The book is a business biography written by Howard Schultz, the man who started the Starbucks Corporation. The book covers the period from Howard's early childhood days up to 1997. Beginning with Howard's emotional retelling of his relationship with his beleaguered father and a childhood spent in near poverty in the projects in Brooklyn, the book establishes the fundamental principles and core personality characteristics of this dreamer with the initiative to build an international business phenomenon.

As a young boy Howard feels the anguish experienced by his father who works at a long line of low paying jobs which provide the bare essentials for a growing family. As Howard grows up he feels conflicted by his feelings of love and respect for his father while at the same time being angry that his father is not more ambitious to provide a better life for his family. Howard dares to dream bigger dreams and pushes down any feelings of insecurity with his hopes of one day escaping his limiting circumstances.

Howard's escape comes in the form of a football scholarship to Northern Michigan University where he graduates with a degree in marketing and communications. Howard seems destined for a career in international sales until he explores a small coffee company in Seattle called Starbucks which places large orders of coffee makers sold by Howard's company. A visit to Starbucks in Seattle is a fateful journey when Howard falls in love with the product and idea of selling the robust coffees from all over the world.

Although Howard succeeds at Starbucks he has bigger dreams of a national network of coffee shops which is counter to the philosophy of the Starbucks owners. Fueled by the coffee shops he has experienced in Milan, Italy, Howard leaves Starbucks to open his open coffee shop called Il Giornale. Moderately successful with his store concept, Howard's fate changes dramatically once again when the opportunity to buy Starbucks is presented. Howard manages to raise the funds for the purchase and becomes the President and CEO of the company for which he worked just a short time before.

Howard expands the Seattle coffee shops to a network of Starbucks stores all over the world and admits that his success is based not only on his vision but the hiring of people who have skill sets he does not possess but are necessary for driving a company forward. Howard remains open to possibilities and hope and runs the enterprise with integrity, vision, romance and style. Howard also shares his philosophies for staying true to your personal and professional code of conduct which is the only way to gain loyalty and trust among customers, employees and shareholders.