LIVING, THINKING, LOOKING brings together 32 essays written between 2006 and 2011, in which Siri Hustvedt culls insights from philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, psychoanalysis and literature. The book is divided into three sections: the essays in Living draw directly from Hustvedt’s life; those in Thinking explore memory, emotion and the imagination; and the pieces in Looking are about visual art.

Marian Caldwell, a 36-year-old television producer, is living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and a satisfying relationship, Marian has everyone convinced that her life is going just the way she wants it to be. But when Kirby Rose, an 18-year-old with a key to Marian’s past, shows up on her doorstep, everything Marian has worked so hard to keep secret pours out.

Rory Mackenzie is back in her hometown of Ransom River, California. While most of the town is focused on the tense and shocking circumstances of a high-profile murder trial, Rory’s return dredges up troubling memories that she can no longer ignore. But she soon realizes that exposing these dark skeletons has connected her to an old case that was never solved, and bringing the truth to light just might destroy her.

Kate and Zoe met at 19 when they both made the cut for the national training program in track cycling. They are built to exploit the barest physical and psychological edge over equally skilled rivals. Now at 32, the women are facing their last and biggest race: the 2012 Olympics. Each wants desperately to win gold, and each has more than a medal to lose.

Eleanor Hart had made a brilliant marriage in New York, but it ended in a scandalous divorce and 30 days in rehab. Now she finds that she will still need a husband to be socially complete. However, through one misstep after another, Ellie mishandles her second act. Her options narrow and future prospects contract, until she faces a desperate choice.

Two sisters and the cousin they grew up with after a tragedy are summoned home to their family matriarch's inn for a shocking announcement. When they join the innkeeper and the other guests for weekly Movie Night --- it's Meryl Streep month --- they find themselves sharing secrets and questioning everything they thought they knew about life, love and one another.

Recently back from the war in Europe, Charlie Beale shows up in the quiet town of Brownsburg, Virginia. His job at the local butcher shop gives him the opportunity to meet all the townsfolk, including a beautiful teenage bride. Ultimately, Charlie’s obsession with Sylvan Glass threatens to destroy everything and everyone in its path.

Adam Newman has been dating Rachel Gilbert since they were both 16, and now they are finally planning to marry. But as the vast machinery of the wedding gathers momentum, Adam feels the first faint touches of claustrophobia. And when Rachel’s younger cousin moves home, Adam starts questioning everything, suddenly torn between security and exhilaration, tradition and independence.

Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a 15-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a 36-year-old chaperone who is neither mother nor friend. Young Louise is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will change their lives forever.

Alice Buckle sees herself as a wife, mother, drama teacher, Facebook chatter, downloader of memories and Googler of solutions. Then an anonymous online study called “Marriage in the 21st Century” shows up in her inbox. She becomes Wife 22 and is assigned a caseworker (Researcher 101). Along the way, she shares her innermost thoughts and secrets in this survey, and her confessions end up making some sparks fly.