Books
Every book Jill Hoffman has written begins in the same place — somewhere between the ground and the sky, deciding whether to go.
How to Build an Airplane in Your Living Room
A Guide to Living an Unconventional Life
Part memoir, part manifesto — this is the book that started the conversation.
Jill Hoffman grew up watching people build things others said were impossible. She spent years trying to do the same — and learned, often the hard way, what it actually costs to choose an unconventional path. Not the romantic version. The real one.
This book is for anyone who has ever had a clear sense of who they are — and then spent years adjusting themselves to fit the rooms they walked into. It's an invitation to stop performing certainty you don't feel, question the assumptions you've inherited, and build a life that actually reflects who you are — even when the instructions aren't included.
"A memoir of unabashed vulnerability. Hoffman's brave perspective takes her readers beyond what they yearn for. She inspires us to be our true selves by putting our dreams into action, taking uncomfortable risks, and being resilient in the face of failure."
— Karen Pestana, Amazon Verified Purchase ★★★★★
Other Books
First Flights
Every beginning requires the same thing — moving before you feel ready.
First Flights is a collection of stories about exactly that. The early moments of courage, curiosity, and discovery that stay with us long after we leave the ground. Stories about what it actually feels like to commit to something before you know how it ends.
For anyone who has ever stood at the edge of something new and had to decide whether to step forward anyway.
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Oshkosh Memories
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is where people who believe in impossible things go to find each other.
Oshkosh Memories is a reflective look at that community — the culture, the characters, and the spirit of a gathering built around people who looked at the sky and decided it wasn't a limit. It's a book about belonging, wonder, and what it means to be part of something larger than yourself.
For anyone who has ever felt most like themselves standing next to an airplane.
How These Books Fit Together
Three books. One through-line.
Every book Jill Hoffman has written is about the same thing — the gap between the life you're living and the one you know is possible. The moments of courage that close it. And the clarity required to take the first step.
Coming Soon
Think Before the Crowd
A book in progress
In a world where consensus forms fast, certainty spreads faster, and algorithms assemble the crowd before you've finished forming a thought — what happens to your ability to think for yourself?
Jill Hoffman's next book explores how smart, capable people quietly outsource their judgment — and what it takes to stop.
Available updates and early access: