Heather Havrilesky's writing has been called "whip-smart and profanely funny" ( ) and "required reading for all humans" (Celeste Ng). In her work for , , and , as well as in "Ask Polly," her advice column for , she dispenses a singular, cutting wisdom—an ability to inspire, provoke, and put a name to our most insidious cultural delusions. is a mantra and a clarion call. In its chapters—many of them original to the book, others expanded from their initial publication—Havrilesky takes on those cultural forces that shape us. We've convinced ourselves, she says, that salvation can be delivered only in the form of new products, new technologies, new lifestyles. From the allure of materialism to our misunderstandings of romance and success, Havrilesky deconstructs some of the most poisonous and misleading messages we ingest today, all the while suggesting new ways to navigate our increasingly bewildering world. Through her incisive and witty inquiries, Havrilesky urges us to reject the pursuit of a shiny, shallow future that will never come. These timely, provocative, and often hilarious essays suggest an embrace of the flawed, a connection with what already is, who we already are, what we already have. She asks us to consider: Our salvation, Havrilesky says, can be found right here, right now, in this imperfect moment.