That's why Windows 8 opens in the start screen, why Microsoft is working to build up a large catalog of tablet-type apps that run only in the start screen, and why the traditional desktop has been relegated to a mode you reach by clicking on an icon on the start screen.

WSJ: Mossberg's Mailbox: A New View on Windows

Being in denial can lead start-ups over the cliff because if a CEO waits too long to take action, the start-up is likely to run out of money and decide to change strategy only after it is too late to salvage the venture.

FORBES: How Intigua Chose Boston Over Palo Alto

Initially a start-up with no employees and run out of Ms. Friedman's apartment, Open Road now has more than two dozen employees and has published about 2, 000 e-books.

WSJ: Jane Friedman's New York Apartment: A Home That Books Built

With a year to go before the Olympics start, Clive Blair will be creating a snapshot of the part Birmingham plays in the run-up to the Games.

BBC: Clive Blair