[zero_one_one]

I definitely would have gone for “close the lid” as a title rather than “close the book”. An opportunity for prime journalistic comedy missed!

[sithadmin]

I mean, it's WSJ. 'Closing the book' is a common idiom in the accounting/business world with specific connotation around ending a project/line of business.

[acct1771]

Pretend they were making a pun on "notebook", and you're all set.