In Every Good Boy Does Fine, renowned pianist Jeremy Denk traces an implausible artistic journey. Life is difficult enough as a precocious, temperamental (and possibly insufferable) six-year-old piano prodigy in a small town in New Jersey. But then a family meltdown forces a move to New Mexico, far from classical music's nerve centers, and Denk has to please a new taskmaster while navigating the perils of junior high school. Escaping to college in Ohio at sixteen, he meets a bewildering cast of music teachers, experiences a series of triumphs and humiliations, and ultimately finds his way as one of the world's greatest living pianists, a MacArthur "Genius," and a frequent performer at Carnegie Hall. Denk sets out to relay the most meaningful lessons he has received, and to repay the debt of all his teachers. He also reminds us that music is our creation, and that we must never stop asking questions about its purpose.