It is nearly impossible to overstate how much the corporate landscape has changed over the last decade or so, along with the public’s perception of corporate America. In just a few short years, high-powered CEOs have seen their public images go from that of hot shots and media darlings to a bunch of potential scam artists. One need only open a recent newspaper to see the evidence of this.

In Entrepreneur—A CEO’s Lessons in American Capitalism, author Charlie Thomas takes us behind the scenes of capitalism itself to show us just how big business works. And Charlie should know; from 1993 until 2002, Charlie was CEO of a dynamic telecom that was archetypal of the fast-paced 90’s and the “telecom bubble.” Drawing on these experiences, Charlie not only relates his own story—the meetings with presidents and foreign leaders, the globe trotting on private jets—but also highlights the critical milestones during a company’s life cycle in his informative “Lessons Learned,” showing us just how to take a company from start-up to IPO. In the process, Entrepreneur offers both a compelling story and a candid document chronicling the market explosion of the 90’s, right up through the shocking current crises of the early 21st century.