Neal Pollack Books in Order

Writing through an exaggerated version of himself, Pollack parodies the self-importance of celebrated authors. These fictional essays and literary performances turn the supposedly definitive collected works of a great writer into a satire of cultural authority.

This collection of political satire targets the rhetoric surrounding war after September 11. Pollack's inflated literary persona turns commentary on world affairs into a parody of pundits whose confidence and self-importance overwhelm the subjects they discuss.

Pollack recounts becoming a father while trying to retain the music, independence, and identity of his earlier life. Raising his son Elijah with his wife Regina turns ordinary parenting decisions into questions about growing up himself.

Two rival rock critics provide competing perspectives on decades of popular music. A fictional Neal Pollack moves among famous musicians, turning rock history, celebrity biographies, and the critic's own importance into an extended comic rivalry.

An overweight, skeptical writer tries yoga and finds it becoming a central part of his life. Pollack follows his transition from reluctant beginner to devoted practitioner, exploring the habits and culture surrounding his unexpected new obsession.

In 1930s Philadelphia, basketball star Inky Lautman faces trouble beyond the court when his coach owes gambling money to the German-American Bund. The debt draws their Jewish team into a conspiracy fueled by antisemitism.

Former homicide detective Matt Bolster now teaches yoga and takes small private investigations to pay rent. When a yoga entrepreneur is murdered in his Los Angeles studio, Bolster must navigate a world whose secrets outsiders can't easily read.

Yoga teacher and investigator Matt Bolster is invited to teach at a prestigious retreat run by Tom Hart. His doubts about its cultish atmosphere become urgent when the gathering descends into violence and deadly disorder.

Exiled from a tightly regulated future Earth, teacher Jordan Kincaid starts over in New Austin on Mars. The colony's promise of freedom gives way to gentrification, inequality, and a property rebellion that pulls him into opposing camps.

Failed screenwriter Brad Cohen keeps reliving the first forty years of his life, remembering each previous attempt. Different careers and successes don't free him, leaving him searching for an escape and the love he once neglected.

Pollack moves his family from Texas to Los Angeles after an agent offers encouragement. His attempts to turn writing and parenting into Hollywood success expose disappointments, stalled projects, and the strain ambition places on his marriage.

Pollack traces how recreational marijuana use became an addiction despite marriage, fatherhood, and professional success. Against the growth of legal cannabis, his memoir follows increasing dependence, public embarrassments, and the difficult recognition that he needs help.

In a future Canada devoted to lockdowns, government worker Amelia Stewart enthusiastically obeys stay-home orders. Accidentally trapped outside, she encounters a resistance movement that challenges her assumptions about safety, authority, and the country's future.