Shoe Dog: Young Readers Edition by Phil Knight

Shoe Dog: Young Readers Edition Reviews

• 
  Yesenia Cash

  Definitely will be reading he adult version as well, it feels like I’m missing much more although I still enjoyed this version!
• 
  Dan

  Not the best written memoir but the topic - the forming of Nike - was actually quite interesting.
  
  Cash flow, cash flow. Phil Knight was always borrowing money. It was the only way to grow his company.
  
  4 stars
• 
  Kim Bahr

  Knight’s journey to find his place in the world and create a successful company is amazing.
• 
  Zohreh Avatefi hafez

  Some about shoes,some about humanity and success and wisdom,i think this company is great because of wisdom is flowing in this company’s employees and owners
  
  كمي داستان كفش كمي داستان انسانيت و خِرَد
  
• 
  Sara

  There's a lot to unpack here.
  
  I did not intend to read the "Young Readers Edition," but I accidentally requested it and decided to roll with it. Apparently, YREs are slightly simplified and less detailed. It was definitely a very fast read!
  
  On the surface, it's a fun look at Nike in its infancy. Oh, that Buck! He ran into some troubling times, but kept right on running!
  
  But if you scratch the surface at all, Knight's behavior problematic throughout the book. Nike's origin story is full of shady business (deliberate lying, outright stealing, extremely unwise management tactics) and he married one of his students. These are not minor white lies: at one point, he waits until a business opponent goes to the bathroom and then steals documents out of their briefcase, and then employs blocking shenanigans to sneak the folder back where it belongs. Just...super gross.
  
  There were a couple of funny moments (due to a translation error, some shoe prototypes were named "Throw Ups"). But it's fascinating to see what Knight would call "gumption and hard work" but are really his privilege. Most of us cannot get away with pretending to own a company that doesn't exist, borrowing from the bank because we have a rich father, and bumping into successful connections constantly (his Stanford MBA would have surely helped with that).
  
  If you are super into Nike, you might enjoy this book. Otherwise, give it a pass.
• 
  Khatijah

  Just want to highlight few points I learnt from this book. Firstly, you need to have two things to build an empire. One- Focus, Two- Disciplines. Most memoirs that I read have these two qualities in them. You have them, you got what you need. Sounds cliche? Naaaaa. That's life. Secondly, most memoirs that I read, all the successful men, they only have one woman on their back. They stay loyal to the only one. You get what I mean? For the book itself, I gave 3 stars. It's a drag, I hardly find myself invested in this book, and story about Nike just begun nearly by the end of this book. Thus, the rating. But it still worth my time.
• 
  Mind the Book

  Tidigt 70-tal. Phil Knights passion är skoimport. Han har sagt upp sig från Price Waterhouse för att ta ett mer mellow dayjob (?!) på Portland State University. Där på campus möter han två mycket viktiga personer: 1. Blivande frun med det symboliska namnet Penelope. 2. Carolyn, en random art student som med kort varsel ombeds designa en logotype för en ännu icke namngiven sportsko. " - It'll have to do." Hon skapar den nu legendariska swoosh:en och får 35 dollar för besväret. Senare även aktier i företaget.
  
  Men på vilket sätt är det här en Young Readers Edition? För att den är färgglad? Har 1,5 radavstånd? För det korta brevmanifest-appendixet med en handfull entreprenöriella råd? Det rör sig ändå om en flera hundra sidor detaljerad redogörelse ända från Knights ungdomstid, men inte fram till nutid utan bara fram till den tid då företaget blev Nike.
  
  Till skillnad från övrig managementlitt är företagaren inte någon Skön Typ, som får riskkapital kastat över sig eller lever ett vulgo-dolce vita. Det finns inga anekdoter om kinesiska fiskare och inget hyllande av Steve Jobs o.dyl. Knight kallar en passant sitt eget ledarskap för laissez-faire, men tolka det som autonomi. Själv har han alltid jobbat ihärdigt, varit lösningsinriktad och det är ett bra budskap för alla läsare, oavsett ålder.
• 
  Karla

  This is an informative insight from Nike founder Phil Knight about the early days of his company. Knowing he now has an estimated wealth of $54.5 billion puts the humble beginnings of his story into perspective.
  
  The young readers edition has an inspiring overall message and provides a realistic insight into starting your own business.
  
  At times the pacing was a little slow and I do feel that young readers would benefit from the memoir having some photographs to support the places and people mentioned in his story.
• 
  Sasha Vaniev

  An entertaining read about a fascinating becoming story of not so a world-level company, but rather a man with strong belief in running, perseverance and ability to ask for help.
  I guess in my case, the book about running shoes could help me to start and maintain my running habits. 🏃‍♂️😎
  Honestly, I dunno what the difference is with the “adult” version of this biography book, however, I really liked the narration and the storytelling style of this edition.
• 
  Charissa Ty

  I enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me so much of what I went through and what I'm currently going through. I too, see Penwings as more than a business. It's part of a larger calling that's growing up every single year.
• 
  Arianne Dela Cruz

  Still enjoyed reading about Phil Knight’s journey (even if I accidentally bought the young reader’s edition haha). Always a fan of humble beginnings. His passion & perseverance despite all the risk brought him to great heights.
• 
  Pedro Cavalcanti

  Easy and super engaging reading. I just wished it was slightly more detailed from the mid 70’s onwards, but fascinating story nevertheless.
• 
  Eliza Wilson

  If you like nike and want to know how it was created read this books.
• 
  Lau Riva Palacio

  Me gustó mucho, me dieron ganas de leer la edición normal para ver qué cambiaron para hacerlo más sencillo 😂 Pero pues sí, súper fácil y rápido de leer.
  
  Me encantó que aún debiendo millones seguía encontrando soluciones y viendo la manera de impulsar su empresa 👏🏼
• 
  Zach

  Really good book
• 
  Jessica Kenahan

  I accidentally checked out the young reader version of Shoe Dog from my library and didn’t realize it until I updated my kindle library 😑. Oh well! It was a well written version and I enjoyed the overall pace. I learned quite a but from this story. For example, I had no idea that the Nike powerhouse was once called Blue Ribbon that sold a Japanese brand called Tigers. The whole story really shows how companies can live and thrive on employees that believe in the cause.
• 
  Stephanie

  This was another family bookclub read and definitely not my usual go to genre. However, I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. This is the young readers edition which has been toned down a bit, I'm guessing to keep the kiddos interested.
  
  I really don't have much to say about this book. It's the story of Nike and how Knight got it started. The only really interesting part of this book was the beginning because it told of how he travelled the world, met different people, ate different foods, and experienced different cultures. All that came after meant nothing to me. However, my brother and bestie were very interested in the guy til the end.
• 
  Sean Truba

  The power of hard work and a vision can bring someone a long way. This book tells you about one of those experiences. If you are not interested in the thought of starting your own business. The journey one takes to build upon that and incorporating others, then this is not for you. You will see the actions one takes to spark their vision for the future. The purchases one makes to promote growth will be read as well, small risks that pay off, and even big risks. You will learn the importance of group decision making and not making every decision on your own. This book displays what people can act like and how people respond in the business world, not only In America but also other countries. Not only that but also how people can act in certain situations. Phil is a good man with some flaws of course, and a lot of hard work. You will read that if you read this. He tells you his highs, his lows, and his regrets. There are set backs and there are big pushes forward all being on the edge of failure. I thought that this was an enjoyable ride all the way through.
• 
  Brooke

  Read for mother-son book club. Not particularly well written but a compelling story nonetheless of the Phil Knight's (Nike) journey. My 11 y.o. struggled a bit in parts due to lack of familiarity of words like equity.
• 
  Maliha

  “Let everyone else call your idea crazy.. just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where “there” is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop.”
  
  In other words, Just Do It!
  
  Like many entrepreneurs, Phil Knight started by solving his own problem – running shoes. A former runner himself, Phil knew what his customers wanted, how they thought, and what would get them onboard.
  
  Phil Knight started his shoe career selling imported Japanese shoes from the company named Onitsuka, not by manufacturing his own. He sold his first shoes at track meets out of the trunk of his car, and their design and quality become a hit.
  
  Over time, frictions with the Japanese company over distribution rights, slow shipments, and creating new shoe designs forced him to found Nike. (What a wild thought it is that if they’d kept their partnership amiable, Phil might have kept working with Onitsuka, and Nike might never have happened.)
  
  Knight writes from the heart in this young adult version of his memoir. The book takes readers from the beginning of his dream…to the creation of the internationally known, uber-successful Nike brand. Shoe Dog reads like a great story about how an ambition turned into a business, while at the same time it serves as a guide for accomplishing great things.
  
  In this book Phil Knight offers a rare and revealing look at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh… I did not know a book about what I had previously viewed as the definition of a big corporation could have that sort of power. I was clearly wrong. (Like Phil says about the quote “It’s just a business.” It’s never just a business. It never will be. If it does become just a business, that will mean that business is very bad.)
  
  Phil Knight is a really gifted writer. Absolutely loved the book. I’ll definitely be reading the adult version of this book as well! And I highly recommend everyone to read this book.
• 
  Valerie McEnroe

  This book is a mixed bag for me. It's about Phil Knight and his struggle to get Nike footwear off the ground. I was fully engaged for 75% of the book. Knight talks about the Japanese supplier, the partnership with famed college track coach Bill Bowerman, the first employees, the first retail shop, the break with the Japanese supplier, and the creation of the new name and logo.
  
  The beginning, which describes Knight's internal thoughts about what he wants to get out of life, is particularly moving. His writing is purposeful, written like he has something important to say. Knight proves in the first few pages that he is a talented writer. Toward the end, the book nose dives. Knight drops the human interest component and gets bogged down with the financial aspects of the company. It's almost like he got bored with the story and just wanted to get it done. The actual ending is an unexpected drop off a cliff. No conclusion whatsoever.
  
  I didn't read the original edition, so it's possible that the young reader's edition suffered in an attempt to shorten it. With all that said, this is a great book to illustrate the hard work it takes in the beginning to start a company. Knight has great advice. He outlines it at the end in case you missed it while reading. There are definitely entrepreneurial type kids who will be fascinated by this story. I like how well it drives home the point that you have to be incredibly motivated and expect to be in debt for several years if you start a business. Here are a two quotes I liked.
  
  "So that morning in 1962 I told myself: Let everyone else call your idea crazy...just keep going. Don't stop. Don't even think about stopping until you get there, and don't give much thought to where 'there' is. Whatever comes, just don't stop."
  
  "Bowerman was forever griping that people make the mistake of thinking only elite Olympians are athletes. But everyone's an athlete, he said. If you have a body, you're an athlete."
• 
  Costa Horaitis

  Shoe Dog written by Phil Knight is the story of how he created and built up one of the biggest sports companies in the world: Nike. Knight, a successful collegiate track and field runner at the University of Oregon and a Stanford business graduate, wanted to be an innovator and avoid working for anyone else. He finished school with the motivation to travel the world and bring more to the running shoe industry which was lacking at the time. While traveling in Japan, Knight came across the Tiger-Brand which sold low-cost running shoes. After obtaining Tiger distribution rights for the United States he then began to sell the shoes through his own company Blue Ribbon Sports which he began with a $50 loan that he borrowed from his father. From then on the company slowly grew and eventually became the brand we know today: Nike. With all the success he had gained from this journey also came struggle. For example, it took Knight’s company more than a whole year to obtain Tiger running shoe samples in order to start selling them in the United States which slowed down the business's growth tremendously as Knight was forced to find a new job as an accountant in order to keep a steady income. As a young kid from the middle of Oregon with a dream, Knight depicts the theme of being the underdog as he had transformed the entire running shoe industry through thick and thin all with a $50 loan from his father. Knight’s writing style is very interesting as he made this story sound very fascinating, he shows us exactly what he had to go through every day essentially telling his day-by-day life. This writing style makes it easier for the reader to stay active in the story as they want to know what Knight will encounter next. This book is intended for more of an older audience with an interest in the business industry as the book illustrates many business terms and experiences tied with adulthood that may be difficult for a young reader to comprehend. This story is a great, inspirational read for any young, ambitious readers with a dream or anyone interested in learning about how the brand Nike came to be.