam gareth lineen?
May 12, 2020
Jono reads his own book in this audio version, which I really enjoyed. His even speech mirrored beautifully his many and varied examples of being in the moment. Great.
August 7, 2020
Lyn bookclub 2020
August 22, 2020
On the pleasures of walking - have enjoyed the discussion but time has run out and the book must be returned. I will just have to get out there and walk!
August 30, 2023
I just love books about walking: why we walk; how we walk; what walking does for us; walks people have done; the role of walking in human history and culture... this is one of those books.
October 14, 2023
A beautifully poetic read about the meaning of walking. The best book I've ever read on this topic.
November 26, 2024
An inspiring personal account of how walking can transform body, mind and spirit, with historical and scientific references.
September 19, 2025
still have a couple chapters to read. good information but a bit boring and have a library book to read
Finished reading this book. last full chapter best in the book. describes how as Doctors with out borders treks to a small village in northern India under the control of Maoists. Being prisoners but gaining respect of tge Leader and being allowed to leave. like his previous book Jono is a spiritual person who really is drawn to Buddaism. The book is different from what I expected but ries explain how out ansectors 5 milli9n years ago stood up and walked on 2 legs and how that gave us new skills that helped us evolve into the people we are today.
Finished reading this book. last full chapter best in the book. describes how as Doctors with out borders treks to a small village in northern India under the control of Maoists. Being prisoners but gaining respect of tge Leader and being allowed to leave. like his previous book Jono is a spiritual person who really is drawn to Buddaism. The book is different from what I expected but ries explain how out ansectors 5 milli9n years ago stood up and walked on 2 legs and how that gave us new skills that helped us evolve into the people we are today.
September 22, 2025
I know this is a book about walking, the gait, our evolution and anatomy. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it and didn’t find interesting enough to continue reading.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews