Rebel with a Cause

JOHN SPERLING is Chairman and CEO of Apollo Group, Inc., the parent company of the University of Phoenix. He and his companies are widely covered in the financial and educational press, and have been the subject of feature articles in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, Business Week, and the New Yorker.

• Lessons. The Education of John Sperling: Part I-1939 to 1954-A Sea Change. The Education of John Sperling: Part II-1954 to 1960-Voyage to Europe. San Jose State and the Transmogrification of John Sperling: Reentering Academe. The Unintentional Entrepreneur: Summing Up. Exodus from California and Flight to the Valley of the Sun: Seeking a Strategy for Survival. The War in Arizona: Setting the Scene. Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch: Part I-1979 to 1981-The FBI Arrives-RICO. Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch: Part II-1981 to 1986. Toward an IPO and Beyond: Preparation for and Launch of the IPO-1986 to 2000. Giving Back: Part I. Giving Back: Part II-The War against the War on Drugs. Give Back: Part III-The Second Battle for Proposition 200. Epilogue. Endnotes. Index

"A remarkably cogent story of a most remarkable man. Sperling's openness about problems and failures inspires and informs the entrepreneurial spirit. Sperling describes the extraordinary power and potential of focused human intensity. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in starting or building a business."-Peter Lewis, Chairman and CEO, The Progressive Corporation "A great life and a great read."-George Soros