Scan barcode
A review by ncothenet
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard
2.0
I wanted badly to like this book but found myself hate-reading it after the first few pages. Besides being a 250-page corporate infomercial, it packages management truisms appropriate for a high school curriculum (did you know that leadership requires communication?) with an outdated view of corporate America befitting someone who once saw Office Space and thought it was a documentary, seasoned with a curmudgeon's take on the evil nature of mankind (which he is, of course, somehow exempted from). There's even some maddening exotification and "let them eat cake!" mixed in, in case you thought he was bordering on self-awareness.
Don't get me wrong: Patagonia makes some great outdoor gear, and I admire their corporate ethos and ethics. It is also a privilege to be able to afford to buy their gear. The book demonizes companies offering lower-cost and/or lower-tier options without acknowledging that the environmental and corporate practices Patagonia employs are only possible because they are pursuing a high-quality, high-price, low(er) volume approach that limits access to enthusiasts and the affluent. When environmentalism and "doing the right thing" is reserved for those who can afford it, you've lost your way.
Don't get me wrong: Patagonia makes some great outdoor gear, and I admire their corporate ethos and ethics. It is also a privilege to be able to afford to buy their gear. The book demonizes companies offering lower-cost and/or lower-tier options without acknowledging that the environmental and corporate practices Patagonia employs are only possible because they are pursuing a high-quality, high-price, low(er) volume approach that limits access to enthusiasts and the affluent. When environmentalism and "doing the right thing" is reserved for those who can afford it, you've lost your way.