A Product of Genetics (and Day Drinking)

A Never-Coming-of-Age Story

By: Jess H. Gutierrez

Narrated by: Jess H. Gutierrez

Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A frank, raucous, and bawdy collection of essays about coming of age through the oddest jobs, misadventures in queer love, and endearing parenting fails

This is a perfect book for a very imperfect generation. Millennials were the kids who wore slap bracelets and jeans so low rise they could see one another's colons, and they are now adults wondering, Is everyone else as messed up as I am?

In her book, Jess shares relatable tales of a woman who feels like a dumpster fire even with a seemingly ideal set up with a fire-captain wife, three kids, and a mortgage. Highlights include roller-derby catastrophes, a disastrous first night on the job at a lesbian bar, narrow escapes from wild animals, and fond memories of sending printed thirst-trap photos via mail to the lover in Australia she met on the early Internet. Listeners will soon cheerfully discover that Jess’s voice is infectious, her stories are off-the-wall, and her references are deeply and delightfully millennial.

©2024 Jess H. Gutierrez (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Jess Gutierrez has a one-of-a-kind talent for showing how hilarious and absurd life can be—and, lucky reader, she is ready to share her escapades with the rest of us. From reading about a bachelorette party fiasco to dating disasters to trying to parent when your kids seem determined to yell inappropriate things in the middle of a Walmart, I couldn’t put this book down.”—W. Kamau Bell, comedian and author of The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell

“Gutierrez speaks to me. At times I had to look at the cover of this book to remind myself that I didn’t write it. It’s empowering to not only accept our flaws but to celebrate them. Like Gutierrez, I’m a millennial making things up as I go along, waiting for the day when I’ll finally see myself as a ‘grown up’. Until that day comes, I find solace in knowing there are others like me—those who have imposter syndrome for adulthood and thinking there will be a day when it all finally clicks. I hope it doesn’t happen any time soon because as this book hilariously shows, our way is much more fun.”—Sona Movsesian, New York Times bestselling author of The World’s Worst Assistant

“A Product of Genetics (and Day Drinking) is a once-in-a-millennium millennial must-read. Gutierrez’s quirky and cracking wit leapt off the page and chased me around the room. I'm buying two copies, one for each eye.”—Karen Duffy, New York Times bestselling author of Model Patient and Wise Up