Shoe Dog

“I thought of that phrase, “It's just business.” It's never just business. It never will be. If it ever does become just business, that will mean that business is very bad.”
This was a very engrossing memoir, made all the more say by the very likeable personality that is Philip Knight.
He takes you on the rollercoaster ride of Nike and himself, his ambitions, his fights with the government, with his former creditors, with Adidas and Puma, and much, much more.
You can absolutely taste the depths of Phil's despair and the heights of his joy, leaping at you from the pages, which is a marvellous quality for a writer to have, but even more so when you're writing your own autobiography.
TL;DR - must read if you're into memoirs. One of the best such pieces ever written, as is apt for such an unconventional life.

An inspiring memoir urging readers to pursue their calling. Really liked one quote in particular - ‘If you're following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you've ever felt.'

This was an inspiring read! The walk through Nike's journey from startup to established company is filled with meaningful lessons for business owners and entrepreneurs.

The least autobiographical autobiography you'll ever read, there isn't a single insight about Phil Knight in these pages a researcher couldn't have figured out on their own. I get the feeling Phil either wasn't involved much in the writing or is extremely protective of his image.

That said, the ghostwriter J. R. Moehringer is a fantastic writer and knows how to turn a limited insight autobiography into a mythic story about how hard work and ambition pays off (in the 60's when you could get a CPA in 6 months plus you have a network of friends who went to Stanford and are available to help with funding/legal trouble/expertise (which in no way diminishes the hard work and success but is definitely worth adding as context to the situation)).

Such a great insight into a story no one would ever see. Shows just how much perseverance it takes to make a great company as an entrepreneur, and how much luck it takes not to lose it in the blink of an eye. Between the lines, Phil doesn’t share ruthless business tactics, but makes you deeply appreciate the fading experiences and relationships that you can never go back in time to experience again.

Fabulously interesting insights into the world's most successful athletics apparel brand. So many lessons learned. Also enjoyed Air, the film about Nike. And the Acquired podcast.

Nothing especially inspiring about this story. He seemed to succeed almost in spite of himself. I don't think I liked him as a person but I admire his tenacity. I don't regret the time I invested in this book but I don't think I would recommend it & 4 stars feels a tiny bit generous.

I'm not particularly drawn to autobiographies, but this one was a nice surprise. It describes an era in which business was so different from now and it is good for once to hear of companies not built in Silicon Valley.

Finally got around to reading this highly recommended book (in one day). It's a riveting memoir that tells the story of Nike from idea to IPO.

Very much Phil's personal story, struggles and all, it wasn't an attempt to sell Nike until the last chapter, which was something of an epilogue. It felt like an honest accounting of the stress and drive to build that are the hallmarks of entrepreneurship (money matters, but it's not about the money). I think it's also a useful example to those who assume that businesses that handle large amounts of money actually have it.

Also interesting was that he built this company before the days of VC money or even startup-friendly banks. It's easy forget that the programs and incubators available now are still fairly new.

A well written tale but in the end it's just a billionaire congratulating himself and justifying how selling shoes (made by children in sweatshops) serves some kind of higher good.

I listened to the audiobook version. I found the story telling of Phil Night engaging and the narration did justice to his writing.

8.9

Inspiring and motivating real life tale. Can't add more value to what has already been said of Phil Knight and Nike. I'd just say - go read it. You'll be pumped!

This was a great book. Full stop. A friend of mine made a great point in that it's hard to separate truth from fiction, and Knight acknowledges that several times throughout the book, but ultimately this book is the product of the memory that serves him. It is a fantastic writeup & personal memoir that details the beginnings of Nike. It is far from a fully comprehensive history of the company to date, but still jam-packed with amazing detail.

The only thing I was disappointed by was Phil Knight's lack of acknowledgement of how privileged he actually was as a white man living in America in the 60's and 70's. Although he didn't grow up rich, he had some of the most amazing opportunities that paved the way for everything that he has accomplished. He had the opportunity to travel the world on his father's dime (including a 1-year “relaxation” period in Hawaii doing nothing but drinking and surfing), to get put into contact with businessmen through his father's connections, to get offered lucrative accounting jobs when Blue Ribbon (Nike's predecessor) wasn't doing so well. I could go on.

I'm not trying to take away from Knight's hard work, as he nearly broke himself to make this company a possibility, much less a success. But it's a bit lost on him that, say, a black man in his shoes (pun intended) could have in no way accomplished what he did, not because of the lack of ability, intelligence, or drive; but because black people lived in a world where they were explicitly excluded from being able to succeed. There was no humility in that specific regard.

Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though it is a memoir, it was written with the similar feel of a suspense novel - I found it very hard to put the book down and was always eager to get back to it to find out what happens next.

Amazing inside view of the Nike story by co-founder Phil Knight.

3.5 actually. Loved the story, disliked the man.

Phil Knight within his memoir take the audience for an adventures trip on 1960s. He describe the world the way that it was during that era. He also share his dream or so called crazy idea and walk you through how he make it happen.

I call this book as a classic for business and entrepreneurship book. He describe up and downs within his journey, his management style and transformation from nothing to enterprise organization. Phil Knight also share his personal life within his memoir as well as his relationship with his dad, mom, sisters, wife and his sons. He describe his life into the details when he used to live paycheck to paycheck, till he became millionaire.

All in all it is wonderful, educational and entertaining book which I had the chance to go though the audio book .

Amazing book. As much about the growth of business in Portland, Oregon as about the now shoe behemoth. Very entertaining and fast moving.

The story behind Nike. If you wouldn't know the result which is the huge corporation that it is today, you would think they wouldn't make it. Several times. An amazing rollercoaster ride, greatly written.

Tak konečně jsem pochopil, proč se tato kniha jmenuje Shoe Dog (říká se tak lidem, kteří jsou posedlí botami) a odkud pochází název Nike (Chrám Athény Niké v Řecku, který objevil díky cestování po světě).
Kniha je úžasným nahlédnutím do myšlení Phila Knighta, jak vybudoval svůj byznys a jak uvažoval o všech krocích, které dělal. Uvažoval nejen jako obchodník, ale i jako stratég, který dokázal vybudovat značku, které důvěřují nejen její zákazníci, ale především zaměstnanci.
A co je nejdůležitější? Obklopte se lidmi, kteří věřím vám a vaší vizi.

A really honest account directly from the horse's mouth.

A must read for anybody trying to do something different from the status quo, especially people in their twenties(as the author suggests).

Most other business memoirs, especially those which are not written by a founder himself, show a very biased view of only the “ups” of the entrepreneur's life, this one is completely the opposite. This kind of business memoir is the best kind because it's written by the founder himself. The best part is that Phil Knight is really honest about all the ups and downs throughout the life of Nike. He's honest about the doubts he has about decisions which turn out to be the turning points for Nike. He's honest about the downs and how low those times have been. Most importantly, he's honest about the contribution that his employees have made and credit is given where credit is due.

Crucial parts of his personal life intermingled with all the above make the book a page-turner, something normally seen only in fiction books. Truly humanises success in entrepreneurship.
At the end of it, you realise that if a normal human being like Phil Knight can do it, anybody else can Just Do It.

A phenomenal business read. Not sure I would want to work for Knight during this period, plus he comes across as a little reductionist in his approach to men vs. women (even if it's subtle).

But this book is great because it shares excellent tidbits for people at key junctures in their careers, but in a narrative format. I finished this book with some useful takeaways, along with the reminder that every big company was a startup once upon a time.

Really enjoyed this. Knight has a great story and he's a born storyteller. Better than your average ‘business book'

The first part was excellent: Phil's story is that of a wandering soul turned entrepreneur, and hearing how Nike got its start is interesting and gripping.

The second part drags on, and the ending is kinda bad. By 1975, Nike is established and doing well enough, so the stories are just braggadocio about getting drunk with business partners or dodging taxes – not exactly inspiring stuff.

The final chapter drips with self-importance and contrived writing, glossing over huge and important events in Phil's life, like his son's death (the last regular chapter ends in 1980). He devotes only a few paragraphs to the sweatshop investigations of the 90s, only to say that the journalists were wrong but oh by the way Nike's factories are the best in the world now.

Nike's legacy as one of the greatest American companies is undeniable, and the origin story is worth hearing about, but the rest of the book isn't worth the time.