Bowerman and the Men of Oregon Book Summary - Bowerman and the Men of Oregon Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Bowerman and the Men of Oregon summary

Kenny Moore

The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Cofounder

4.4 (15 ratings)
17 mins
Table of Contents

    Bowerman and the Men of Oregon
    Summary of 7 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 7

    The parable of the mule skinner

    When the University of Oregon’s track and field team turned up for the annual welcome dinner at the home of the esteemed and dreaded Bill Bowerman, freshmen in the squad always expected some grand speech that would serve as a guiding principle.

    Always, they were treated to Bowerman’s guiding parable:

    There’s a stubborn mule that wouldn’t eat or drink. The owner seeks help from a mule skinner. When the skinner arrives, he gets a two-by-four wooden beam and floors the mule with a vicious hit between the ears. Then he strikes again between the eyes. To the owner’s protest, the skinner lays down his guiding philosophy. The crucial first step to good behavior is to get the mule’s attention.

    Bill Bowerman would know. Growing up in Fossil, Oregon, he’d been a wild truant who hated authority, slept outside, and fought like he wanted to die. That rebellious streak worsened after his parents, former Oregon Governor Jay Bowerman and teacher Lizzie Hoover divorced. The young Bill also carried the trauma of watching his twin brother lose his life after a freak elevator accident.

    Deciding their mother couldn’t handle Bill, his brother Dan arranged for the 14-year-old Bill to meet Ercel Hedrick, Medford school superintendent and certified mule skinner.

    Hedrick hit Bill with every expletive he knew, telling the boy what a disgrace he’d been to his mother. Bill Bowerman left that office a changed boy, channeling his penned-up energy into a discipline that would elevate his grades and whatever sports he played.

    Now a coach and bona fide mule skinner, Bill Bowerman let every group of athletes understand they would obey his orders or suffer the consequences.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Bowerman and the Men of Oregon?

    Key ideas in Bowerman and the Men of Oregon

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Bowerman and the Men of Oregon about?

    Bowerman and the Men of Oregon (2006) is a riveting tale about track and field coach Bill Bowerman’s relentless drive to produce the best athletes from his base in his native Oregon. Through innovation and sheer force of character, he inspired a community to fall in love with running, and in the process co-founded Nike.

    Who should read Bowerman and the Men of Oregon?

    • Track and field fans
    • Followers of the American Olympic movement
    • Nike aficionados and people curious about the history of apparel brands in sport

    About the Author

    Kenny Moore was a first-hand witness to Bill Bowerman’s contrarian tactics. Moore ran the marathon at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics before spending 25 years as a journalist for Sports Illustrated. He co-wrote the screenplay for Without Limits, a movie about prodigious American runner Steve Prefontaine.

    Categories with Bowerman and the Men of Oregon

    Books like Bowerman and the Men of Oregon

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    28 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial