Why Knot? ─ How to Tie More Than Sixty Ingenious, Useful, Beautiful, Lifesaving, and Secure Knots!

On August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between the New York World Trade Center’s twin towers, where he performed for nearly an hour. During this history-making walk, and many others throughout his celebrated career, knots have always been indispensable components—the guardian angels protecting his life in the sky.
After years of hands-on research, Philippe presents Why Knot?, a guide to tying his essential knots. Philippe’s own practical sketches illustrate original methods and clear, clever tying instructions. Photographs in which special knots were used during spectacular high-wire walks, quirky knot trivia, personal anecdotes, helpful tips, magic tricks, and special tying challenges ensure that, if you’re not already nuts for knots, Petit will transform you into a knot aficionado.

Philippe Petit has been artist-in-residence of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for more than 30 years and has performed on the high wire more than 80 times around the world. He also street juggles, lectures, and practices magic. He is the author of several books, including To Reach the Clouds (Man on Wire). In 2011, he performed his one-man show Wireless!, and in 2012, he was selected as a TED speaker, and he recently finished Cheating the Impossible, the first TED multimedia book. He lives in New York.