Let My People Go Surfing, Yvon Chouinard
Let My People Go Surfing, Yvon Chouinard
33 Rating(s)
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Let My People Go Surfing
The Education of a Reluctant Businessman--Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual

Author: Yvon Chouinard, Naomi Klein

Narrator: Christopher Grove, Yvon Chouinard

Unabridged: 7 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 09/06/2016

Synopsis

In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard-legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.-shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth. From his youth as the son of a French Canadian blacksmith to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sport's equipment, Let My People Go Surfing is the story of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life-a book that will deeply affect entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

With a Preface to the Second Edition, Introduction, and Epilogue read by the Author

About The Author

Yvon Chouinard is the founder and owner of Patagonia, Inc., based in Ventura, California.  He began in business by designing, manufacturing, and distributing rock climbing equipment in the late 1950s. His tinkering led to an improved ice ax that is the basis for modern ice ax design. In 1964 he produced his first mail-order catalog, a one-page mimeographed sheet containing advice not to expect fast delivery during climbing season. In 2001, along with Craig Mathews, owner of West Yellowstone's Blue Ribbon Flies, he started One Percent for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that contribute at least 1 percent of their net annual sales to groups on a list of researched and approved environmental organizations.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Preston on November 12, 2018

I don't know where to start with my reverence for Chouinard. He's my anti-business business hero, a reluctant radical in corporate America. The book opens: "I've been a businessman for almost fifty years. It's as difficult for me to say those words as it is for someone to admit being an alcoholic or......more

Goodreads review by Ryan on January 09, 2012

Patagonia is an amazing company with great products and a commendable mission. I'm probably more apt to purchase something from Patagonia than from one of their competitors after reading this book, but I don't subscribe to Chouinard's overwhelming anti-establishment sentiment. Somebody's got to make......more

Goodreads review by Julie on May 20, 2008

This book changes you. If you don't come away doing SOMETHING more for the environment than you already are, well then I think there's something wrong with you. It's a do as I do book, and is quite effective at that. My company's next two printing projects will be done on 100 percent post-consumer c......more

Goodreads review by Mason on February 03, 2008

Chouinard’s story of his values and what led him to start Patagonia. The principles that drive his company are really his own and he is a reluctant businessman. Big focus on quality, durability and doing more with less. He is a committed environmentalist and believes businesses should be responsible......more

Goodreads review by Willian on April 22, 2021

I'm migrating all my reviews to my blog. If you want to read the full review with my raw notes, check it here: [URL not allowed] It was 3 stars until 70% of the book but the ending deserves 4. This book is the story of Patagonia and how its founders deal with business, people, a......more

Quotes

"Wonderful . . . a moving autobiography, the story of a unique business, and a detailed blueprint for hope." —Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel

"For everyone who is alternately outraged and depressed by the wave of greed that has been the hallmark of corporate America in the twenty-first century, there is a name that inspires hope: Yvon Chouinard. . . . Unique and compelling." —San Francisco Chronicle

"Chouinard's biography, Let My People Go Surfing, reveals a fascinating and colorful character . . . . For all of our sakes, it seems the responsible thing for companies to do is follow Chouinard's ascent." —USA Today

"No matter what you do, you will find essential guidance and inspiration in Let My People Go Surfing." —Dave Foreman, The Rewilding Institute

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