Dirtbag Billionaire
David Gelles, Dirtbag Billionaire (Simon & Schuster, $30).
“Dirtbag Billionaire” traces how climber Yvon Chouinard built Patagonia from a scrappy gear sideline into a globally admired outdoor brand and experiment in ethical capitalism. The book follows his evolution from “dirtbag” climber sleeping in his car to reluctant billionaire CEO, showing how his disdain for consumerism shaped radical choices on labor practices, supply chains, activism, and giving away the company’s future profits to fight climate change. David Gelles blends biography, business history, and environmental reporting to ask whether one stubborn outsider’s values can bend corporate culture—and capitalism itself—toward genuine social and ecological responsibility.
Shop local bookstores such as CHAUCER’S BOOKS, 3321 State St., Santa Barbara, chaucersbooks.com; GODMOTHERS, 2280 Lillie Ave., Summerland, godmothers.com; and TECOLOTE BOOK SHOP, 1470 E. Valley Rd., Santa Barbara, tecolotebookshop.com.