In an Eastern country that originally had no coffee tradition, Starbucks has sprung up like mushrooms after rain, dotting streets and alleys. For casual chats with friends, small family gatherings, and business meetings, people invariably choose to go there. Do we truly know how to appreciate coffee? Is Starbucks coffee really a cut above the rest? Is a latte worth the several dozen yuan it costs? The answer may not be certain, but Starbucks' brilliance is an indisputable fact. It has not only overturned our beverage preferences and reshaped our consumption concepts, but also quietly permeated our cultural perception. How was all this achieved? Howard Behar provides the answer in "Starbucks: Everything Is About Coffee Except the Coffee." This article takes you through the growth trajectory of this coffee giant and analyzes its "people-first" leadership wisdom. [more…]