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.