The Creative Act: A Way of Being
nonfiction · First published 2023
Author guide
Neil Strauss Books in Order
Neil Strauss is an American author and journalist whose work combines immersive reporting, memoir, cultural criticism, and celebrity biography. He has written and co-written bestselling books about Marilyn Manson, Mötley Crüe, Jenna Jameson, Dave Navarro, pickup culture, survivalism, relationships, Kevin Hart, and Rick Rubin. Strauss has also worked as a contributing editor for Rolling Stone and as a writer for The New York Times.
nonfictionmemoirjournalismbiographycelebrity biographyself-helprelationshipssurvivalismpopular culture
Catalog record updated .
Neil Strauss's Newest Book
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
Strauss's best-known work and the clearest introduction to his immersive memoiristic style.
Everyone Loves You When You're Dead: Journeys into Fame and Madness
Best entry point for his music journalism, celebrity interviews, and essayistic nonfiction.
The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships
A later autobiographical work focused on relationships, intimacy, and personal change.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (4)
- How to Make Money Like a Porn Star
graphic-nonfiction · 2006
Claudia Corvette. From her tousled bedroom hair to her name–all the porn stars in this world take their names from supermodels and sports cars–she is adult entertainment's prototypical femme fatale. Her life is the collision of countless…
- Rules of the Game
nonfiction · 2007
If you want to play the Game, you've got to know the Rules. In his international bestseller The Game, Neil Strauss delved into the secret world of pick-up artists--men who have created a science out of the art of seduction. Not only did…
- Survive All Apocalypses: From Machine Uprisings to Bear Markets
nonfiction · 2021
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being
nonfiction · 2023
Nonfiction (8)
- The Long Hard Road Out of Hell
memoir · 1998
The best-selling autobiography of America’s most controversial celebrity icon, Marilyn Manson (with a bonus chapter not in the hardcover). In his twenty-nine years, shock rock idol Manson has experienced more than most people have (or…
- The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band
biography · 2001
Celebrate thirty years of the world's most notorious rock band with the deluxe collectors' edition of The Dirt—the outrageous, legendary, no-holds-barred autobiography of Mötley Crüe. Fans have gotten glimpses into the band's crazy world…
- Don't Try This at Home: A Year in the Life of Dave Navarro
memoir · 2004
Step into the booth. Check your judgments at the curtain. Close your eyes. Listen: you can hear the voices of the visitors who sat here before you: some of the most twisted, drug-addled, deviant, lonely, lost, brilliant characters ever to…
- How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale
memoir · 2004
- Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life
memoir · 2009
- The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships
memoir · 2015
From the author of the blockbuster bestseller The Game A shockingly personal, surprisingly relatable, brutally honest memoir, in which the celebrated dating expert confronts the greatest challenge he has ever faced: monogamy and fidelity.…
- I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons
memoir · 2017
Superstar comedian and Hollywood box office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: the, a, for, above, and even even. Put them together and you have the funniest,…
Essays and speeches (1)
- Everyone Loves You When You're Dead: Journeys into Fame and Madness
essay-collection · 2011
A new collection of candid, hysterical, revealing short-form celebrity interviews and experiences with celebrities such as the Oasis band, the Who's aging leader Pete Townshend, Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner, Ludacris, Courtney Love, Lady…
Frequently asked questions about Neil Strauss
Who is Neil Strauss, and what is he known for?
Neil Strauss is an American author and journalist, a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and a former New York Times columnist. He is known for multiple New York Times bestsellers and the podcast To Live and Die in LA.
Sources: us.macmillan.com (opens in a new tab)neilstrauss.com (opens in a new tab)
How did Neil Strauss begin his journalism career?
He began on the staff of The Village Voice while still an undergraduate, then became a music critic, cultural reporter, and columnist at The New York Times before joining Rolling Stone as a contributing editor.
What does the name “Style” mean in relation to Neil Strauss?
Style was a pseudonym Strauss used while spending two years living undercover in the pickup-artist community, helping protect his real-life identity during that reporting project.
What awards has Neil Strauss received?
His honors include the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for music journalism and a 2018 Southern California Journalism Award for a Rolling Stone feature about Elon Musk.
Sources: neilstrauss.com (opens in a new tab)lapressclub.org (opens in a new tab)
What is Neil Strauss’s legacy?
Strauss is best remembered for combining immersive journalism with popular nonfiction about celebrity culture and subcultures. His reporting helped bring the pickup-artist community into mainstream public awareness.
Sources: neilstrauss.com (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)