I recently read The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There by economists Eric Zwick and Owen Zidar, and I was left wondering something. Have the book’s own authors done the same?

At its core, the book includes dozens of supportive profiles of people who built up great family businesses, often in the most unlikely of places and industries. Who knew you could start a billion-dollar business with a hot dog cart in a parking lot? The founder of the Chicago restaurant chain Portillo’s did that. Other fun profiles include Buc-ees, Outback Steakhouse, and Bass Pro Shops.