In Pursuit of the Common Good: Twenty-Five Years of Improving the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time

In Pursuit of the Common Good: Twenty-Five Years of Improving the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time
by Paul Newman, A.E. Hotchner

In Pursuit of the Common Good: Twenty-Five Years of Improving the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time
List Price: $16.00
Our Price: $3.08
You Save: $12.92 (81%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


(Click here)
Buy this book at online book store in your country
Canada | UK | Germany | France

Book Summary Information

Author: A.E. Hotchner, Paul Newman
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-12
ISBN: 0767929977
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Broadway

Book Reviews of In Pursuit of the Common Good: Twenty-Five Years of Improving the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time

Book Review: A book worthy of a man of Newman's stature.
Summary: 5 Stars

"In Pursuit of the Common Good" (subtitled: Twenty Five Years of Improving the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time) is a non-fiction work written by the late Paul Newman and Aaron E. Hotchner (American author, most known IMHO for his novels about Ernest Hemmingway).

This book is about the founding of "Newmans Own" natural foods, how it all started with Newman not being sure what to do with leftovers of his personal salad dressing made in a batch intended as holiday gifts for friends, and why they decided to give 100 percent of the profit from "Newmans Own" to charity.

I feel that the first few chapters would be interesting for anyone planning to start a small business, especially one selling food products. The challenges and pitfalls that they overcame are very interesting- I had no idea that a well-known movie star would have to go through all of this just to start a business. I was also surprised that Newman was very involved in the formula for the salad dressing, and other products such as the salsa and pasta sauces.

As an example, the first "Newmans Own" maranara sauce was based on a recipe Newman wrote on the back of a paper bag and went through no less than 10 "pre production" iterations before it met with PLN's approval to produce.

The methods used by Newman and Hotchner to gather public opinion about their products are noteworthy also. Newman's Own saved many thousands of dollars by not listening to the so called "marketing experts" and using their own methods (saving an estimated $1,320,000 in pre-production research).

It's worth noting that prior to Newman's Own, large food producers such as Kraft, etc. felt it was impossible to offer "all natural" foods with fresh ingredients for sale to the general public. In this way all of Newman's Own products were pioneers in the area of natural foods containing no chemical preservatives.

Newman at first balked at the idea of having his face on the product labels but was encouraged to do so by Ellen Posey (wife of broadcaster and former F1, Indy and sports car racer Sam Posey). Ellen was also responsible for the distinctive design of the Newman's Own product labels.

It is a light and humorous read, and like the Newmans Own products, the proceeds from sale of the book go to "Hole in the Wall Camps" for crippled and terminally ill children.

Each section of the book has a few pages of reprinted letters from people commenting about Newmans Own products. One letter is addressed to "Mr Redford"; Hopefully Paul took that with good humor.

There is a section in the back of the book with Paul Newman's favorite recipes, some of which were originally published in Good Housekeeping magazine, others were published in "The Hole in the Wall Gang Cookbook".

Summary of In Pursuit of the Common Good: Twenty-Five Years of Improving the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time

Shameless exploitation has never been more fun nor done more good for more people than when done by Newman?s Own?the first green food company to use all-natural ingredients, and still the most successful.

It was 1982 when Paul Newman and A. E. Hotchner made their foray into local gourmet shops with bottles of their homemade salad dressing. The venture was intended to be a lark, a way to poke fun at the traditional way the market operates. Hurdling obstacle after obstacle, they created the first company to mass-market all-natural products, eliminating the chemicals, gums, and preservatives that existed in food at the time. This picaresque saga is the inspiring story of how the two friends parlayed the joke into a multimillion-dollar company that gives all its profits to the less fortunate without spending money on galas, mailings, and other expensive outreaches. It also serves as a textbook for foundations and charitable organizations looking to do the most good they can with what they have.

Told in alternating voices, Newman and Hotchner have written a zany tale that is a business model for entrepreneurs, an inspirational book, and just plain delightful reading.

Company Profiles Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Company Profiles Books
You Bet: The Betfair Story ImageYou Bet: The Betfair Story
by Colin Cameron
HarperCollins UK; Published: 2009-05-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.98
Price in other shops: $24.95
The New Financial Capitalists: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the Creation of Corporate Value ImageThe New Financial Capitalists: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the Creation of Corporate Value
by George P. Baker, George David Smith
Cambridge University Press; Published: 1998-10-13; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops: $42.00
Sam Walton: Made In America ImageSam Walton: Made In America
by Sam Walton
Bantam; Published: 1993-06-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.63
Price in other shops: $7.99
SuperCorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good ImageSuperCorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good
by Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Crown Business; Published: 2009-08-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.90
Price in other shops: $27.50
The Partnership: The Making of Goldman Sachs ImageThe Partnership: The Making of Goldman Sachs
by Charles D. Ellis
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2009-09-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops: $20.00
Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street ImageLiar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street
by Michael Lewis
Penguin Books; Published: 1990-10-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.50
Price in other shops: $16.00
Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer ImageFire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer
by Paul Freiberger
Mcgraw-Hill Osborne Media; Published: 1984-06; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $11.95
Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution ImageReengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution
by Michael Hammer, James Champy
Harperbusiness; Published: 2001-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.20
Price in other shops: $16.95
Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco ImageBarbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco
by Bryan Burrough, John Helyar
HarperBusiness; Published: 2008-10-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.72
Price in other shops: $27.95
Longaberger: An American Success Story ImageLongaberger: An American Success Story
by David H. Longaberger, Robert L. Shook
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2003-08-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.95
Price in other shops: $15.99
Similar Books and other products
Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life (Vintage) ImageSupercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life (Vintage)
by Robert B. Reich
Vintage; Published: 2008-09-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.97
Price in other shops: $15.95
In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience ImageIn Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience
by James Martin
Sheed & Ward; Published: 2010-09-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops: $16.95
People: Paul Newman (People Tribute the Life of a Movie Legend) ImagePeople: Paul Newman (People Tribute the Life of a Movie Legend)
by Editors of People Magazine
People; Published: 2008-11-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $32.67
Paul Newman: A Life ImagePaul Newman: A Life
by Shawn Levy
Crown Archetype; Published: 2009-05-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops: $29.99
The Newman's Own Organics Guide to a Good Life: Simple Measures That Benefit You and the Place You Live ImageThe Newman's Own Organics Guide to a Good Life: Simple Measures That Benefit You and the Place You Live
by Nell Newman, Joseph D'Agnese
Villard; Published: 2003-03-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.94
Price in other shops: $16.95
Newman's Own Cookbook ImageNewman's Own Cookbook
by Paul Newman, A.E. Hotchner
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2008-10-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.69
Price in other shops: $16.95
Paul and Me: Fifty-three Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman ImagePaul and Me: Fifty-three Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman
by A E Hotchner
Nan A. Talese; Published: 2010-03-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.70
Price in other shops: $26.95
Paul Newman: A Life ImagePaul Newman: A Life
by Shawn Levy
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2010-05-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.95
Price in other shops: $16.00
Paul and Me: Fifty-three Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman ImagePaul and Me: Fifty-three Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman
by A E Hotchner
Anchor; Published: 2011-04-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.07
Price in other shops: $15.95
Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good: The Madcap Business Adventure by the Truly Oddest Couple ImageShameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good: The Madcap Business Adventure by the Truly Oddest Couple
by Paul Newman, A.E. Hotchner
Nan A. Talese; Published: 2003-11-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.12
Price in other shops: $23.95
Book store. Illustrated catalog of books on different categories