THERE ARE NO ANSWERS HERE, ONLY QUESTIONS

A successful businessman decides to sell his company and discovers that he has cancer in this debut memoir by McIntyre.

The author was planning to turn over the sales and marketing business he had built over 30 years when he noticed a lump on the side of his neck. He was told that it was probably a clogged saliva gland and prescribed antibiotics. Thinking little of it, he boarded a plane in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, to meet with a potential buyer in Baltimore. The transaction progressed quickly after his visit to Maryland, but the lump swelled to the size of an orange. Following investigatory surgery in 2010, McIntyre learned that he had cancer at the base of his tongue that had spread to the tonsillar glandular area in his left throat. He was told the prognosis was “good,” which, as a dedicated businessman, led him to consider which should come first: the sale of his business or his cancer treatment. The author tells the story of both major life events simultaneously. The memoir recounts how McIntyre made his name in the foodservice industry working for RJR Foods in Winston-Salem, where he was in charge of sales for half the country, before relocating to Charlotte in 1979 and setting up his own company. The resultant food-service sales and marketing agency, McIntyreSales, grew to represent the likes of Nestlé and Smucker’s. The author reveals how his battle with cancer and letting go of the business changed him over the course of what turned out to be a profoundly spiritual journey. He also discusses his efforts to help others, such as his work with the homeless and destitute in both Charlotte and El Salvador.

In the opening to his memoir, McIntyre writes, “I’ve never done anything remarkable, nothing different from what you would have done if you were me.” This sense of humility, which is present throughout, makes the author’s story approachable and appealing. The author never crows about his successes, either in business or his battle against cancer; instead, he is eager to use his experiences to advise others. His go-getter assertiveness naturally shines through at times: Regarding an occasion in which he turned up at his doctor’s office without an appointment when the lump did not improve, he writes plainly, “Because sometimes you don’t call, you go.” This polite pushiness should inspire others to be proactive about their health care when they believe something is gravely wrong. McIntyre’s writing also has a quietly meditative quality, charged with warmth and wisdom: “I knew I was simply one of the billions of people on earth, connected to this place, to Joyce and my family. I was complete. I didn’t need to do anything but be in this moment.” Reading the text feels similar to sitting down with a wise old friend—one who will offer business advice but also encouragement to see the bigger picture. The author’s business successes are compelling and his cancer struggle is courageous, but what truly makes this memoir stand out are the memorable nuggets of wisdom that McIntyre imparts: Recognizing opportunities for growth even in the most difficult of circumstances, McIntyre writes, “It’s hard times that shape people and companies.”

A highly readable and sagacious account of overcoming obstacles and building success.