In this instant and tenacious New York Times bestseller, Nike
founder and board chairman Phil Knight "offers a rare and revealing look
at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh" (Booklist, starred
review), illuminating his 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.
Bill Gates named Shoe Dog one of his five favorite books of the year
and called it "an amazing tale, a refreshingly honest reminder of what
the path to business success really looks like. It's a messy, perilous,
and chaotic journey, riddled with mistakes, endless struggles, and
sacrifice. Phil Knight opens up in ways few CEOs are willing to do."
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 car in 1963, Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that
first year. 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 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. In
Shoe Dog, he tells his story at last. At twenty-four, Knight decides
that rather than work for a big corporation, he will create something
all his own, new, dynamic, different. He details the many risks he
encountered, the crushing setbacks, the ruthless competitors and hostile
bankers--as well as his many thrilling triumphs. Above all, he recalls
the 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 transformative power of sports, they created a
brand--and a culture--that changed everything.
