The book's subjects were resistant when first invited to accompany Benedict to public engagements. Benedict now describes their time together as fun and anything but awkward.

"We're doing Yale next week. Half of the guys will be there," he said. "People come out to these events because they want to meet these guys and they want to hear from them. Having four or five Mormons on the program draws a crowd."

The author/subject relationship extends beyond the written page and speaking engagements. "I consider myself friendly with all of them," Benedict said, adding that he considers one of the men, well, not quite like a father figure but "someone I look to who's got a lot of wisdom."

Benedict had no previous acquaintance with some of the book's subjects, like former Madison Square Garden manager and Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts and JetBlue Airways CEO David Neeleman. Others he knew through their families. "One of (Deloitte & Touche USA CEO) Jim Quigley's sons is one of my best friends. (Former Harvard Business School Dean Kim) Clark's son is also one of my good friends."

Others featured in the book are Kevin Rollins, Gary Crittenden, Rod Hawes and Clayton Christensen.

On another front, only time will tell how Benedict's book and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential candidacy will affect each other. Much of the press Romney has had as a presidential candidate either makes reference to or focuses on his LDS faith.

"We came up with the idea for this book Thanksgiving weekend 2004. I don't know what Mitt Romney was thinking about in 2004, but we certainly didn't have any idea this book would go on sale the same week he announced," Benedict said. "It is absolutely, purely coincidental that the book came out when it did."

What if the book had focused on executives of another lesser-understood faith? What if he had written about Quakers? Benedict doubts there would have been the same interest.

"I just think that there's something about that word 'Mormon' that intrigues people. I think the religion itself has evolved to a state where it has broken out, so to speak, of its sort of perception as a Utah church.

"Latter-day Saints as a people have started to rise in politics and business and sports and science and lots of places. It's hard to find someone in America today that doesn't know someone who's a Mormon. Still, there's enough misinformation and enough curiosity that people have a lot of questions."

Benedict has been promoting his book on tour since January and won't quit until June. Then he'll do more work on "The Mormon Way" in the fall.

An audio version of the book is in the works, as is a Portuguese language translation. "I've also been asked to write an epilogue to this book, which will be added to the paperback edition," he said.