Shoe Dog Phil Knight A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
Young, searching, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched a company with one simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his Plymouth Valiant, Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year, 1963. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30 billion. In this age of start-ups, Knight’s Nike is the gold standard, and its swoosh is more than a logo. A symbol of grace and greatness, it’s one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the world.
But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always been a mystery. Now, in a memoir that’s surprising, humble, unfiltered, funny, and beautifully crafted, he tells his story at last. It all begins with a classic crossroads moment. Twenty-four years old, backpacking through Asia and Europe, and Africa, wrestling with life’s Great Questions, Knight decides the unconventional path is the only one for him. Rather than work for a big corporation, he will create something all his own, something new, dynamic, and different. Knight details the many terrifying risks he encountered along the way, the crushing setbacks, the ruthless competitors, the countless doubters and haters, and hostile bankers, as well as his many thrilling triumphs and narrow escapes. Above all, he recalls the foundational relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike, with his former track coach, the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman, and with his first employees, a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swoosh-crazed brothers.
Together, harnessing the electrifying power of a bold vision and a shared belief in the redemptive, transformative power of sports, they created a brand, and a culture, that changed everything.
Owner : Aarav Sharma Available : In stock Genre : Fiction & Non-Fiction
| Publication : Simon & Schuster
3 reviews for Shoe Dog Phil Knight A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
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superadmin1 –
This book doesn’t contain much. No real business or leadership insight. Not even an interesting story about the formation of Nike. Mostly the life of Phil Knight and Nike’s early legal trouble. Truth be told, Phil Knight sounds to be an all around self-absorbed individual. Not someone I’d ever look up to. I’m still a fan of Nike products, just not this book
superadmin1 –
I felt like I was in a country club, sitting at a round table, while an old white man blathered on about his past. Knight continually astounded me with his complete lack of self-awareness – of his white male privilege, of how he took advantage of his family and friends – and his obsession with trivial details from 40 years ago. Knight skips over so much of Nike’s history that could be interesting, including everything post-IPO, and gave little insight into how grow and maintain an innovative and global business (besides “winning is everything”). Knight’s greatest hardship, to this day, is getting cut from his high school baseball team – a memory that he harps on more than his now passed-away son. That says all you need to know about Knight’s character.
It’s frustrating reading a “business” memoir from a misogynistic and self-absorbed multi-billionaire, and it’s equally frustrating seeing how much acclaim Knight’s book has received.
Book kulture –