E Pluribus Kinko's describes how a highly democratic business structure helped Kinko's grow and profit for thirty years, and how the loss of democracy contributed to the company's decline and disappearance. From 1970 to 1999, Kinko's grew from a one-hundred-square-foot copy shop to a two-billion-dollar industry leader with over 1,000 branches worldwide, with thousands of engaged and participative citizen-coworkers. The foundations of our democracy were The Philosophy, which was like a constitution that clearly articulated stakeholder rights and expectations, our Partnership Ethos, which used profit sharing to spread the benefits and responsibilities of citizenship throughout the organization, and our habit of Pot-Stirring, which produced the frequent revolutions Thomas Jefferson believed were necessary in a healthy democracy. It was very messy - and very profitable.

Entrepreneurship is not about owning a business; it's about owning your life. Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea's entrepreneurial philosophy melds business, personal finances, lifelong learning, and the pursuit of happiness. It's a very uplifting and rewarding way of looking at the world. Two Billion Dollars in Nickels offers bite-sized nuggets of Orfalea's acquired wisdom on the themes of ownership, judgment, and self-knowledge. It's a thin book, but you'll find a useful idea on every page. Whether you own the business, manage a division, or simply aspire to be a good leader in everything you pursue, an entrepreneurial frame of mind may well be the key to greater success and happiness.