Twelve early pieces never before collected that offer an illuminating glimpse into the mind and process of Joan Didion. Mostly drawn from the earliest part of her astonishing five-decade career; the wide-ranging pieces in this collection include Didion writing about a Gamblers Anonymous meeting; a visit to San Simeon; and a reunion of WWII veterans in Las Vegas; and about topics ranging from Nancy Reagan to Robert Mapplethorpe to Martha Stewart. Here are subjects Didion has long written about - the press; politics; California robber baronsac; women; the act of writing; and her own self-doubt. Each piece is classic Didion: incisive and; in new light; stunningly prescient.