Welcome
An Elaborate Ruse for the Greater Good
A debut memoir by
Christine Leigh Young
forthcoming 2026
About Elaborate Ruse
A Lived Experience
Chris's first book touches on the overlap between our high tech world and our collective mental health. That, and substance abuse disorder (in the form of now mostly legal cannabis)
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She’s writing about how, in America, workaholism is a dangerous badge of honor when we over-identify with our professions, as illustrated by de-identifying just enough - literally going crazy to stay sane - as told in memoir.
A Story Only She Can Tell
Chris spent twenty-four years working in high tech as a User Experience Design Researcher. She’s been laid off eight times. She's worked for herself, and she's worked for others, and now she's telling all.
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In 2016, she thought she was at the top of her game, yet she checked herself into a psych ward, where they kept her for a week. Family and friends who intervened on her behalf are relieved that she’s been in therapy ever since.