Shoe Dog
by Phil Knight
Knight's memoir of building Nike from a car trunk to a global brand is a story of near-bankruptcy, lawsuits, loyalty and luck, told with more humility and humor than most founder books. It is not advice; it is a candid picture of what a company actually costs its founder, and it is one of the best business memoirs written.
Read it if…
you want an honest, gripping account of building something, with the fear left in.
Skip it if…
you want lessons laid out; the book trusts you to draw them.
Three things you will actually use
- Commit beyond reason to something you believe in.
- Find people crazy enough to join you.
- Expect the cash crisis; it comes anyway.
Do this first
Write what you would keep doing if the next three years were as hard as the first three of this book.
Our verdict
A superb memoir; the business lessons are the bonus.
Compare with other Entrepreneurship books
Profit First
Mike Michalowicz · Entrepreneurship
Simple, behavioral and effective; the cash-flow book for small owners.
CLICK TO SEE
Traction
Gino Wickman · Entrepreneurship
A complete, unglamorous operating system; many companies run on it for a reason.
CLICK TO SEE
Scaling Up
Verne Harnish · Entrepreneurship
Comprehensive and dry; a reference for growth-stage leaders.
CLICK TO SEEBrowse all Entrepreneurship book reviews or get the free Reality Code Cheat Sheet.
As an Amazon Associate, WisdomDeck earns from qualifying purchases. Links marked “Click to see” go to Amazon. We are not paid for opinions, prices and availability are not shown here and change on Amazon, and we never see your purchase details. Nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice.