Is Barnes & Noble writing its final chapters? Borders’ liquidation this summer should have been Barnes & Noble’s grand opportunity to grab a sizable market share, just as the warehouse book-selling superstores benefited in the past when they ruthlessly forced countless smaller and independent bookstores to board up and call it quits. . . . Read More »

The micro-lending revolution made it possible for community-based lending institutions to provide $25 loans for entrepreneurs in emerging markets — and is now making its way to your local Starbucks. Starting November 1, if your friends can’t spot you $25, you might be able to get financing from hundreds of thousands of coffee-drinkers. At over 7,000 Starbucks coffee shops around the nation, patrons will be able to give micro-donations as small as $5, which will then be re-packaged into larger loans for worthy local businesses. . . . Read More »