Customer Reviews
If only - By: Ms. A. J. Hooker, 23 Sep 2008 
I brought this book as I was captivated by the title
I couldn't put it down
The enthusiasm of the Chouinards is met only by their ethics at creating a place people want to work for a company people want to work for whilst working to protect the enviroment they are passionate about
In this climate it is enlighting that they continously donate to worthwhile charites
Whilst reading the book it made me search out their websites bothin the UK & US also check out the links
A great read regardless of whether you surf but a definate if you care about the world we are leaving our heirs
Makes you want to run a business - By: Mr. D. Ferguson, 18 Jun 2007 Who would've thought you could read a book that inspires you to climb, surf, make obscure pieces of ironmongery, design clothes & run a company - allin one slim volume.
Yvon Chouinard is one of the most important business leaders around today because he's made a values-lead business highly profitable. Any aspring business leader (and, more importantly, those already running businesses) should be forced to read this. It's the future.
A Landmark Case History - By: Donald Mitchell, 12 Jan 2006 Most people want to read about what Jack Welch, Bill Gates & Warren Buffett have done as managers. They would learn a lot more by reading about what Yvon Chouinard has to say about how he developed Patagonia.
This case history is filled with the kind of common sense wisdom that almost all companies & business leaders lack, including the best-known celebrity CEOs. Accounting rules don't require us to look at environmental damage so most companies don't think about the harm they causein this regard. Yet if we don't do what we can to do less environmental harm, what's the point of having moneyin a spoiled world?
Most people don't really want to run or workin businesses full time. They would rather be doing something they enjoy more. Mr. Chouinard's approach to Management by Absence & letting his people use flex-time to go surfing when conditions are good examples of how such flexibility can be createdin a successful enterprise.
Most importantly, Mr. Chouinard is a good example . . . a model leader. That's true because,in part, he wants to set a good example . . . something most business leaders don't care about today. They just want to make money.
A hundred years from now, people will be reading this book as a model of doing the right thing . . . long after everyone has forgotten the names of the best selling business CEOs today. Get ahead of the curve by starting with this book.
