Entrepreneur Books

As a budding entrepreneur I can attest to the fear factor of taking those first steps. Brian Cunningham gives us great insight and super ideas on how to overcome and avoid those pit falls. Brian's humor makes this an easy and informative read. Cunningham really takes us through the entire process of starting and completing the tasks necessary to be successful. I encourage everyone who ever wanted to succeed in entrepreneurship to read this book!

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit but, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make any business work. I was informed about a book written by Brian Cunningham titled "Never Give Up" and it sounded like just what I needed to learn about starting a successful business.

Mr. Cunningham's book is full of interesting facts along with trials and tribulations. He had no one to lead him down the correct path so he learned a lot from his mistakes as well as his successes. I am obliged to him for writing this wonderful book.

The book covers so many aspects of starting, running, and succeeding in a business. It also teaches you that you can, and will, fail at some forms of business, but you should never give up. I feel more at ease about my failures and have chosen to look back at them and, using Brian Cunningham's book as a guide, pinpoint my errors.

I also learned that, if you are serious enough about your dreams, your family will stand by you. This book contains tons of lessons, chapter reviews, and activities to keep you in the right frame of mind. "Never Give Up" has inspired me to move on with my photography business. I know now that it is hard work and, that no matter what, I must keep moving forward.

Thanks to Brian Cunningham I can see my dream again. I suggest this read to anyone thinking of starting a business. You will not be disappointed!

If you are currently struggling through owning your own business, or are considering starting a business, Never Give Up is a book that should be on your reading list. Brian Cunningham gives a no nonsense look at the ups and downs of owning a business in an informative and entertaining way.

The book starts with Mr. Cunningham as an underpaid NASA physicist trying to figure out how he was going to provide for a young and growing family. He decided to leave government work and join the private sector with a newly formed company Electronic Sales Associates (ESA).

Brian had to learn to deal with cash-flow difficulties, success, inadvertent legal snares, and ultimately success. He gained experience along the way in sales, management, and writing business plans for new divisions that he helped form. Those experiences became invaluable when he finally struck out on his own, forming Computer Entry Systems Corporation (CES) in 1969.

He again worked through business startup issues, growing pains and ultimately, success.

Throughout his telling of his journey, Brian shares the lessons he learned along the way, telling what worked, what didn't, and mistakes that were made.

If you are considering your own business, this is a great way to see what mistakes you can avoid, and how to be a successful entrepreneur.

I found Brian Cunningham's book to be incredibly inspiring. I noticed a trait in him that I have found in myself: fear. But while that fear has served to hold me back, Brian shows how he just went for it anyway and became the success he is. Everything he had to deal with, including his emotions inside, is told in this excellent book. "Never Give Up" is full of excellent advice, especially for beginners, and I think I'll be reading it more than a few times on my own entrepreneurial journey. Highly recommended.

Brian Cunningham's Never Give Up is a must read for everyone, whether they are running their own company, or working for someone else. The lessons you will learn in this book are very valuable to your future. Mr. Cunningham shares his knowledge with you in a way that you feel you are right there with him while he is trying to make his next business deal.
The book keeps you entertained, while teaching you very important information about running a business. Mr. Cunningham did not have the good fortune of having someone share his or her knowledge with him. He had to learn through each up and down he experienced.
You will learn about the deep love Mr. Cunningham had for his family. They meant everything to him, and were the reason he kept on even when it looked like the company was failing.
The most important thing you will learn is to never give up. Even when times looked grim, Mr. Cunningham kept on chugging along. Even when a 1.7 million dollar checked was dropped in the toilet he did not give up.
There is a great section at the end of the book that provides valuable information for the reader. There is a review of each chapter and questions and activities for you to fill out. Mr. Cunningham's determination is very inspiring. I have a completely new outlook on my business.

Kazuo Inamori, the founder of Kyocera, puts forth his philosophy on success in business and life in this book. One thing that you'll notice is that he takes an almost religious approach to work, and believes that one can find true happiness through work. At the same time, he realizes that work can be a real struggle, so he gives good advice for pulling through those difficult times at work. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to look at success in business through other means than money. It will help you see how you can gain self fulfillment through your work.

Kazuo Inamori's book is highly inspirational in its evocation of "passion" as the underpinning driver of success in life. In all fields of social endeavour, it is the most passionate individuals who stand out, and ultimately achieve success. We see this in the sporting arena (Muhammad Ali, Leyton Hewitt), in business (Richard Branson, Jack Welsh), and in politics.

Inamori's book is divided up into two parts. Part one provides a series of insights on "How to Succeed in Life", covering the following key areas: ability, effort, attitude, and success. His central thesis is that success = effort x ability x attitude. Most of us tend to see success as the result of effort and ability, but overlook the power of maintaining a positive attitude. Inamori urges the reader not to overlook the immense power that a positive attitude can have, both in terms of attracting support for our goals, and in terms of building and maintaining our own self esteem.

The second part of this book focuses on "How to Succeed in Business" and covers the following eight areas; passion, profit, ambition, sincerity, strength, innovation, optimism, and 'never give up'.

Above all else, this book contains genuine bursts of insight that will enrich the perspective of most readers. Unlike so many self-help products that promise the earth and deliver disappointment, this book is as close as the thinking person will get to "the real deal".

I would put this book on the same shelf with "The Witch Doctors" by Micklethwait & Wooldridge, and "Dangerous Company" by O'Shea & Madigan - all of these are excellent business books, and stand out as unique and valuable contributions to our understanding of the meaning of success in today's modern world of work.

I bought this book back in 1995, and after much reflection and numerous business/leadership books, I must say Mr. Inamori is still in a class of his own. Though he teaches seemingly oversimplified concepts, it is indeed the correct concepts--if there is such a thing. Correct, for example, in that you can leave the world knowing your grandchildren will be proud that you existed. If you're familiar with Maslow hierarchy of needs: when you're reading this book, you will have no doubt that the author is at or above the self actualization stage, which I must say 90% of all the so called gurus of business don't seem to be in. The concept that you should speak from your heart, not implementing certain "techniques" in public speaking rings true for me personally. I'm grateful for such a gift from Mr. Inamori.

I've never written one of these reviews, but this is one of the treasured books in my library. I've owned it since it came out and continually refer to it for advice and council. I have also given it to many customers. Kyocera's website is also an inspiring to place to see how Mr. Inamori put his philosophy to work to bring a legacy of business success worldwide. His people-practices would change the world if practiced.

This is a great book! Whether you read it straight through for the inspiration or read a section a day (usually only a page in length) as a meditation guide, just read it and absorb it. Give it to your boss, give it to your customers, give it to your peers, give it to your team members, even give it to your family. All will be better for it.

If you're in a need of some inspiration, read this book. PowerTools will get you energized to turn your dreams into a reality. Reading all the touching and motivating anecdotes from other women will empower you to take action to achieve what's most important to you.

In the wonderful book, "Think and Grow Rich," by Napoleon Hill, he advises readers to think of role models who at night, just before going to sleep, you imagine are in a meeting with. During this imaginary meeting you are asking them to teach you what you most admire in them.

And he calls these people his invisible counselors.

Aliza, in essense, is doing this, through "PowerTools For Women in Business," by telling the story of 10 women who continue to convert their most adverse life experiences into propelling causes, work and prospererty.

Because, as Mary-Scott Welch, "Networking", said, "It helps a lot to get other women's ideas about your problems, not in the abstract but in the very specific terms of a real-life situation," a book like "PowerTools is a great beginning for women to walk through the examples of other women, to bring out the best in who we are.

As a journalist, I have the opportunity to meet many authors, and I must say that some of them do not live the messages that they promotee in their books - but Aliza certainly does.

This book contains easy to follow, real life stories of women maximizing their strengths, while never forgeting to be women.

Thank you, Aliza for living your mission.

Aliza Sherman writes a powerful guide filled with tips and tools that inspire, challenge and help you grow professionally and personally.

Aliza Sherman's PowerTools For Women In Business is an enthusiastic, can-do optimistic guide that teaches women how to best take advantage of their own strengths and personalities to succeed in the business world. PowerTools For Women In Business is about keeping professional and personal lives in harmonious balance, never sacrificing one at the expense of another, when for women especially they tend to become all too intertwined. Personally imposed barriers to success, and emotional obstacles such as guilt or unease wielding power can be confronted and conquered. Very highly recommended reading for any female executive, especially one who is relatively new to the cutthroat, male-dominated, complex and demanding world of business!

I loved this book! Aliza has a wonderful way of drawing compelling stories out of high-powered women and creating "rules" for success based on how these big girls have done it. As a matter of fact, Rule #1 is "Share Your Stories -- Teach, Inspire, Motivate, and Learn by Telling and Listening." A critical lesson, that by overcoming our fear of asking for help and appearing needy, we can actually get farther faster by talking about the areas of business we are stuck in and learning from the advice of others. Powertools was a fun and informative read.

This book is similar to the -chichen soup- series type of short stories of the GREAT PEOPLE of todays.

It is inspiring and have great insight.

The only problem is putting too much people into a volume, there is some -depth- missing. It feels some sort of too-narrow and too-thin-spread. You wont get the depth of a biography, not even close, but then you get a lot of great people's short stories of their lives.

Most of the current greats are included, each with their short interesting quotes.

Overall, this is a greatbook especially for some short battery charging type of reading. One can read a few pages now and then and still enjoying it.

What do a bunch of computer geeks, housewives, washer woman, book retailer and others have in common? They and the rest of the group profiled in this anthology are the movers and shakers who changed how we do business and developed new industries that will shape the future.

Radicals & Visionairies gives you a brief look into the lives of seventy entreprenuers who changed the face of American business. Some of them have become house hold names (Walt Disney,Clarence Birdseye, Henry Ford) while others may not be as well known but their achievements live on. The individuals examined represent a diverse group of people coming from every social, economic and ethnic class. A few could be called egocentric, free wheeling and downright crazy. All of them were able to overcome obstacles in their lives and bring to America a new and diverse economy.

Unlike other profiles which go from "rags to riches", Thaddeus Wawro focuses on what innovation or new invention that the person developed which had a great impact on business. You see that these mavericks refused to follow the conventional business pack and moved out on their own.

This book also deals with what makes success. Each person doesn't have a "set formula" which says this will lead you to success. All of those profiled came to success in a different way. Their stories are enjoyable, informative and inspirational. These radicals should jump start you in thinking about entering the entrepreneur path.

Truly an intriguing book. The stories of these entrepreneurs are both revealing and inspirational. The author's in-depth research uncovers fascinating, little-known facts about such modern business geniuses as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Ted Turner, Sam Walton and many more.

Moving, inspiring, stirring and exciting, the short biographies are readable, short and sweet. I picked up the book thinking that I'd read a few stories a night and was totally floored after reading the first few. The stories were ordered alphabetically which in itself brought a randomness to the sequence.

This is an anthology of 70 micro-biographies, each of which includes some insightful comments and occasionally a little-known fact or two about the subject. Many of the selections are predictable: Michael Dell, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, William Hewlett & David Packard, Ray Kroc, Steve Jobs, Akio Morita, Ted Turner, Sam Walton, and Thomas Watson Jr. What surprised and pleased me is that Wawro also discusses several other "radicals & visionaries" which I did not expect to be included: Desi Arnaz & Lucille Ball, Clarence Birdseye, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, Berry Gordy, Hugh Hefner, Jim Henson, John Johnson, George Lucas, David Ogilvy, Ron Popeil, Martha Stewart, and Oprah Winfrey.

This book is great fun to read...as well as informative. Wawro does indeed cover a wide as well as diverse range of entrepreneurs who helped to revolutionize the 20th century. My only complaint is the Wawro, who obviously completed a great deal of research inorder to write this book, did not include an annotated bibliography for readers who wish to learn more about the 70 subjects discussed. Perhaps it was impractical to do so. This is nonetheless a commendable achievement which I recommend highly.

My company picked up some valuable tips and techniques we had not ever focused on before reading the book and put them into practice. I bought one for all of our employees and suppliers!

I havent read his book yet, but I cant wait im getting it as soon as i can! He was a guest speaker for Shelly Elliots entrepeneur class at UNO (University of New Orleans) and Lee Pryor was freakin hilarious. Not only is he an easy going, laid back, down to earth dude, he is brilliant. I was amazed at how much of a regular guy he was despite his excellent track record of being the 1st man every company calls to gently tell the current CEO "YOU SUCK GET OUT THE WAY AND LET ME SHOW YOU HOW ITS DONE!" Before you start your own business, read his book, meet him in person, whatever just definitely heed his wisdom. The advice he told my class and many anecdotes im sure are in his book and are never-the-less, priceless. Im still holding on to the class notes and have put them in a separate binder for when im ready to use them.

A big thank you to Lee Pryor for sharing his wisdom with anyone wanting to start their own business. His sage advice comes from experience, and lessons that he learned, he lends a penetrating eye to tough situations, and I for one, am glad he decided to fill us in on his secrets!

These are the insights CEOs discuss when they talk shop.

Lee Pryor's book is full of those hands-on insights that come from decades of running businesses. Pryor's wisdoms were earned from long hard experiences that are shared and verbalized only with Pryor's small circle of CEO peers. Thankfully, Lee Pryor has a literary bend. He captured his CEO lessons-learned, and provided me three decades of experience in one readable book.

P.S. I find myself verbally quoting from his book (without attribution) in my conversations with my business colleagues.

Lee Pryor's book is a godsend to anyone starting up a business--or even those who already have. His recommendations on pretty much everything are right on the money. I wish I'd had this to read before I started my business.

I was raised in a family that believed that if we are not part of the solution then we are part of the problem. Yet figuring out how to participate in that solution can sometimes be challenging. Tactics of Hope provides us with these needed suggestions and guideposts as well as support in understanding our gift and then where and how we can bring that gift forward into the world, becoming part of the solution. Wilford Welch reassures us that we really do matter. That as we find our passion and bring it forward, we are in very good company. It is in this context that Welch speaks to the heart of evolving communities around the world. He features stories about others who brought their unique gifts forward in support of that evolution, on a local or global level. Welch's stories of individuals making a difference are uplifting and inspiring. Each story uniquely exemplifies a potential model for governments, corporations, non-profits or individuals in how to move into a dynamically changing world, all becoming parts of the solution. Highest recommendation for all generations as it brings forward the hope so beautifully captured in it's title.

"The Tactics of Hope is a practical avenue through which people can connect with people, institutions, and resources, as well as ideas. Wilford's book is a wonderful contribution to the field! It is clear that he knows in a deep way what social entrepreneurship is. "

-- Bill Drayton, Founder, Ashoka

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, writes of The Tactics of Hope:

"As I travel through my home country of South Africa and around the world, I am awed and humbled by the work that millions of individuals have undertaken to enable those less fortunate to build lives of dignity, security, and hope...the stories of some of these noble individuals and their initiatives are told in these pages...This book is inspiration and guide for those who want to be informed, want to take their first steps, and who truly want to realize the potential we all have to make a difference."

-Desmond Tutu
Cape Town, South Africa

Awesome book on social entrepreneurship with inspiring case studies and excellent perspectives for seasoned practitioners in the field of nonprofits/social change as well as those less experienced who are interested in making a difference in the world and looking for some guidance/advice/opportunities. I used selected parts of the book for a workshop I taught at Stanford University and highly recommend "Tactics of Hope".
Gordon Bloom

An inspiring book chock-full of stories about doing good in the world through entrepreneurship. Should be required reading for all incoming college freshmen!

Tactics of Hope is a great book for those thinking, "... but what can I do" about the global problems going on. I enjoyed reading the stories of many different people on many different levels -- ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the world. This book is inspirational and helpful for anyone interested in making a change on ANY level. I really liked it.

Tales My Grandma Told Me - A Business Diversity Fable
This was an amazing read. This book is a must have for any entrepreneur. This book is well written and well organized and certainly very informative.

"Tales My Grandma Told Me: A Business Diversity Fable" is an excellent book!

As a young, female, African-American attorney, I have always wanted to start my own business but never had the backgorund or wherewithal to even know where to begin. I have some parellels to the protagonist, the fictional Jack Gainey. I practiced as an attorney and when I suffered the same fate that Jack had early on in the narrative, I was devastated but I resolved to "bounce back" and use the situation as an opportunity to do what I had always wanted to do--start my own business.

This book puts the process in perspective. It gave me the information, the resources, and most of all the courage to keep at it.

Excellent choice!

Any MBE/WBE or Veteran owned small business, This book is mandatory reading. Additionally, any large company trying to initiate a Diversity Initiative, this book will help you with any questions you may have. It is the bible for "Supplier Diversity" You will read about yourself and your small and minority owned business throughout the entire book. You will see why and how the large companies interpret you and your business.

Michele Caldwell
President
Global Staffing Services, Inc.

This book is captivating, powerful and full of precious wisdom! It offers amazing practical success principles for Entrepreneurs and Corporate Supplier Diversity leaders, who want to make a difference in the communities they serve! The principles the author shares, apply to any entrepreneur, not only minority ones, because they reveal some great strategic ideas, that can be applied to any type of business! It's a MUST read for the Corporate Diversity Leaders that are committed to make a difference in the community, as well as set their brand ahead of the competition. This book is a book for leaders that want to make it happen, to innovate and to distinguish their companies and themselves from the average corporate culture!

I totally recommend this book because it is realistic, down-to-earth and at the same time inspiring! It allows the readers to open their minds for other possibilities and it gives practical advice in how to achieve success!

This is great book for entrepreneurs (whether minority or not) and corporate supplier diversity officers. A lot of practical advise for entrepreneurs as well as realistic expectations. They should keep a copy of the 10 guiding principles in their wallet all the time. Great tool for corporate supplier diversity managers to educate the corporate management on how diverse suppliers/vendors can help corporations reach their profit and revenue objectives as well as create a good social brand. The corporate guiding principles will be very helpful for any diversity managers working for a major corporation.

This is a MUST read for all minority entrepreneurs and managers responsible for implementing supplier diversity initiatives in their corporations!

I like the book. It is very informative. I have started two businesses since reading it. No question it will help in deciding which type of business structure best fits your situation. The Author was very responsive to the fact that mine didn't come with the CDROM of forms it was supposed to. He has emailed me a link to the forms. I would have given the book a 5 but having to get the forms via email and internet along with the fact that there is no index for the forms in the online resource I coulnd't.

Great buy! Walked me through ins and outs of legalaties of forming different companies - pros and cons. Author includes relevant websites within the text and information seems very recent and applicable. Although a great resource, be sure to consult legal experts prior to making any big moves. Enjoy and good luck.

There may be a lot of scattered information available on the Internet, but Michael Spadaccini delivers all you need to form your business into a convenient all-in-one book.

I'm forming an LLC, and without the guidance in this book, it could cost a lot more money (and time I can't spare) for all the research and legalities involved. Use his experience, step-by-step guides and forms to get where you want to be. Well worth the purchase.

It has been great and I have used some of the info to set up my single-member PLLC in Texas for my Real Estate Broker License that I recently reactivated. I also recommended the book to a real estate mentoring/investment group I am involved with. I was struggling with some of the concepts on an LLC until I read this book, it puts it all into perspective. I have corresponded with the author via email, he is very responsive. You will get real "go-by" documents that you can modify on WORD and actully put to use! A definte must if you are taking those first bold steps into your own business venture and want to protect your asssssets!

I recently purchased a copy of Entrepreneur Magazine's "Ultimate Book on Forming: Corporations, LLC's, Sole Proprietorships, and Partnerships." I am currently taking a business planning course in law school. This book is not just helpful; it is an invaluable tool in helping students and practitioners organize and draft their business planning documents.

First, this book contains a number of business planning documents, ranging from general partnership agreements to board meeting minutes to corporate bylaws. More importantly, this book recognizes the growing trend across the country to provide clients with easily readable and understandable documents that are actually written in plain English and not the traditional "legalese" that has bogged legal documents for centuries. While I ultimately had to tailor my projects to the particular state and its law, I used several of these documents as a starting point for class projects this term. As a result, I never felt "in the dark" when organizing or drafting any of my projects because everything I needed to know was right there in the book.

Second, in addition to providing the legal forms, this book does an excellent job of explaining the different types of business organizations, how a person forms and operates these organizations, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Many students in law school take a general business organizations course, but this book does an excellent job of explaining each to the layperson who may or may not be familiar with the types of entities and their nuances. But both the student and layperson can benefit from the "insider tips" that divulge secrets of the business law trade, which can only be learned through years of experience.

Finally, the last section of this book provides state reference tables that gives detailed summaries of the law for each of the fifty (50) states and the District of Columbia.

In conclusion, I have been scanning the book shelves of my local book stores for a comprehensive, but easy to read, book on drafting legal business planning documents that didn't break the bank, and now I finally found it with Mr. Spadaccini's book. Not since reading the DaVinci Code have I recommended a book so often to my friends and colleagues at school. While not as thrilling as the Code, it is definitely an invaluable resource for the student, the experienced practitioner, and the layperson looking for assistance when forming a business.

-- TBP

Quite an interesting read. Laurel presents her experiences into the technological world in an easy to understand, stream-of-consciousness way. She details her journey into starting a company that focuses on girl-based computer games, Purple Moon's success and eventual demise due to "outside-the-box" thinking.

Utopian Entrepreneur is both intectually and visually stimulating reading. The M.I.T. Press has paired up an author with a designer, in this case Brenda Laurel and Denise Gonzales Crisp, to create what they like to call a pamphlet. This is the first in the Mediawork Pamphlet series, which will focus on differenct aspects of our society and how technology is effecting them. Two more have been published since this one in 2001.

I don't work in the tech industry but a friend of mine referred this book to me. Laurel's message is significant to anyone interested in the betterment of planet earth. In a scant 100 pages she speaks volumes to those up against the wall that divides commercialism and art.

Like Nathan, I also know Brenda well, so my endorsement has a bias--but so does everything I say. This is one of the most enjoyable *business* books I've ever read. Not because it's short. Not because it's extremely well-written. But because it's honest, it's real and it's heartfelt. Brenda's not the type to populate her pages with catchy slogans and new paradigm models. Instead, she shares what it feels like to be an entrepreneur trying to do the right thing and make money at it. Her voice is humble, her perspective is fresh and funny, and her message is well worth considering.

First off, I'll cop to knowing Brenda Laurel, but I don't feel obligated to review this book because of it. I read the manuscript many months ago and was moved by Brenda's ablity to describe her personal experiences in a way for everyone to both enjoy and learn from. It's not a long book and it will definately leave you wanting more--not because there's not enough there but because what is there is so nice to read.

I think most of us in the tech industries--especially designers--often have conflicts about what kind of work we do vs. what kind we WISH we could do. Brenda's book is optimistic, funny, touching, and enraging at times because she describes her experiences navigating these conflicting forces. What happened to Purple Moon was a travesty and anyone who envisions building a company with any social goals in addition to making money should treat this as an important piece of research.

Note -- i tried to change this to 5 stars, because 2 years later, i still draw quite a bit from this book. the system doesn't seem to want me to change it though.

At its heart, Utopian Entrepreneur is a Purple Moon post-mortem -- what can be learned from the life and death of Rockett Movado, the spunky heroine of the Purple Moon games. Born from concerns about the technological gender gap, Purple Moon sought to build a suite of games based on solid research. Why didn't more girls play games? What are the differences in how girls and boys approach digital media? How might designers create interactive digital entertainment that would appeal to girls? Purple Moon spent months on these questions, interviewing and surveying thousands of girls. Educators, game designers, media theorists, gender scholars, or anyone looking for a good cocktail party quote will find some of these facts fascinating. Girls don't mind violence as much as a lack of good stories and characters; girls are more likely to blame themselves for computer failure than boys are. Good, useful stuff.





(...)this little gem is a bargain. As the initial book in MIT's new Mediawork pamplet series - "zines for grownups", Utopian Enterpreneur offers concise prose, compact design, and short segments that make it perfect reading for between meetings or waiting at the airport. The unique layout helps break up the text and enrich the reading experience. Pulling off such a personal book is not easy, and the graphic design definitely contributes to the book's success. At times though, the interplay among images, space, and type feels superfluous failing to add nuance or underscore the meaning of the text.



Checking it at just around 100 pages, Utopian Entrepreneur is so readable and engaging, that I only wished Laurel had more space to share more of her experiences at Purple Moon and lessons learned from the past twenty years in software design. Whether it's expanding this book, starting a new company, or helping invent a new digital industry, I, for one, am eager to see what she does next.

I just finished reading Web Business Success and was very impressed with the detailed, practical, hands-on knowledge the book provided. The author even tells you which web host and domain name registrar she uses! The book is full of that type of useful content. It has the best description I've ever seen of the shopping cart - gateway - merchant account process. The author starts you from the beginning, guiding you through the process of planning a web site. The book covers finding a host, promoting a site, and finally eCommerce. I've taught eBusiness courses at the MBA level, and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start a web-based business.

Don't read this review.

I'll tell you what I think of this book, but I'm prejudiced: I know and work with Susan Daffron, one of the co-authors. The reason I'm compelled to offer a review of Web Business Success anyway is that I've watched it in the making, but have now read it in print, and it's a classic--a classic set of instructions for setting up your business on the Internet. It's told in a clear way that techies will appreciate for scope, and non-techies for clarity and common sense. And it covers the key steps to getting it right from designing your website to cultivating your market and putting together the whole e-commerce component.

Web Business Success is full of good advice and tips from a technical and content team (Daffron and Byrd) with many years of experience and case studies under their belt. Take page 35 for instance, after discussing everything from the Zen of HTML to selecting a Web designer, it goes on to advise on the practical considerations of putting your business on the Web.

But again, this is not a level playing field. I know Susan and James services better than most newcomers to their work, and will have already been favorably impressed with the professionalism, results, and style.

I've watched their new book come into being during months of the authors' diligent efforts gleaned from years of their toil and focus. So there, I'm biased. Now, disregard my caveats and buy this book. You'll learn more than one or two things about launching your business on the Web and holding your own--and better--against the challenges of web e-commerce and the competition.

I've read a lot of books about doing business online, and I've never read a better one than this -- it's well-written and packed with practical advice. I especially appreciated that it had no geek-speak, it's written in clear English.

Whether you are only now considering an Internet business or you launched one years ago, this is a handy reference of all the critical information you need. It cuts through the hype and gives you the essentials about creating a site, promoting it, and making sure you've got the proper strategy.

I was glad to see that the authors advocate a highly ethical approach to online ventures -- I agree with them that's the key to success if you're in this for the long haul.

No matter what the nature of your business, you'll do well to pick up a copy of "Web Business Success." You'll find plenty of information that you can use to understand and improve your online business.

I recently revised my Web site with a new design, content and ecommerce features. Web Business Success clarified many options I wasn't aware of and helped guide me through the maze so I could make the right choices for this stage of my ecommerce business. I especially appreciated the information on hosting, search engine optimization, and ecommerce options.

The book is very user friendly, clear and has a minimum of technical jargon. My Web site is better, was created in less time and with less expense due to the very practical support that Web Business Success provided. I recommend it to anyone who needs a Web site that is designed to support financial transactions. It is an excellent guide both for hiring others or dipping into the world of do-it-yourself Web design.

I loved this book. I rank it right up there with another book on the subject I like very much: The Web-Savvy Writer (ISBN: 0977830403). What I liked so much about this book is how it tells the authors' story of how they themselves moved their business online. One of the authors is a writer and the other is an IT professional. They earn their livelihood online for the most part and they have shared how they made the move to self-employment using their Internet connection and Web hosting.

The book cuts through most of the hype most authors write about concerning Web sites. And from page one on the authors build rapport with the reader and you learn to trust just about every word they say. Since I use Frontpage to build Web pages, and the authors advise against using it, I don't buy into all their advice. But I can see where they are coming from, even though I don't agree with their point of view. The book has the following six chapters and a glossary:

1. Introduction
2. Creating Your First Site
3. Getting Your Site Online
4. Promoting Your Site
5. Creating an eCommerce Site
6. Business Operations and Practices

I would have liked the book better if it had covered as much on graphics programs as it did on WYSIWYG Web page programs. When I first started designing and building Web sites back in 1998 I found Frontpage to be very easy to use in building sites. The hardest part learning that program was figuring out how to use it so I didn't need Frontpage Extensions on the Web servers I used. That wasn't so difficult. However, I was not very skilled at using graphics software: Image Composer, Photopaint, Paintshop, and finally Photoshop. Graphic files are VERY important when trying to make your Web site attractive to surfers. And I think it would have been nice if the authors had said just a little bit more about the subject than they did.

I also enjoyed reading that the authors self publish this book using Print on Demand (POD) technology. Somewhat recently I read a book that explains how to do that economically. If you are interested, then take a look at Aiming at Amazon (ISBN: 093849743X). All in all, this is a great book for any entrepreneur to read and devour. 5 stars!