2016 . Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs, Business, Sports & Recreation, Running & Jogging . Phil Knight
8.6 220 total
4.5/5195K total
4.5/5.0NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 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, 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.
2016
English
Scribner
400
1501135910 (ISBN13: 9781501135910)
6 months ago
1Inspiring and motivating book for entrepreneurs who want to move to a higher dimension of perception and mind
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Comment 6 months ago
7Phil is a great story teller and I love shoes but Nike comes off as a boys club. Part of Phil’s thoughts feel a little outdated
1 like Comment 7 months ago
10I sent an application to work for Nike the instant I turned the last page of this book. No joke. Turns out, they moved most of their business offices from Denmark to Sweden 😕 Amazingly captivating though!
Like Comment 9 months ago
10Such a brilliant read. Easy to pick this up and blast through it in a few days if you're determined enough!
Like Comment 9 months ago
10Great read if you are interested in the world of running. As a business major this was the perfect read for me as I live the sport of running and there are some great learning from the early beginnings of Phil Knight and Nike in there.
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9 months ago
10I have the attention span of a fly, so non-fiction and I usually don’t mesh well together. And to be honest I didn’t think I was going to like this. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I felt the human aspect of Phil Knight’s journey as he went on to tell the story of how he built Nike. It was a little unorthodox, but it worked. Super interesting read. I would recommend to anyone
1 like 2 comments 1 year ago
Thinking about reading this.. haven't finished a book in 6 years but I think this will be a good start!
1 like 5 comments 1 year ago
10Inspired me to want to travel (see the world) and create something lasting (impact the world). He did it all with a relentless pursuit of those goals, and we can all learn from that outlook.
2 likes 2 comments 1 year ago
9A captivating, exciting, emotional, and funny story of Phil Knight and Nike. Highly recommend for anyone interesses in business, entrepeneurship or someone thats just a shoe dog.
2 likes Comment 1 year ago
10Wow! Another great biography. Really enjoyed this book. It’s such a fascinating story and also includes a number of interesting life lessons from Phil Knight. I really liked the end where he reflects on his own life. As a recent entrepreneur I found this story immensely inspiring and captivating
Like Comment 2 years ago
8Very interesting about the founder of Nike. Also if you are a dreamy entrepreneur kind of puts reality into perspective about living in debt most of your life
1 like Comment 2 years ago
9Great story which appears to be very honest and open. Would highly recommended as an easy summer read or as audio book
Like Comment 3 months ago
9Just a fantastic book written about the origin of nike by one ane only Phil knight.
Like Comment 7 months ago
Is this book really that good? Looking for my next book to read
2 likes 2 comments 
