Start of Part 1: Chapter 1, Just Do It Summary and Analysis

Augusten Burroughs is an advertising executive in New York City. He is good at his job because it is based on giving people false expectations, something he has been doing all his life. When he was thirteen, his mother gave custody of him to her psychiatrist. He grew up in a dysfunctional family with no rules and no school. He is able to land an advertising job based on his talent when he is nineteen. He is now twenty-four and living in an apartment in New York. Augusten is at home after work, checking his mail. He has trouble writing checks, frequently paying his bills late. This indicates that he has problems with responsibility. His unusual upbringing means he is not used to rules and structure. His friend, Jim...