'Is there some adventure out there that we are not having, some vividness, some wild pleasure, that we are not experiencing in our responsible, productive days? . . . We are bequeathed on earth one very short life, and it might be good, one of these days, to make sure that we are living it.'

In this powerful, unified and vital work Katie Roiphe touches on everything from the romantic ambivalence of Jane Austen to the cast of Mad Men whilst delivering a collection of autobiographical pieces that are by turns, deeply moving, self-critical, razor-sharp, entertaining and unapologetic in their defence of 'messy lives'.

"[A] devastatingly good new book" - * The New York Times *

"Roiphe strides across the modern culture with [these] magnificent essays . . . In Praise of Messy Lives is a worthy successor [to Joan Didion]" - * Independent on Sunday *

"Daring, vivid, combative . . . the refreshing irreverence of her book might well be unique among writers of her generation" - * Wall Street Journal *

"I am in awe of Roiphe's style and range, her scholarly attention to detail, that she clearly has an impressive intellect... Roiphe is a brilliant writer and thinker" - * The Times *

"An edgy, subversive critique of this dreary era" - * Independent *

"Katie Roiphe is one of the most insightful, exciting writers of her generation. She's daring, fierce, and entirely original." - * Gay Talese *

"Roiphe's writing is prickly and provocative...courageous, and most welcome when it cuts deep." - * Publisher's Weekly *

"Her work is personal, and often topical, funnelling her ideas about the world while exploring popular culture or politics" - * Irish Times *

"Bracing...and hilarious...Roiphe writes with an archer's aim and a bullfighter's bravado." - * Booklist *

"A thoughtful and beautifully written examination of topics ranging from modern parenting to the complicated joys of authors such as Joan Didion and Susan Sontag... this book is a treat for the brain" - * Sunday Business Post *

"With its spunky and confronting personal spin, this lively collection of essays, some of which have appeared elsewhere, spans literature, journalism, media, culture and life" - * New Zealand Listener *