Tires are brands too. Just ask Walmart chairman Rob Walton.

This past Monday, I had my Highlander's tires rotated at Discount Tire in Mountain View. I've been going to these guys for well over ten years and I'm proud to be a loyal customer.

In the waiting area, a vertical banner dangles from the ceiling promoting the book, "Six Tires, No Plan: The Impossible Journey of the Most Inspirational Leader That (Almost) Nobody Knows." With a title (and underdog undertone) like that, I've got to check that book out! Since I'd be waiting around for another 40 minutes or so, I figured I'd download a sample and have a read.

The book is about Bruce Halle, who founded Discount Tire two years before Sam Walton opened his first Walmart store back in 1960. In the foreword, S. Robson Walton, Chairman of the Board of Walmart Stores, Inc. writes, "While Halle's story is less studied than Walton's, the growth of Discount Tire offers significant insights into the creation of a sustainable, productive business."

Walton also writes, "Most business schools and students invest substantial energy in the study of brands. Often, the corporations studied are mature, with established strategies and mission statements. In many cases, it would serve these scholars well to start at the beginning, at the founding of the companies they study."

I just finished the second chapter. You can get started by reading the Foreword by Rob Walton.