Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good

The Madcap Business Adventure by the Truly Oddest Couple

By: Paul Newman, A. E. Hotchner

Narrated by: L. J. Ganser

In 1978, Paul Newman and A. E. Hotchner decided that rather than just distribute Paul’s own salad dressing at Christmas to neighbors, they would offer it to a few local stores. Freewheeling, irreverent entrepreneurs, they conceived of their venture as a great way to poke fun at the mundane method of traditional marketing. Much to their surprise, the dressing was enthusiastically received. What had started as a lark quickly escalated into a full-fledged business, the first company to place all-natural foods in supermarkets. From salad dressing to spaghetti sauce, to popcorn and lemonade, Newman’s Own became a major player in the food business. The company’s profits were originally donated to medical research, education, and the environment, and eventually went to the creation of the eight Hole in the Wall Gang camps for children with serious illnesses.

In this audiobook Newman and Hotchner recount the picaresque saga of their own nonmanagement adventure. In alternating voices, playing off one another in classic “Odd Couple” style, they describe how they systematically disregarded the advice of experts and relied instead on instinct, imagination, and mostly luck. They write about how they hurdled obstacle after obstacle, share their hilarious misadventures, and reveal their offbeat solutions to conventional problems. Even their approach to charity is decidedly different: every year they give away all the company’s profits, empty the coffers, and start over again. The results of this amazing generosity are brought to life in heartwarming stories about the children at their camps.

With rare glimpses into their zany style and their compassion for those less fortunate, Newman and Hotchner have written the perfect nonmanagement book, at once playful, informative, and inspirational.

©2003 by the Association of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps and A. E. Hotchner (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Love Paul Newman stories

Being a consistent consumer of Pail's products, I really enjoyed this story. Always been a avid fan of his movies.

The Will of Compassion and Fortitude

I liked the humor, the honesty, the humanness in the creation of products with proceeds given to charity. How that happened is a very interesting story. Made me wonder why more people aren't doing something like Paul Newman did.

Wonderful treasure!

Great story! I laughed, cried and was inspired. . I loved learning about the innovative and irreverent side of Paul Newman. And how he never compromised the ingredients in his salad dressing which, because of it’s popularity, resulted in turning the profits from the sales into a school bus for a school. The story of the creation of the Hole in the Wall camp is so heartwarming and the testimonies of the children are priceless!