Neal Cassady

Book excerpt: This fascinating and in-depth biography of Neal Cassady takes a look at the man who achieved immortality as Dean Moriarty, the central character in Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." A charismatic, funny, articulate, and formidably intelligent man, Cassady was also a compulsive womanizer who lived life on the edge. His naturalistic, conversational writing style inspired Kerouac, who lifted a number of passages verbatim and uncredited from Cassady's letters for significant episodes in "On the Road." Drawing on a wealth of new research and with full cooperation from central figures in his life--including Carolyn Cassady and Ken Kesey--this account captures Cassady's unique blend of inspired lunacy and deep spirituality.