Editor’s Pick of the Month

The Secrets of Seven Alchemists by John Rosling, published by Harriman House, £16.99 While there many business books that reveal the story behind the success of celebrity entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, James Dyson or any of television?s ?Dragons?, what makes The Secrets of Seven Alchemists really interesting is how it reveals the formula that entrepreneurs from everyday industries are using to transform merely good business to really great ones. Startlingly candid interviews with the seven inspirational businesspeople reveal some fascinating insights into their methodology.

The author, John Rosling lectures on entrepreneurship at some of the world?s leading business schools. The first startup of his own was an e-greeting card company that he cofounded in almost the same month as Moonpig.com, and ever since he has been fascinated with why, whilst his business ignomin- iously failed, for an entrepreneur like Moonpig?s Nick Jenkins, the move set him out on a path to greatness. The detailed answers to that question ? the alchemy that creates a great private business ? are contained in this interesting new book.

The seven entrepreneurs featured in the book are not from revo- lutionary, high-tech industries, nor do they rely on world-chang- ing inventions. However, the remarkably honest stories of how they built businesses that are not only wealth generative but also easy to run helps illustrate the absolutely clear formula that John Rosling has spent the past decade researching.