Authentic

Paul Van Doren had no higher education, no retail experience, and no capital when he opened the first House of Vans store in 1966 — just a knack for numbers and a genius for manufacturing efficiency. Authentic traces how his willingness to experiment (selling single shoes, letting customers design their own) and a wave of unplanned fans, from skateboarders to Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, built one of the world's most recognizable footwear brands.

Van Doren is candid about the failures along the way too — a shocking bankruptcy and family turmoil among them — making this as much a blue-collar business education as a success story.