There are so many motivational books about walking, we even included four local guide books to inspire you!
Walking: One Step at at a Time by Erling Kagge will take you on a journey of discovery while he seeks to answer the questions: Why do we walk? Where do we walk from? What is our destination? While walking may seem like one of the simplest activities, this thought-provoking book will open your mind to the endless exploration and discoveries you can experience as you place one foot in front of the other.
The Salt Path: A Memoir by Raynor Winn shares the couple’s true story of losing everything and embarking on a long walk along the sea-swept South West Coast Path in England carrying only survival essentials. This life-affirming story will touch your heart, I’ll admit to shedding salty tears twice before I even reached the walking portion of their transformative journey.
In Praise of Walking: A New Scientific Exploration by neuroscientist Shane O’Mara shares the origin, mechanics, and health benefits of walking.
Walking for Fitness by Nina Barough is a comprehensive overview of fitness walking including training programs for everyone from beginner to advanced, and strategies to help you maximize the benefits.
How to Walk by Thích Nhất Hạnh explains how slow concentrated walking with focused breathing can allow us to be in the present moment.
Walking Meditation by Anh Huong Nguyen provides an in-depth instructional program to help you walk with presence and peace of mind in nature or even along a busy city street.
The Art of Flâneuring: How to Wander with Intention and Discover a Better Life by Erika Owen shares how you can be a flaneur anywhere. Learn to improve your overall well-being by supporting a more mindful mentality.
Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit examines the profound relationship between walking and culture, and walking and thinking. The author shares why preserving the time and space for walking is of critical importance in our accelerated automobile-dependent world.
Guide Books for Local Walking:
Rail-Trails Pennsylvania: The Definitive Guide to the State’s Top Multiuse trails by the Rails-to-trails Conservancy features flat well-maintained trails that provide scenic opportunities for walking in Pennsylvania.
The steps of Pittsburgh: Portrait of a City by Bob Regan includes six walking tours with directions and maps for walks up stairs that will literally take you to new heights in Pittsburgh!
Whirlwind Walk: Architecture and Urban Spaces in Downtown Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation shares a walking route on a foldout map for a self-guided tour of Pittsburgh’s architecture and urban spaces along with information and historical insights. The newest edition of this book is titled Exploring Pittsburgh: A Downtown Walking Tour.
Pittsburgh Art in Public Places: Downtown Walking Tour by the Office of Public Art includes maps and information for five walks that showcase public art, noteworthy architecture, landscape architecture, and cultural objects.
Thanks for checking out some of our favorite books on walking, be sure to visit our Lists page for more reading suggestions and resource guides.
Written by Linda, 8/26/20
