Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE
By Phil Knight
Paperback; 400 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schus
Review: Krishna Kumar Mishra
A great and exciting story of the making of Nike. The book chronicles the struggles and tribulations of a man with dreams in his eyes – a classic management read for all entrepreneurs. It gives an insight how to create a company which is bigger than the industry itself. Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, served as CEO of the company from 1964 to 2004, as board chairman through 2016, and he is currently Chairman Emertius. It’s his story but certainly not just a book but a man’s whole life. His passion of perseverance, of fears, and of wars. The memoir takes the reader to a journey of a young lad, willing to give his dreams a try. And the beauty is that the book is honest to the core.
To make it brief – in 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes he grossed $8000 in his first year. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30 billion. It could be the biggest start-up story of its time. Today the brand is an icon, one of the most ubiquitous and recognisable symbols in the world. Unfortunately the world was unaware of the man behind the swoosh. For the first time, the creator tells his story. He details the many risks and daunting setbacks that stood between him and his dream.
IE&M Take
“Struggles and tribulations of Phil Knight to bring Nike to life – a classic management read for all entrepreneurs.”
A memoir rich with insight and humour. The reader gets to read lessons about building something from scratch and overcoming adversity. Shoe Dog is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like – endless struggles and sacrifice, messy, perilous, and chaotic journey riddled with mistakes.
