CHAPTER 12

Taming a Wild Elephant

I thought I was ready for the biggest project of my life; now I'm not so sure.

I've spent my life turning new ideas into businesses, and for the most part, I've been successful. With the exception of Hungry Minds.com, I've combined my entrepreneurial passions and skills to create cutting-edge enterprises that push the boundaries of their industries. But like Captain Ahab chasing Moby Dick, I became obsessed with a giant of an idea—one that would threaten to destroy my fortune just as I was nearing retirement. Only it wasn't a great white whale that almost did me in—it was an elephant.

The Vision

The idea, which became an obsession, was to create a giant holistic pharmacy by combining the medical traditions ...

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