Tuesday Reading List

Starting the school year with some interesting business stories worth checking out:

• Fans of the old Dungeons and Dragons board game, rejoice! A new online fantasy game has taken the world by storm, with more than 7 million paying customers. (NY Times.)
• Here's a list on which you won't find Rochester's three most recognizable employers (Kodak, Xerox and B&L.) Fortune Magazine has ranked the nation's fastest-growing companies. No. 1 is Vaalco Energy of Houston which is involved in - yes, you guessed it - oil exploration and production. (Fortune Magazine.)
• Another sign that no business is safe in the day and age of technological innovation: MySpace, the popular networking site for young people, is becoming a major player in music retailing. (Business Week.)
• In the category of ideas you just knew wouldn't work, put this: a hybrid car/plane. One of those is on the block, according to the Seattle Times.
• In my college days, I would have happily put up with ads in my textbooks, since it meant more money for beer. Today's students are getting that choice.