Book excerpt: Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies chronicles the rise of 250 of America's most dynamic growth firms. This book focuses on U.S. companies with revenues between $20 million & $1 billion that have experienced sales growth of at least 25 percent annually in the past five years & have had positive net income for the last year. Discover how companies like Boston Beer, Bed Bath & Beyond & Starbucks have raced past their competitors to become leaders in their fields. You'll learn about young companies, such as Yahoo! & Papa John's, that are poised for explosive growth, & the stories behind recent IPOs such as RealNetworks & Amazon.com. Anyone with a need to know about the hottest growth companies in the U.S. will find this book a gold mine of useful information. It includes lists of fast-growing companies from Business Week, Forbes, Inc., FORTUNE & other publications, & is indexed by headquarters location & industry, & by the people, companies & brand names mentioned in the profiles.