'An exuberant, inspiring memoir' Guardian 'Brilliant...A high-spirited, exhilarating memoir' Wall Street Journal 'In Joyride, the takeaway often has as much to do with the art of living as the art of writing' Elle 'Wise and exuberant...It's funny, as well. Just masterful' David Sedaris 'Superbly good...Ebullient, frank, moving, and inspiring' Booklist (starred review) 'The story of my life is the story of my stories,' writes Susan Orlean in this exhilarating memoir from one of the greatest practitioners of narrative nonfiction of our time. Joyride is Orlean's most personal book ever, a searching journey through finding her feet as a journalist, recovering from the excruciating collapse of her first marriage, falling head over heels in love again, becoming a mother while mourning the decline of her own mother, sojourning to Hollywood for films based on her work (including Adaptation and Blue Crush) and confronting mortality. Joyride is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean's bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her careermaking days working alongside such icons as Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour and Sonny Mehta, forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today. Infused with Orlean's signature warmth and wit, Joyride is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build and sustain a creative life.