Small Biz

The Art of the Start

By Guy Kawasaki

(Portfolio, 2004)

Recommended by Art Boni, director, Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University

In his latest book, The Art of the Start, former Apple (AAPL) evangelist and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki doesn't focus exclusively on business plans. But Boni says it's an essential, plain-English guide to what entrepreneurs need to think about when they write their plans. "It's most relevant for technology or IT companies, but he has a way of writing that's very clear, very to the point. There's not a lot of pedantic info that you'll find in textbooks," says Boni. "My students love it."