Steven Singer, owner of Steven Singer Jewelers on Philadelphia's Jewelers' Row, never went to college and has no formal business schooling. But he considers himself "a student of marketing" and has built awareness for his store in his local market with an unconventional branding campaign that relies on racy humor. [See Related Article.] Mr. Singer, 49, says he's constantly reading, searching for lessons on how to grow his business. Here are some of Mr. Singer's favorite books on business success, along with what he took away from each one.

Wisconsin Screens Newborns For 'Bubble Boy Disease'

Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to screen all newborns for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID). Sometimes known as "Bubble Boy Disease," SCID is a genetic disorder that is fatal without early diagnosis and treatment. Babies diagnosed can be referred for potentially life-saving treatment.The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services approved moving to phase two of the pilot screening program in which screening for SCID will be routine for all newborns in Wisconsin (estimated at 70,000 annually). The screening has been added to the current panel of 47 other tests that are given to newborns.The pilot program began one year ago as a collaborative effort between the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and the Jeffrey Modell Foundation.

Winds shifting in the debate over education

The bill he introduced a week ago, House Bill 1133, would give a state income tax credit to individuals and corporations donating to school-choice scholarship organizations. It's similar to programs in Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Rhode Island. It would allow individuals to contribute $1,000 and couples $2,500 annually to nonprofits offering grants to public school students to attend private schools. Listening to Jones testify on HB 881, I am suddenly aware that, indeed, the center of gravity on the education debate has shifted. No longer are we stuck on inputs and debate about how one government can best grow another, which the input set chooses to define as "local control."

"It is a unique opportunity," Jones says of her bill establishing a state commission to grant charters, along with a fairer funding model.

Running on empty

The fourth floor of San Francisco's City Hall feels remote. Dimly lit and strangely quiet, it conveys a sense of isolation from the powerful people who do their work in the lower levels of the building.

Here, in an unremarkable conference room, is where the San Francisco Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force is conducting its second meeting. Two of its officers are absent, and only one member of the public has turned up to participate. It is an atmosphere that belies the issue's cataclysmic potential.

The day's breaking news headlines of oil reaching $100 per barrel for the first time in history is perhaps a harbinger of things to come. One year earlier the price was $58 per barrel. This dramatic increase in such a short span would devastate economies around the world if it continued at anywhere close to that rate.

Best Answers to Sunday Question ...

They didn't pay worth a darn and had the attitude "if you don't like it there's the door." Why is this? I understand there are some people who aren't good employees and are unreliable, but why treat everyone that way? Why not hire and treat people as though they were an asset to the company?