Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
SUPERFOLK SAYS:
“A touchstone book for our studio and one we come back to again and again. This book is ideal for big-hearted business owners and those just setting out on the adventure of starting their own business. A template for those who dream of building the kind of business they would want to work in and combining this with social and environmental activism.”
Jo Anne and Gearoid
About this book:
In this revised 10th anniversary edition, Yvon Chouinard—legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia —shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth.
“The original intent in 2005 for writing Let My People Go Surfing was for it to be a philosophical manual for the employees of Patagonia. I never expected at that time that this simple book would be translated into more than ten languages, be used in high schools and colleges and even be influential in large corporations. . . . We have always considered Patagonia an experiment in doing business in unconventional ways. None of us was certain it was going to be successful, but we did know that we were not interested in “doing business as usual.” Well, we have survived and even thrived for close to half a century. As the evils of society become stronger and more numerous, we recognize that as a larger and more influential company our responsibilities to society and our efforts to be an even more responsible company have also increased. What we have done in the last decade to achieve this and what we plan to do in the next decades is the purpose of the revised edition of this book."
Details:
Format: Paperback, printed on 100% postconsumer-waste recycled paper
Size: 16.5cm X 24cm
Illustrations: Full colour throughout; over 130 photos, including 70 new to the second edition
Pages: 272 pages
Publisher: Penguin Random House
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 axe that is the basis for modern ice axe design. In 1964 he produced his first mail-order catalogue, a one-page mimeographed sheet containing advice not to expect fast delivery during climbing season. In 2001, along with Craig Mathews he started One Percent for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that contribute at least 1 per cent of their net annual sales to groups on a list of researched and approved environmental organizations.
Book Reviews:
“This is the story of an attempt to do more than change a single corporation—it is an attempt to challenge the culture of consumption that is at the heart of the global ecological crisis.”
Naomi Klein, author of the bestselling book This Changes Everything
“Three wonderful books rolled into one: a moving autobiography, the story of a unique business, and a detailed blueprint for hope.”
Jared Diamond, author of Guns and Steel and Collapse, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize
