When Joan Rivers set out to find her way in the world she had a few directions she could go. Into department store management, which she tried for a while, or into acting, which she loved and hated. During the struggle to define herself, she went through her version of a journey familiar to everyone: from the disorganized dreams of childhood to an effective, meaningful relationship with the world. This memoir does such a great job of guiding us through that journey, introspectively and authentically. The memoir takes no trouble to gloss over inconvenient, combative situations, or the raw edgy mistakes of the beginner. The example of her tenacity is incomprehensible. How does the creative mind draw on strengths for so long, through so many setbacks?