Americans own nearly 150 million automobiles. We go everywhere and do everything in them. Many of us practically live in them, carrying many of life’s necessities (and a few of life’s oddities) with us.

So, why do we spend so much time in our cars? What are we carrying in them and why? Does this reveal unmet needs we really have? Are our expectations of cars changing? What does the type of car we drive or the way we drive reveal? How can these insights provide companies innovation opportunities?

This summer, consumer strategist Kelley Styring is going on a road trip to find out the answers. She’ll drive more than 5,000 miles around the U.S. in 30 days, interviewing car owners and cataloguing every single item she discovers inside their vehicles. What she uncovers will be revealed in her new book, In Your Car: Road Trip through the American Automobile.

In 2007, Kelley’s groundbreaking study of women’s handbags, In Your Purse: Archaeology of the American Handbag, uncovered billions of dollars in product innovation and marketing opportunities. It also generated extensive media coverage by Reuters, Fortune, Brandweek, Advertising Age, and ABC Radio, to name a few. In Your Car will be a journey of discovery, digging into drivers, their cars, their needs, and how YOU can find new ways to engage with, and profit from, car owners.

It’s going to be a great road trip. Want to come along for the ride?