Review by Myra Salzer
I have had the luxury of reading more this past year due to COVID. My personal goal has been to discipline myself to learn and grow, and to give myself permission to relax and have fun. And so, I committed to alternating between growth books (self-help, business, philosophical, practical, psychological) and fun books (mostly mysteries, my favorite authors being Lee Child and John Grisham). I counted Shoe Dog in the “learning and growing” category of books, and yes, I learned a lot. The best part, though, was that I had fun doing so. This is a book I highly recommend, and not just for runners or sports fans or entrepreneurs. It’s for everyone!
Each chapter is a recap of a year. It begins in 1962 when Knight borrowed $50 from his father to get a running shoe made. (Knight had been on the running team at Oregon State.) In 1980 (the last chapter), NIKE went public. Knight made every team member and family member memorable and real. You got to know each one intimately. The book was published in 2016. In the epilogue, we received an update of how each of the players evolved, including the tragic drowning of Knight’s older son and the continued successes/failures of all founding team members.
The ever-gracious Knight never took credit from others, and he always, without fail, expressed gratitude for coworkers and family members he credited with his success. He is a class-act billionaire. An inspiration!
I learned about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, competition, international politics, international moors, personal growth, loss, winning, camaraderie, teamwork, and business. Knight is a high-integrity, low-profile, loyal, driven person whose own personal growth mirrored that of NIKE’s. It is not a short book, yet I devoured it in the same time I usually get through books half of its length. I wouldn’t be surprised if you beat me, though. 😊