”I wanted to leave a mark on the world.
I wanted to win.
No, that’s not right. I simply didn’t want to lose.
And then it happened. As my young heart began to thump, as my pink lungs expanded like the wings of a bird, as the trees turned to greenish blurs, I saw it all before me, exactly what I wanted my life to be. Play.” ~ Phil Knight in Shoe Dog
I finished reading
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. The book is Knight’s autobiography and recounts the history of Blue Ribbon, an Oregon shoe company founded by running geeks, the small company that eventually became international giant Nike, Inc. Before reading this book I never realized Knight was such a free spirit. Knight had a
laissez-faire management style that allowed his subordinates to thrive. Knight says he hates war, but loves the warrior spirit, quoting General George Patton, “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with the results.” And Douglas MacArthur, ”You are remembered for the rules you break.” Knight had a brazenly reckless, dangerous way of conducting business, always playing the float with borrowed money. The business nearly collapsed when their main bank quit doing business with them in 1975. Nike struggled with legal battles, competitors, foreign governments, and the US government.
Knight’s memoir also tells interesting personal stories about the people involved with Nike, such as Coach Bill Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine. It explains the origins of the swoosh logo. Nike was an originator of advertising slogans focused not on the product, but the spirit behind the product: “There is no finish line.” ~ "Start unknown. Finish unforgettable” ~ “Beating the competition is relatively easy. Beating yourself is a never-ending commitment.” ~ “Just do it.”
Before reading I had anticipated that
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike would be a rather dull recounting of the history of a sporting goods company. I was surprised to discover a surprisingly well written, inspiring, colorful, and very interesting book. I enjoyed reading it.