Stories from Start-ups

Annie Marie Knott, visiting professor at Washington University, provided the recommended reading in yesterday's Wall Street Journal. The special section was on small business and Knott believes in reading entrepreneurial biographies. She says, "certain biographies can not only help readers get a sense of which business theories work, but also help them develop their own theories about how to find success."

Here is here the complete list:

• Making of a Blockbuster: How Wayne Huizenga Built a Sports and Entertainment Empire from Trash, Grit and Videotape by Gail DeGeorge
• McDonald's: Behind the Arches by John F. Love
• Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure by Jerry Kaplan
• Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way by Richard Branso
• Ben and Jerry's: The Inside Scoop by Fred "Chico" Lager
• The Perfect Store: Inside eBay by Adam Cohen