Bill Shapiro with Naomi Wax

Everyone has that one object that holds deep meaning -- some relic that speaks to their past, that carries a remarkable story. What We Keep is a collection of interviews with people about the single object in their life that has the most emotional significance, those objects we often don't talk about but that make us who we are. Why, for instance, does author Cheryl Strayed keep a particular pincushion in her bedroom? And how did a notebook sketch change the life of comedian Hasan Minhaj? The objects and stories revealed in this collection belong to people from all walks of life -- from business leaders like Mark Cuban and Melinda Gates to celebrated authors like Ta-Nehisi Coates and James Patterson, from astronauts to autoworkers, from former counterfeiters to cloistered nuns. Each story appears in the form of an "as told to" along with a photo of the object, allowing readers to see the nicks and scuffs on a locket, a playing card, a pocket knife -- and providing an intriguing glimpse into the small, emotional moments that make 150 fascinating people tick. At a time when the dueling trends of decluttering and over-consumption seem to offer no middle ground, What We Keep provides a fresh perspective on both, and leads us to consider our own objects in a new light -- not only what we truly value but why.