The story of Mal Coven the family man, the businessman, and the entrepreneur for whom retirement from the Biway has meant pursuing original entrepreneurial ideas — as well as brushing up against and corresponding with celebrities Barbara Walters, Larry King, Nancy Sinatra, Jackie Mason, Bud Selig, Mort Zuckerman, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., and others.

Coven reveals the secrets behind his and Abe Fish's founding and development of the Biway, a hugely successful discount chain that predated the coming of Wal-Mart to Canada. During their 28-year tenure, the Biway grew to 249 stores...