Hilarious. Poignant. Inspiring. That’s how early readers are describing Finding the Story.  It’s the jaunty story of a high-profile journalist revisiting  the mistakes of his life and the mysterious forces that kept him afloat.

This memoir is my sixth nonfiction book, and it’s written to entertain. I’m in trouble from the opening pages onward, as the lone American in a banquet room full of Russians knocking back vodka shots. As a 26-year-old journalist on his first foreign assignment, I’m way out of my depth. But it’s too late to back down — then, now or ever.

For the next 30 years, I can’t stop running. I’m a foot messenger for a day, getting screamed at by the lewd boss of Screw magazine. I’m a guest of British royalty, watching Prince Charles play polo. As a young guy, I ride on the roof of a mountain bus in Nepal with an intriguing new girlfriend, hoping that we don’t fall off and die. Much later, I share in a Pulitzer Prize as a writer at The Wall Street Journal.

Amid all this excitement, do I even understand my own story? My early years have been a shambles, with wrong-headed choices about alcohol, women, housing and more. Is there still time to get it right?

Redemption starts by turning my storytelling skills toward kindness, rather than scandal. But the biggest transformation comes in the book’s final pages. That’s when I find the clarity (and humility) to let go of a lifetime of father-son tensions — and write deeply about my dad’s courage during World War II. Sometimes the biggest heroes are the people we’ve known forever.

Bio and Coaching

George Anders is an author, journalist and writing coach. From 2017-2023 he was a key member of LinkedIn’s editorial team, where he helped build initiatives such as the Interview Prep career tool and the widely read Workforce Insights newsletter. Earlier in his career, he spent two decades as a top feature writer for The Wall Street Journal, where he was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.

If you’re thinking about writing your own memoir, George can help make your journey easier and more productive. Look for a Calendly widget on this site in early July, which will let you book an appointment with George and specify your goal. Big picture coaching? Specific tips on storytelling? Something else? In most case, George is willing to provide at least a few minutes of free advice — along with referrals to carefully chosen specialists (such as ghostwriters) who can help you in detail.

George excels in spotting “what can go right,” in ways that help aspiring authors get unstuck. You will find his name in the acknowledgement sections of multiple published books, reflecting his steady support. During his Wall Street Journal days, he built training workshops that focused on how to get organized, how to identify your best material, and how to write with authority and verve. He has written for publications ranging from Harvard Business Review to the Gotham Canoe travel-writing site. He is a five-time Top Writer on Quora.

If you’re looking to build a memoir-writing event or workshop, contact George at this email: george [at] georgeandersbooks.com. As an active public speaker for the past 20 years, George is highly attuned to the ways that each audience needs its own blend of information, inspiration and entertainment. He lives in Northern California but travels actively for work and pleasure. He was the 2018 commencement speaker at Washington & Jefferson College; he has addressed campus audiences at settings such as Texas Tech, the University of Central Florida, Grinnell College and James Madison University.