The Patron Saint of Used Cars and Second Chances: A Memoir

In the course of one nine-month period, filmmaker Mark Millhone's youngest son nearly died from birth complications, his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, his mother had a heart attack and passed away, a freak illness claimed the life of one of his friends, and his career imploded. As a result of his membership in what he calls the "tragedy-of-the-monthclub," his marriage also began to fray.

Millhone responded to the chaos as many men might: Late one night, he logged on to eBay and...