From comedian and journalist Faith Salie, of NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! and CBS News Sunday Morning, a collection of daring, funny essays chronicling the author's adventures during her lifelong quest for approval *Faith Salie has done it all in the name of validation. Whether she's trying to impress her parents with a perfect GPA, undergoing an exorcism*to save her toxic marriage, or baking a 3D excavator cake for her son's birthday, Salie is the ultimate approval seeker-an “approval*junkie,” if you will.* In this collection of daring, honest essays, Salie shares stories from her lifelong quest for gold stars, recounting her strategy for winning (very Southern) high school beauty pageant; her struggle to pick the perfect outfit to wear to her divorce; and her difficulty falling in love again, and then conceiving, in the years following her mother's death. * With thoughtful irreverence, Salie reflects on why she tries so hard to please others, and herself, highlighting a phenomenon that many people-especially women-experience at home and in the workplace. Equal parts laugh-out loud funny and poignant,*Approval Junkie*is one woman's journey to realizing that seeking approval from others is more than just getting them to like you-it's challenging yourself to achieve, and survive, more than you ever thought you could.