If you've read another book on getting in to marathon running then this one isn't going to give you much, if anything, more. Loaded with autobiographical anecdotes from mostly elite marathon runners I found it largely irrelevent for somebody contemplating their first attempt at 42.2km. Nerurkar makes up for some of his more indulgent choices however by providing some very interesting charts and tables on training plans and his writing style is largely clear and concise, only straying in to enexplained terminology on the rare occasion. There's a lot of options out there for the marathon trainee to choose from and this book should never be first choice, especially not as the first book they pick up.