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Page and Perspective is a new series by DCist contributor Nicole Dubowitz on the most interesting book events going on about town.

How did some businesses survive the recession while one of the country’s most successful and long-standing retail chains collapsed? In his new book, Good to Great to Gone (Diversion Publishing, October 2012), former Circuit City CEO Alan Wurtzel answers this question about his old company, and many more about running a business through thick and thin. He will be speaking about the book and signing copies at Politics and Prose today at 1 p.m.

The success of Circuit City may likely be attributed to the invincible combination of really hard work and great timing: After taking over his father’s Richmond TV shop in 1972, Wurtzel gradually expanded the selection to the flush of new appliances, software, and media. He ended up growing the company into a nationwide chain of 567 electronics superstores. After his departure, they all closed in 2009, ending the business’s 60-year run.

Good to Great to Gone is described as “part social history, part cautionary tale, and part business strategy guide.” It chronicles how shifts in company control, culture, and economic climate ultimately brought down the retail giant. The book follows up 2001’s best-selling Good to Great by business guru Jim Collins. There, Collins identified companies, including Circuit City, that rose from mediocrity to greatness, defined by sustained exceptional stock performance and characteristics that supposedly made them “built to last.”

Wurtzel’s side of the story provides valuable insight for those hoping to start a business, or anyone seeking to learn more about how a business works or fails. Each chapter includes a lesson learned from Circuit City’s saga, which Wurtzel calls “Habits of Mind.” One of them, as the author recently remarked, “is to listen to the customer, not listen to Wall Street. Wall Street ended up punishing [Circuit City] anyway.”

Amid the Election 2012 hubbub, there is near-constant commentary on the state of the economy and the need to create more jobs, but very little specific advice comes from business owners. Good to Great to Gone addresses pressing issues facing us today: What can turn a Mom and Pop shop into a Fortune 500 company? How can businesses adapt in a market with a Tweet-length attention span? Wurtzel’s first-hand experience may help clear up the comments made by professional pundits.

After years in both the private and public sectors, Wurtzel currently lives in D.C. and is a trustee for the local Phillips Collection and Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Politics and Prose’s almost-daily book events are open and free to the public, and offer the perfect opportunity to meet admirable writers and fellow admirers. Authors typically share a background on their books and thoughts on writing them, answer questions, and sign their books for attendees.