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Swoosh: The Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There
The unauthorized national-bestselling sensation revealing the absorbing story of the rise, fall, and recovery of Nike, by a former employee and a Los Angeles Times reporter.
556 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 20, 2017
After finishing this book I don't really know what to think or say about it. On one hand, it's a fantastic, gripping book that gives a great behind the scenes insight into the cultural phenomena that is Nike. A real roller coaster.
On the other hand, by its end the book comes off as possibly being a slur/airing of grievances against Knight himself by one of Nike's key men, book author JB Strasser. Strasser helped grow the company before ultimately falling away from its culture.
The runaway train-esque development of that culture, from start-up to $3bln corporation, was portrayed by the book as being like the rapid growth of a monster. The all consuming monster dominated the lives of key men, chewing them up and spitting them out.
The portrayal of this by Strasser seems to me to revolve around portraying Knight's leadership (or lack thereof) as increasingly distant and disinterested. Throughout the book, Nike's leader is chastised for a general lack of direct leadership or personal interest in those who stake much of their being in the company.
The book almost seems to portray Nike's development as a downward spiral. This portrayal, to me at least, seems to come from Strasser's perspective of his own transition from living and breathing Nike as a part of the mom-and-pop, run-and-gun upstart that it was, to then feeling alienated by the culture generated between the mega-company it became and the new generation of Nike staffers who gravitated towards it.
Central to this, and an intriguing factor in gaining insight into Knight's 'genius', is his portrayed obsession with Japanese culture and management style. Although the book was gripping, it was also fleeting in the way that it really provided little insight into this and the perspective of Knight himself.
But of course, this is not Knight's book, as it's Strasser's. So if I had the time then I would be sure to read Knight's story next in order to establish some kind of a balance between the two sides.
But perhaps make your own mind up about all of that by giving the book a read. It's definitely worth it.
Be warned, it is a beast at 650+ pages but I didn't personally help myself that by taking notes for a class.
Please feel free to comment if you've also read the book and have any thoughts about what I've said.
On the other hand, by its end the book comes off as possibly being a slur/airing of grievances against Knight himself by one of Nike's key men, book author JB Strasser. Strasser helped grow the company before ultimately falling away from its culture.
The runaway train-esque development of that culture, from start-up to $3bln corporation, was portrayed by the book as being like the rapid growth of a monster. The all consuming monster dominated the lives of key men, chewing them up and spitting them out.
The portrayal of this by Strasser seems to me to revolve around portraying Knight's leadership (or lack thereof) as increasingly distant and disinterested. Throughout the book, Nike's leader is chastised for a general lack of direct leadership or personal interest in those who stake much of their being in the company.
The book almost seems to portray Nike's development as a downward spiral. This portrayal, to me at least, seems to come from Strasser's perspective of his own transition from living and breathing Nike as a part of the mom-and-pop, run-and-gun upstart that it was, to then feeling alienated by the culture generated between the mega-company it became and the new generation of Nike staffers who gravitated towards it.
Central to this, and an intriguing factor in gaining insight into Knight's 'genius', is his portrayed obsession with Japanese culture and management style. Although the book was gripping, it was also fleeting in the way that it really provided little insight into this and the perspective of Knight himself.
But of course, this is not Knight's book, as it's Strasser's. So if I had the time then I would be sure to read Knight's story next in order to establish some kind of a balance between the two sides.
But perhaps make your own mind up about all of that by giving the book a read. It's definitely worth it.
Be warned, it is a beast at 650+ pages but I didn't personally help myself that by taking notes for a class.
Please feel free to comment if you've also read the book and have any thoughts about what I've said.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2013
The overall book did a fantastic job of explaining the birth of Nike, it's early struggles and success leading up to the behemoth that it became.
Overall, it was a fantastic read and wonderfully the build up of everything, but sometimes jumped around a little too much with the Nike timeline and introduced too many people to realistically keep track of without some sort of characters sheet.
Other than some small confusions, however, it was a wonderfully written novel and really does tell the whole story. Anyone wanting to gain a glimpse into a major company should definitely read this, especially if you are looking to create a start up in the future or are planning to move forward with your company. It clearly demonstrates a vast majority of the problems you will run into at a small start up or even mid-sized company.
Overall, it was a fantastic read and wonderfully the build up of everything, but sometimes jumped around a little too much with the Nike timeline and introduced too many people to realistically keep track of without some sort of characters sheet.
Other than some small confusions, however, it was a wonderfully written novel and really does tell the whole story. Anyone wanting to gain a glimpse into a major company should definitely read this, especially if you are looking to create a start up in the future or are planning to move forward with your company. It clearly demonstrates a vast majority of the problems you will run into at a small start up or even mid-sized company.
May 17, 2020
Great first half with interesting titbits of stories from its founding to initial years. Later it becomes more of internal company functioning/changes.
Now, time to read Shoe Dog by Knight.
Now, time to read Shoe Dog by Knight.
April 6, 2009
This book is about the history of NIKE. Nike is a sports company that makes sports shoes, shorts,shirts etc. Nike is one of the most important companies is the world because its so well known. But Nike over the years has had some problems with child labor and how people start to hear that if they are doing child labor then people don't want to buy their merchandise. The reason why i choose this book is because i have been wearing Nike basketball sneakers for the longest time and most of the time i buy things from Nike so i can really relate to it. But overall i really loved this book and if you are a fan on Nike i recommend you should read it.
January 2, 2018
Good background knowledge, better read together with Knight’s shoedog and NIke’s annual report from 1981 to 1988.
December 12, 2021
I looked at my hand-me-down pair of Onitsukas differently after reading this. Who would’ve guessed they had a tenuous connection to the biggest athletics company in the world? Not me, but that’s why I like this book.
Great read for anyone who has even a passing interest in how juggernaut companies get started. The story here is excellent and takes a lot of twists and turns, and Strasser (married to one of Nike’s first members, and herself its first advertising manager) also takes a lot of time to flesh out the main and supporting cast.
And the story is so interesting that I appreciate all the work, there’s really very few dull parts of the book since it’s all exciting and well-written. I stayed up late reading this, I read a third of it on the train from Montreal (where I once again didn’t visit the Expo 67 grounds). In any case, you really get a sense of the geography, the business, the management, the times and the people involved in turning a little company called Blue Ribbon Sports into a multinational giant called Nike, Inc.
If you want to know how a scrappy underdog company can grow to become a monolithic corporation, this book is for you. If you want to know what happens to scrappy entrepreneurial types when companies go corporate, this book’s for you. If you care about running, athletic endorsements, or the overall evolution of sport and how closely it’s tied to corporate sponsorship—this book may be for you, but this one is more about Nike, the people who built it, and their journey from nobodies to rich people (and in many cases, nobodies to nobodies working for rich people). Though it must be added that some of the people who built it were sponsored athletes.
In the beginning of this book there's an interesting parallel that runs between Knight & company in the West and Onitsuka & company in the East, which I thought was well-explored and probably great for more material. It was very good reading and got me into the book.
Phil Knight’s reclusiveness is explored, and he becomes more of a sympathetic character than I’d imagined, though portrayed as somewhat of a dawdler and callous jackass as well. The rest of the main guys, from Bowerman to Woodell, are given lots of time and space, which is great, because they’re really central to the growth and development of the company, and they must have been closer to Strasser, because they’re well-drawn where Knight seems like kind of a cypher past the late 70s/early 80s part of the book.
I’ve never owned Nikes, and probably I’ll never buy them anyway, but I think it’s safe to say they are a well-known brand. This book explores how they got that way. It would be a good launching-off point for a deeper business study, and it’s a great overview of the evolution of business during the heady years of the mid 60s to the much different world of the early 90s. I’d recommend this book to most people.
It’s a good story, and appropriately well-paced. Maybe I’ll find Phil Knight’s book some day. You know he based the company off a paper he wrote in university? Not bad... depending on how you look at it.
Great read for anyone who has even a passing interest in how juggernaut companies get started. The story here is excellent and takes a lot of twists and turns, and Strasser (married to one of Nike’s first members, and herself its first advertising manager) also takes a lot of time to flesh out the main and supporting cast.
And the story is so interesting that I appreciate all the work, there’s really very few dull parts of the book since it’s all exciting and well-written. I stayed up late reading this, I read a third of it on the train from Montreal (where I once again didn’t visit the Expo 67 grounds). In any case, you really get a sense of the geography, the business, the management, the times and the people involved in turning a little company called Blue Ribbon Sports into a multinational giant called Nike, Inc.
If you want to know how a scrappy underdog company can grow to become a monolithic corporation, this book is for you. If you want to know what happens to scrappy entrepreneurial types when companies go corporate, this book’s for you. If you care about running, athletic endorsements, or the overall evolution of sport and how closely it’s tied to corporate sponsorship—this book may be for you, but this one is more about Nike, the people who built it, and their journey from nobodies to rich people (and in many cases, nobodies to nobodies working for rich people). Though it must be added that some of the people who built it were sponsored athletes.
In the beginning of this book there's an interesting parallel that runs between Knight & company in the West and Onitsuka & company in the East, which I thought was well-explored and probably great for more material. It was very good reading and got me into the book.
Phil Knight’s reclusiveness is explored, and he becomes more of a sympathetic character than I’d imagined, though portrayed as somewhat of a dawdler and callous jackass as well. The rest of the main guys, from Bowerman to Woodell, are given lots of time and space, which is great, because they’re really central to the growth and development of the company, and they must have been closer to Strasser, because they’re well-drawn where Knight seems like kind of a cypher past the late 70s/early 80s part of the book.
I’ve never owned Nikes, and probably I’ll never buy them anyway, but I think it’s safe to say they are a well-known brand. This book explores how they got that way. It would be a good launching-off point for a deeper business study, and it’s a great overview of the evolution of business during the heady years of the mid 60s to the much different world of the early 90s. I’d recommend this book to most people.
It’s a good story, and appropriately well-paced. Maybe I’ll find Phil Knight’s book some day. You know he based the company off a paper he wrote in university? Not bad... depending on how you look at it.
August 1, 2025
SWOOSH is subtitled "The Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There," which is an accurate description of this extensive book. It is an enlightening and enjoyable read, providing many details and insights not offered by Phil Knight's own "Shoe Dog." Principal author J.B. Strasser was Nike's first advertising manager and the wife of attorney Rob Strasser, a key member of Nike's leadership team during the company's formative years. Rob Strasser was particularly critical in launching the Air Jordan, Nike Cross Training, and Nike Air lines.
Ms. Strasser had the insider information, documentation, and probably her considerable writing skills to write the book. Her coauthor (and sister), Laurie Becklund, was a sportswriter, columnist, and reporter who served for years as a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. Together, they had the chops to give students of business, leadership, and management--and us Nike fans/Swooshheads--a valuable documentation of Nike's formative years.
Those of us who lived through Nike's early trajectory and were early adopters were unaware of what a close-run thing Nike's ascent was. As a serious study in business, leadership, and management, SWOOSH offers many valuable lessons in the lack of clear vision, strategy, line of authority and communication, subordinate development, and other fundamentals that the reader is left to wonder how Nike succeeded and became the behemoth it remains today.
My major constructive criticism is that, with so many critical players coming, going, shifting around, being reassigned, and exchanging roles, a few org charts and wiring diagrams, along with a compendium of the different positions each person held and when, would be handy. It was often difficult to remember who was who and what role they filled at any given time. The epilogue includes a basic listing of endorsed athletes and key personnel, and the index is extensive.
The book was published over 30 years ago, but I still highly recommend SWOOSH today. It is available on the used book market and can be easily found by the determined reader.
Ms. Strasser had the insider information, documentation, and probably her considerable writing skills to write the book. Her coauthor (and sister), Laurie Becklund, was a sportswriter, columnist, and reporter who served for years as a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. Together, they had the chops to give students of business, leadership, and management--and us Nike fans/Swooshheads--a valuable documentation of Nike's formative years.
Those of us who lived through Nike's early trajectory and were early adopters were unaware of what a close-run thing Nike's ascent was. As a serious study in business, leadership, and management, SWOOSH offers many valuable lessons in the lack of clear vision, strategy, line of authority and communication, subordinate development, and other fundamentals that the reader is left to wonder how Nike succeeded and became the behemoth it remains today.
My major constructive criticism is that, with so many critical players coming, going, shifting around, being reassigned, and exchanging roles, a few org charts and wiring diagrams, along with a compendium of the different positions each person held and when, would be handy. It was often difficult to remember who was who and what role they filled at any given time. The epilogue includes a basic listing of endorsed athletes and key personnel, and the index is extensive.
The book was published over 30 years ago, but I still highly recommend SWOOSH today. It is available on the used book market and can be easily found by the determined reader.
August 19, 2020
Having worked quite a few years in the athletic footwear industry, I was aware of a lot of Nikes history. However, it was interesting to me to read about some of the behind-the-scenes activities.
August 14, 2021
A true peek into the world of sport, footwear & how sportswear works.
April 10, 2023
A much more on the ground and accurate portrayal of the early operations of Nike, how they went from an afterthought to a Fortune 100 Company, and all of the behind the scenes people and deal makers erased by history (and Phil Knight's hagiographic biography) that made that possible
January 22, 2010
This book really drew me in. I can remember "selling" my folks on Nike's back in 2nd or 3rd grade. It was amazing to read how the company started and become a powerhouse. This is a quick read but also made some strong points.
1) Starting a company is not the same as running a mature company. After you get things up and running hire someone who knows how to keep things going.
2) There is some benefit to having processes in place for how things are done. I used to love handling things as they came up but now I see the benefit of have a process for how things fit into the pipeline.
3) Unlike Churchill who was very clear with what he wanted, and wrote things down, Knight was the polar opposite. Being clear has benefits
1) Starting a company is not the same as running a mature company. After you get things up and running hire someone who knows how to keep things going.
2) There is some benefit to having processes in place for how things are done. I used to love handling things as they came up but now I see the benefit of have a process for how things fit into the pipeline.
3) Unlike Churchill who was very clear with what he wanted, and wrote things down, Knight was the polar opposite. Being clear has benefits
April 3, 2008
This was an interesting book. I read some of it last summer and then got away from it and came back to it in March. I think the Nike story is very rick and gives a lot of good perspective to fellow entrepreneurs or others curious about the evolution of the brand we all know so well. The book was an easy read but from my perspective there was some excessive detail. Overall it is a great read and I recommend it.
November 26, 2013
"Swoosh" was a fascinating history of Nike and the tough and competitive world of sports gear. Endorsements by winners is the key to success resulting in a brutal and expensive game. Nike, founded in 1964, was a company run like a fraternity where the key players ate and breathed Nike. The only downside of the book is its copious detail running over 600 pages. But then, this gives the reader plenty of time to get to know the company through its numerous growing pains.
February 27, 2011
One of my favorite stories about a company and the people who started it. If you're an entrepreneur who needs inspiration, read this! If you're a business owner, read this! And if you just want to read a brilliant story about a man and a dream, read this! Read it three times and will most definitely read it again.
November 16, 2008
Very interesting history of Nike and the birth of a successful business even in spite of the people who founded it. It sprung from a passion for running and a commitment to do things on a grass roots level into this multi-billion dollar industry
July 4, 2023
Read it 23 years ago and read it again very recently. I was not able to ‘read’ CEO’s personality and mindset the first time I read it. Now I think I know how CEOs think and operate. The company, the board, the power always comes first, everything else is secondary.
September 7, 2007
Very, very interesting for anyone in the marketing field. Nike is the giant in the field, and this is great insight into how they got to where they are today.
Read
September 28, 2015Compelling reading for entrepreneurs. Could this ever happen again, or was it just the times that allowed this kind of success?
April 2, 2014
I had fun reading the book and thinking of where jogging is at.
February 13, 2014
Wonderful story about the history of Nike, as well as some insight into the mysterious Phil Knight.
April 8, 2014
Interesting read on the origins of Nike and the athletic shoe business in general.
It would have benefitted from more contact with Knight.
It would have benefitted from more contact with Knight.
November 19, 2014
So damn good. Love the Nike brand even more now. 'Merica.
February 7, 2015
It's been a few years, but I thought this was a great book that highlighted the culture that has revolutionized footwear and sports.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews