The first glimpse into the life of a quiet giant, An Enterprising Life chronicles the life and times of billionaire entrepreneur Jay Van Andel, a founder of the wildly successful Amway Corporation.-- Together with partner Rich DeVos, Jay Van Andel -- ranked #6 on Forbes magazine's wealthiest persons list -- created Amway, one of the world's largest direct-sales operations.-- With an army of 3 million distributors in 80 countries worldwide, Amway earned $7 billion in annual sales in 1997, based on the 450 nutrition and wellness, personal care, home care, and commercial products available through Amway catalogs.-- Amway co-founder Rich DeVos's own book, Compassionate Capitalism (Dutton, 1994), was a New York Times bestseller.Jay Van Andel has led an extraordinary life, filled with adventure, hardship, faith, and, of course, great success. This autobiography now sheds new light on his life, providing Amway employees and distributors (over 400,000 in North America alone), as well asbusinesspeople and entrepreneurs, with the story of a great leader whose vision has created a company that goes beyond commercial -- a company that has for decades helped people help themselves.

"The life of Rev Dr Henry Backhaus (1812-1882) Pioneer Priest in Bendigo"--Provided by publisher.

An inspiring collection of American women entrepreneurs introduces readers to women who have cared out their own slice of the economic pie, from Colonial times to present.

Ben Casnocha discovered he was entrepreneur at age 12 and hasn't slowed down since. In this remarkably instructive book, Ben dissects the entrepreneurship "gene," explaining that everyone has inherited it if they have an idea to make the world a better place. In Casnocha's case, he found a better way for city governments to communicate with constituents on the Web. Six years later, Comcate has dozens of municipal clients, a growing staff, and a record of excellence. This book is the story of his start-up, but also a conversation with his mentors, clients and fellow entrepreneurs about how to make a business idea work?and how to have the time of your life trying. From Pat Lencioni to Marc Benioff of salesforce.com, Ben has won over the best and brightest of the business world?now it's your turn!

Following on the success of DeVos's bestselling books about the world of business, he reveals his personal story for the first time ever. Simply Rich is a candid telling of his journey from rags to riches, from a small start-up business to giant success, and from doubts to dreams come true. Born to second-generation Dutch immigrants in rural Michigan during the Depression, DeVos learned early on the importance of leadership as well as partnership. While still in school, he met a classmate and neighbor, Jay Van Andel, who became his best friend and eventually his business partner. A lasting friendship sustained their fledgling business, which grew into the international success of Amway. In addition to stories of his business success, DeVos shares candidly about his marriage and family, his experiences as a motivational speaker and author, his ownership of the NBA's Orlando Magic, and his philanthropic, reli-gious, and political endeavors.

This book vividly illustrates the history of business in the United States from the point of view of the enterprising men and women who made it happen. Ever since the first colonists landed in the New World, Americans have forged ahead in their quest to make good on promises of capitalism and independence. Weaving stirring narrative with economic analysis, this historical deep dive recounts the successes and failures of some of the most iconic business people to grace our history books--from the founding of our country to the present day. In American Entrepreneur, you’ll learn about how: Eli Whitney changed the shape of the American business landscape; the Civil War impacted the economy, and how it was renewed by the subsequent dominance of Andrew Carnegie and J. P. Morgan; Asa Candler, W. K. Kellogg, Henry Ford, and J.C. Penney led the rise of the consumer marketplace; and Warren Buffett’s, Michael Milken’s, and Martha Stewart’s experience in the “New Economy” in the 1990s--and how that economy continues today. It is an adventure to start a business, and the greatest risk takers in that adventure are entrepreneurs. This is the epic story of America’s entrepreneurs and how they created the economy we enjoy today.

Whether titans of industry, influential business leaders, or creators of history's most recognizable brands, these entrepreneurs had the vision, innovation, and ruthless determination to make their marks on our society in indelible ways. Boldly illustrated and comprehensive in its scope and depth, Entrepreneurs Who Changed History profiles more than 90 industry leaders across the world and throughout the ages - from the enterprising bankers of the medieval world and the merchants of an empire to the titans of industry and the geniuses of Silicon Valley. Combining accessible text with specially-commissioned illustrated portraits in a range of bold artwork styles, photographs, and infographics, entries showcase each individual in a fresh, visual way. The towering personalities behind some of history's most recognizable brands and companies - their ruthlessness, tenacity, creativity, and sheer grit - are all brought to vivid life. Profiling the kings and queens of commerce and trade, Entrepreneurs Who Changed History features the familiar faces of Vanderbilt and Rockefeller, Ford and Ferrari, Gates and Zuckerberg, alongside lesser-known figures such as the enterprising women of colonial America, the emancipated enslaved people who became millionaires against all odds, and the individuals powering today's emerging economies.