Hold onto your hats, folks, because we’re about to embark on a wild and wacky ride through the mind of author David Grann. His tales range from the daring adventures of life-loving daredevils to the dubious deeds of wannabe impostors. There’s even a death squad leader turned New York real estate broker thrown in there for good measure. And let’s not forget the scientist on a mission to capture a giant squid, or the ill-fated expeditions to the South Pole and the Amazon. Strap in tight, because this roller coaster is about to take off!

As if that wasn’t enough to make your head spin, Grann loves to mix things up by throwing in unexpected twists and creating a sense of uncertainty around the events he presents. He’s not interested in spoon-feeding you a concrete version of events, oh no. Instead, he wants to mess with your mind and explore the fallibility of our perceptions. It’s like a game of truth or dare, except you’re never quite sure which is which.

Grann’s love of reading and writing runs deep, and he can thank his mom for that. Phyllis Grann was a publishing executive who edited the works of best-selling authors like Tom Clancy. David was determined to follow in her footsteps and become a writer himself. He tried his hand at poetry and fiction, but quickly realized that nonfiction was his true calling. Hey, at least he was brave enough to admit his poetry was pretty terrible.

Starting out as a copy editor at The Hill in Washington, D.C., Grann quickly made a name for himself as a skilled investigative journalist with a knack for finding stories with a real sense of urgency. When he joined The New Yorker in 2003, he brought that same energy and passion to his work. His stories read like airport thrillers, but with a deep sense of morality and a weighty gravitas that reminds us of the very real stakes at play.

According to Grann’s long-time editor at The New Yorker, Daniel Zalewski, the author knows just how to manipulate his readers in a way that illuminates the story. And sure, sometimes those stories can be pretty dark and twisted, but that’s what makes them so captivating. Grann isn’t afraid to shine a light on the darker corners of human nature, and in doing so he reminds us that even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, there’s always a glimmer of hope to hold onto.