In this instant and tenacious New York Times bestseller Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight offers a rare and revealing look at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh ( Booklist starred review) illuminating his company s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world s most iconic game-changing and profitable brands. Bill Gates named Shoe Dog one of his five favorite books of the year and called it an amazing tale a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like. It s a messy perilous and chaotic journey riddled with mistakes endless struggles and sacrifice. Phil Knight opens up in ways few CEOs are willing to do. Fresh out of business school Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched a company with one simple mission: import high-quality low-cost running shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his car in 1963 Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year. Today Nike s annual sales top $30 billion. In this age of start-ups Knight s Nike is the gold standard and its swoosh is one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the world. But Knight the man behind the swoosh has always been a mystery. In Shoe Dog he tells his story at last. At twenty-four Knight decides that rather than work for a big corporation he will create something all his own new dynamic different. He details the many risks he encountered the crushing setbacks the ruthless competitors and hostile bankers--as well as his many thrilling triumphs. Above all he recalls the relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike with his former track coach the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman and with his first employees a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swoosh-crazed brothers. Together harnessing the electrifying power of a bold vision and a shared belief in the transformative power of sports they created a brand--and a culture--that changed everything.