r a laugh, Pier Giorgio Frassati was the charismatic leader of a band of rowdy friends. He smoked, pulled pranks, relished extreme sports, and fiercely debated politics into the night--but he also secretly gave his wealth to the poor and plunged into intense experiences of Eucharistic prayer. This inspiring biography captures his spirit and sheds new light on the all-too-short life of the young man John Paul II has called "a man of the Beatitudes."