The Rise and Fall of Barnes and Noble

Barnes and Noble is experiencing something of a resurgence these days. To understand how significant that is, we have to know just how close the book chain was to Death's Door. In 1971, bookseller Leonard Riggio acquired Barnes and Noble and merged it with his own book selling brand. By the 90s, the company had hundreds of brick and mortar locations and also was the second largest online bookseller in the country.