The Republic of Tea

More than a chronicle of the birth of a new business, this unusual 20-month exchange of faxes between the Zieglers (husband-and-wife founders of Banana Republic) and their partner-to-be, Rosenzweig (future Republic of Tea CEO), records with almost missionary zeal its authors' determination to convert a stressed-out, coffee-gulping society into serene sippers of tea--and make millions in the process. After much high-flown, often repetitious philosophizing, self-doubt and discussion of personal relationships, the trio finally got down to market research (in the U.S. and England), product development and the nitty-gritty of sales, promotion and operations. When The Republic of Tea was launched this past January, the partners soon realized that ``a business tends to develop a mind of its own that is independent of its founder.'' Illustrations. (Nov.)