Miracle Road

Co-written with his son, Mack, Miracle Road is a definitive account of the history, significance, and future of Research Triangle Park (RTP). The book is the result of a four-year project involving 165 in-person interviews with the people who built and shaped the Park—CEOs, scientists behind world-changing discoveries, startup founders with disruptive technologies, and leaders from the three universities that underpin RTP’s success.

The project was guided throughout by two key leaders: John Atkins, founding chairman of O’Brien Atkins Architects and chair of the RTP Book Oversight Committee, and Doug Edgeton, President and CEO of NCBiotech, which provided logistical support. Together, they also helped secure the funding that underwrote four years of research and writing.

Miracle Road stands apart from previous books on RTP in two important ways. First, it is written in a highly accessible style that makes complex ideas understandable to a broad audience. Second, it is built almost entirely on primary sources—the voices of those who made RTP what it is today. The result is a behind-the-scenes narrative that captures the struggle, creativity, and determination that transformed an ambitious idea into a world-leading research park.

The book will be published by Duke University Press, with release planned to coincide with North Carolina Life Sciences Week in mid-September. The completed manuscript exceeds 400 pages, including full backmatter.