Shia Kapos' Illinois Playbook

It's Howard Tullman's birthday today, so it seems a perfect time to celebrate his new book — a compilation of the blog posts he's written over the years. If you've followed Tullman's career, you know this book is big. It's 8 ½ by 11 inches and weighs close to three pounds. That's a lot of insight from his 50-year career as an entrepreneur. Tullman is executive Director of the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship at Illinois Tech in Chicago. I got to know him when he was CEO of 1871 and through his philanthropic and political work (he was a big supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton). His book, "You Can't Win a Race With Your Mouth: And 299 Other Expert Tips From a Lifelong Entrepreneur," offers more than business insight. Tullman's lessons also apply to life. A few chapter titles: "You can't add value if you don't have values," "When you come to the fork, take it," "It takes a thick skin to win" and "Be a builder not a bully."