NPR

Why We Walk: The Bliss Of Living One Step At A Time

(Pixabay)

With Meghna Chakrabarti

The profound joys of moving through the world on your own two feet. Explorer and philosopher Erling Kagge on the wonders of walking.

Guest

Erling Kagge, Norwegian explorer, lawyer, art collector and author. The first person to have completed the Three Poles Challenge on foot — the North Pole, the South Pole and the summit of Mount Everest. Author of “Walking: One Step at a Time,” and six other books.

From The Reading List

Excerpt from “Walking” by Erling Kagge

One day, my grandmother was no longer able to walk.

That was the day she died. Physically, she continued to live a little longer, but her new knees, which had surgically replaced the old ones, were worn out and no longer able to carry her body. The remaining strength in her muscles wasted away from the days spent lying in bed. Her digestive system began to fail. Her heartbeat slowed down and her pulse became uneven. Her lungs took in less and less

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