Phineas Taylor "P. T." Barnum (1810-91) is best known for forming the circus that came to be known as The Greatest Show on Earth. A brash, larger-than-life entrepreneur, he transformed the nature of commercial entertainment in the nineteenth century, from his private museum of curiosities to his big-top extravaganzas. Towards the end of his illustrious career, the renowned showman shared the secrets to his success in The Art of Money Getting or, Golden...

The Art of War (Chinese: 孫子兵法; lit. 'Sun Tzu's Military Method') is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the Late Spring and Autumn Period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun"), is composed of 13 chapters. Each one is devoted to a different set of skills or art related to warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. For almost 1,500...

Growing up, we are often taught never to question the value of a good education. From the moment they "graduate" from making castles in sandboxes, the actions and interests of young adolescents are measured by how enticing they will appear on the almighty "college application." But if you stop to consider that the total student debt in the United States is estimated to be $1.3 trillion (more than credit card and auto loan debt combined), you may begin...

The Book of Five Rings (五輪書, Go Rin no Sho) is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645. Many translations have been made, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than other martial artists and people across East Asia. For instance, some foreign business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work in a business context....

Netflix's ultimate domination of the video rental market is a classic example of disruptive innovation: a serious threat to traditional business-and often the hardest to respond to.

Five essential forces shape any business strategy, and together, they create a framework that can help you better make key strategic choices. Central to this discussion of these five strategic forces: Apple's meteoric rise to the top of the market.

After World War II, the Allied powers were divided by their economic policies, resulting in a divided Europe. Examine the ways Soviet Russia dominated the nations of Eastern Europe, bringing them under the umbrella of authoritarian communism, and which nations pushed back against this takeover. In contrast, also look at Western policies and institutions put in place to rebuild Europe.

See the index fund phenomenon from the inside through the career of John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group. Consider evidence for and against the Efficient Market Hypothesis, on which index investing is based. Also look into pitfalls to avoid when buying index funds.

Production operations are the greatest value-adding activity in all of business. Whether you're making the product yourself or through others, explore the decisions involved in successful production operations, and get a glimpse at developments to look for in the future, including 3-D printing and reshoring.

Learn why stocks, though often not the best place for a newcomer to begin investing, can be the best means of learning about investing. Explore key ideas like dealers vs. brokers, the different kinds of buy-or-sell orders, and what stocks really are.