Buy that 'ticket to Seattle'.

• Author: Kristic, James

From Reciprocity Incorporated by Augie Nieto. Copyright 2010 by the author. Published by Infinity Publishing.Com (www.buybooksontheweb.com).

IN 1981, HOWARD SCHULTZ was working for the Swedish housewares company Hammarplast. He served as U.S. operations manager based in New York, and he notices a Seattle retailer was placing uncommonly large orders for one of his company's drip coffee makers. The customer was Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice, and Schultz was surprised to discover that, with only four stores, Starbucks was outstripping Macy's in sales of this particular item. Schultz announced to his wife, "I want to know what's going on out there." He bought a ticket to Seattle and changed the history of caffeine.

We've all wondered about all manner of things idly and in passing, but how many of us have bought that figurative...