Part 1 of 4

Life seems pretty good for our protagonist. The Iowa native and aspiring writer arrives in Malibu, California, for an assistant editor job at a well-known luxury magazine, which comes with myriad perks, from expensive sports cars to lavish vacations. The recent college graduate is handsome, outgoing, and hardworking-but it's August 2007, the global economy is about to implode, and he starts an affair with an older woman who's married to a prominent film producer. He's also in love with a fellow Iowa transplant who will never fully reciprocate his affections. But those are the least of his problems. His womanizing and substance abuse fuel his self-destructive nature as he attempts to navigate the Great Recession while clinging to the fringes of extreme luxury, living well beyond his means, and clumsily finding his way to becoming a very famous author.