邁剋爾•蓋茨•吉爾生於康乃狄剋州，為《紐約客》雜誌知名作傢布蘭登•基爾（Brendan Gill）之子。耶魯大學畢業後，進入華特湯普森廣告公司工作二十年之久，並晉升為創意總監、副總裁，最後竟遭裁員解職。之後他創業不成，又陷入傢庭、經濟和健康的多重威脅,在六十幾歲的年紀陷入人生榖底。在偶然的機會下，他獲得瞭星巴剋店員的工作，而得以進入這深具魅力的國際性企業，一探其運作奧秘與文化，而他也在這裏重新學習人生的功課、感受溫暖堅實的情誼，並且將這段戲劇化的遭遇寫成本書，與讀者分享。目前他居住在紐約，每天都走路到離傢不遠的星巴剋咖啡店上班，而且目前還沒有任何退休計劃，要繼續投入這個他認為一生中最精彩、最美好的工作。

A candid, moving and inspirational memoir about a high-flying business man who is forced to re-evaluate his life and values when he suddenly loses everything and goes to work in Starbucks. Michael Gill had it made. He was educated, wealthy and well-connected. He had a creative and lucrative advertising job, which he loved and which he was good at, and a model family and home life. Then he loses it all. He is fired by a young exec whom he had mentored. He has an extramarital affair that destroys his family and results in a newborn son. Then he is diagnosed with brain cancer. He has no insurance, no income. One day he wanders into Starbucks and by chance signs up for a job interview. His would-be boss is a young black woman who gives him a job, and sets about training him and mentoring him. What follows is an inspirational eye-opener as Gill experiences a whole new world compared to his former life -- with people from completely different ethnic and social backgrounds. 'How Starbucks Saved My Life' follows Gill's journey of discovery as gradually he is forced to question his ingrained assumptions, prejudices and habits.Gill emerges from his fall from grace with humility and gratitude. His new-found empathy teaches him how anyone who has lost their way, or made a mistake, can start again.