In the late 1980s Mark Wilson was in Barbados teaching geography without a textbook.

When he expressed his dissatisfaction with the text options, someone dared him to write his own.

Two decades later, Wilson has two books.

His most recent publication - Caribbean Business for CSEC Principles of Business follows The Caribbean Environment: For CXC Geography.

The latter has been revised three times since it was first published in 1989 and has sold more than 200,000 copies.

The success of the geography textbook, which is used in several territories throughout the region gave the author the confidence to try again.

But writing textbooks is no easy task.

"I started this process almost two years ago. I spent the first six months writing and researching and during that period I spent time in Jamaica and Barbados," he said.

"After that was finished I had an awful lot to do still, correcting proofs and getting the information together for the CD."

He hopes that this business book will prove to pupils that the sector is not about old men in grey suits.

"This book and the examples we've used will appeal to a wide range of students. A lot of students think of business as an abstract thing. I really wanted to relate to them and pull them in," Wilson said in an interview last week.

"We want students discussing (R Allen) Stanford and other controversial figures. There are examples in there that they can really understand."

Highlighted in the book are case studies of more than 50 Caribbean businesses, operating in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Belize and throughout the region.

Based on recent interviews with leading professionals and written sources, the book covers recent changes in company legislation, intellectual property information technology and other areas.

The accompanying CD includes PowerPoint presentations covering the main teaching points from each chapter as well as specimens of business documents.

The websites listed on the CD will help readers to update their information and do further research.

The book's ten chapters cover the ten syllabus sections with an appendix highlighting key points for the School Based Assessment on writing business plans.

The textbooks are available at several bookstores throughout the country.