When They Were 22: 100 Famous People at the Turning Point in Their Lives

Most of us can point to one or two moments in our lives when everything changed, when a stroke of fate forever altered the future, or a single decision sparked a lifetime of consequences. Across the broadest spectrum of famous people, that moment happens more often at 22 than any other age. 

Brad Dunn's When They Were 22 tells the stories of famous people and the fateful events and choices they faced at the all-important age of 22. From writers, actors, and musicians to politicians, hip-hop moguls, criminals, and porn stars, When They Were 22 chronicles some of the most legendary, influential, and controversial celebrities during the most pivotal year of their lives. Just a few examples:

* Oprah Winfrey dropped out of college to become a newsreader in Nashville, and at 22 moved to Baltimore to work at another station where she landed her own talk show.

* Jack White had his own upholstery business at age 22, but while practicing the guitar he asked his wife, Meg, to try the drums--he liked her playing so much they began performing as a two-piece band, the White Stripes.

* When Karl Rove was 22, he was accused of espionage and deceitful campaign tactics by the College Republicans and wound up meeting future president George W. Bush.

With an eclectic lineup that includes Bill Murray, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Marilyn Monroe, Stephen Hawking, Pamela Anderson, Malcolm X, Stanley Kubrick, Andy Warhol, Larry Flynt, Jane Goodall, Harvey Weinstein, and many more, When They Were 22 is perfect for graduates, job searchers, celebrity watchers, biography lovers, or anyone who doubts that in life anything is possible.

 Brad Dunn has been a writer and editor for the New York Times, the New York Daily News, and Court TV, as well as a speechwriter for the NYC Police Department. He also wrote a travel guide, New York: The Unknown City, and the introduction to Above Hallowed Ground, a photography book on 9/11 that reached No. 4 on the New York Times best-seller list.