The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places Are Building the New American Dream

AOL cofounder Case (The Third Wave) recounts his efforts to seed start-up capital and culture outside of traditional tech hubs in this flimsy outing. In 2014, Case founded Rise of the Rest, an initiative that sent tour buses across the U.S. to support entrepreneurs and “lift the prospects of... those who live and work outside the coastal tech centers.” By building businesses in middle America, he writes, cities can be revitalized and the country can be reunited: “part of the reason our country is so divided right now is that many people feel left behind in the new economy.” Case takes readers on a trip through his successes in Detroit (with the professional service review site Stik.com), Indianapolis (where he invested in 120Water, which makes at-home water testing kits ), and Madison, Wis. (where a public official tells him “the Rise of the Rest vision is coming into being—you can do it anywhere”). Case is chipper in arguing that “everyone [should have] an equal chance to create and thrive—no matter where they live,” but the parade of success stories ends up feeling like an ad for his organization. This one doesn’t quite come together. (Sept.)