This is the title of a book about Internet businesses that made it - as of 1998, when it was published. The author, Jaclyn Easton, a long-time reporter in the online industry field, did in-depth studies of 23 varied companies, the majority of them 1-person operations, that even before the dot-com boom - and crash - were doing remarkably well.

I thought it would be interesting to read this book now, after the dust had settled, and see how many of these businesses were still around. The answer: most. This surprised me, I will say; I was sure the majority would be defunct.

True, Weirton Steel Corporation is bankrupt, and HorseNet, The Expert Marketplace, KoreaLink, Practical Online Weightloss Clinic, Product Partners, and Ken Crane's Laserdiscs are nowhere to be found.

However, Long Island Hot Tubs rules the online world; The Knot looks like its wedding business is thriving; Reel.com's moving DVDs; Coastal Tool and Supply is huge; FragranceNet is successful; Ask the Builder still dominates its field.

The saddest story is that of igogolf.com: at the time the guy started his site (early 1995), golf.com was STILL AVAILABLE. He thought it was too vague. Oops. Still, give the guy credit: he was there doing it in 1995, while I was still making fun of people for surfing the net. I mean, I didn't buy bookofjoe.com 'til mid-1998, for cryin' out loud.