Shoe Dog

31 July 2020: I really enjoyed Shoe Dog. It is both inspirational and hilarious. Several sections made me laugh out loud. Loved the part when Buck (Phil Knight) wins over a girl from an obnoxiously preppy boy during one of his travels. I've seen an obnoxiously preppy boy or two at Princeton, so it was too funny.

It also offers an unflinching look at the sacrifices made to build Nike. Business is war where there are winners and losers, and Nike required total focus. He recounts tragedy at home.

Taking a step back, I believe in the power of sport to change lives for the better and an entrepreneural spirit. I identify wholeheartedly with this book's message. Sport can be life-changing. Growing up as a competitive swimmer, I felt the joy of team camaraderie and had the right opportunities to build confidence and fortitude. Spending over 30 hours a week in the pool taught me time management and made me into a better student.

Read this several years ago, but I keep returning to a section early on before the founding of Nike. Buck's father didn't approve of Buck's decision to create an import export company. His father valued "respectability" and that meant a traditional path. Buck, however, didn't value respectability so he took chances. He kept at his import/export business and we all know how the story ends.