Let My People Go Surfing

“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

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.