I am 4/5th of the way through this book and I am loving every page. It reads partly as an adventure tale, partly as a science text, partly as a 60's hippy on-the-road book and I'm loving it all. I've learned so much about running from a biomechanical perspective, and I tell you - the author makes some compelling reasons to ditch the shoes.
I was drawn to read this book mainly because of this - I haven't worn "shoes" in years. I run in Tevas all summer, and Crocs all winter. Everyone warned me that I was going to ruin my feet. What actually happened is that I haven't had one foot complaint or knee or ankle complaint ever since I tossed "supportive" shoes aside in favor of the comfortable ones. I also spend 100% of my at-home time barefoot. It's nice to have at least one person tell me, however indirectly, that what I'm doing is beneficial for my overall health, heh.
It's a great book. Maybe not the best literary achievement - many of the metaphors and similes make me cringe,but overall, it's a very enjoyable read.