Simon

Somewhat surprisingly for a book on music, I found the most interesting parts weren't really about music per se, but the cultural and economic forces and influences shaping and shaped by it. In hindsight that probably makes sense for what is squarely an academic exploration.

As a relatively casual fan of Since I Left You — which was released perfectly timed to play a formative role in my music taste — I found myself at times bristling at what I perceived as criticisms I felt weren't warranted. However, once put in context, these really added to the interest to be found in the study.

Some of the music specifics went a little over my head, but the exploration of the changing economics of the music industry were fascinating.

A well written chronicle of the rise of the Backyard Ultra format. The most interesting parts are all about how the format developed and the characters who conceived of it — particularly Lazarus Lake and his many experiments in race formats that preceded the Backyard.

There's slightly too much listing of race results and runners for my taste. I will remember very few of the accomplished runners and their impressive accomplishments. Some of this is necessary to tell the story, but it was a bit much at times.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. An easy read about an interesting subject, especially for someone who has dabbled in running as a hobby. It might just have convinced me to give a Backyard a try in 2026 — I'll be happy with three laps.