Drinking, Driving and Drugs

How does someone make a name for himself in not one, but three major industries? In Drinking, Driving and Drugs, serial entrepreneur Dr. Donald E. Panoz takes readers on a journey from rural West Virginia to the capitals of the world, all the while revealing his challenges and successes during his decades-long career.

From humble beginnings as a redheaded kid-entrepreneur all the way to developing the nicotine patch, and from successful winemaker and resort developer to driving new technology in the world of racing, Panoz credits his success to sheer tenacity.

His friends have included racer/actor Paul Newman, golf legend Gene Sarazen, racecar icon Mario Andretti, and the movers and shakers of the pharmaceutical industry. He advises rising entrepreneurs to challenge the status quo, never accept the norm, and dare to dream big. “You’ll have occasional nightmares, but failure is no reason to quit.”

“What drives me is not fame or publicity or money. It’s the challenge—the more intriguing, the better—the opportunity to develop something undiscovered, something others said couldn’t be done; the potential to make things better and to leave every place better than I found it.”