This is Phil Knight, one on one, no holds barred. That it happened at all is a miracle, because as I learned from this book, though we are a nation that extols free enterprise, we also excel at thwarting it. But as a personal memoir Shoe Dog reaches a depth of emotional honesty that even the best biographies haven't touched."- Rich Karlgaard, Forbes, "A rare and revealing look at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh."- Booklist STARRED review, " Shoe Dog is a great American story about luck, grit, know-how, and the magic alchemy of a handful of eccentric characters who came together to build Nike. As a business biography, it ranks with such recent works as Neal Gabler's Disney and Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs. 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. 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. 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.
Rather than work for a big corporation, he will create something all his own, something new, dynamic, different. 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. It all begins with a classic crossroads moment. Now, in a memoir that's surprising, humble, unfiltered, funny, and beautifully crafted, he tells his story at last. But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always been a mystery. A symbol of grace and greatness, it's one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the world. In this age of start-ups, Knight's Nike is the gold standard, and its swoosh is more than a logo. Today, Nike's annual sales top $30 billion. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his Plymouth Valiant, Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year, 1963. 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.
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