A Maggot Authored a Book - Buy it! A Great Read

[Sinecure]

For those that haven't seen Spats' thread on [ame="http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207187"]why its dumping in tahoe,[/ame] I thought I'd create a thread specifically pimping his book (cause he hasn't yet).

It is called "The Gnoll Credo". There are some reviews here. Amazon Link Here



I read the book on the flight home from Boston last night. Great read. Fun, entertaining, funny, insightful, and quite a bit of provocative social commentary. Almost as entertaining as hanging out in a bar with Spats.

Some lines that made me laugh:

Narrator to Gryka (female alpha gnoll):"It's not exactly the same now, though is it? Females don't still mate with many males at once, do they?"
Gryka:"Males trained now. No need.
Still happens sometimes, if female can't decide, or just for fun. Need some competition, or males get too docile. Cock and balls shrink, don't want to hunt, sit around, talk about feelings."

They're talking about human names that are rooted in occupations, like Smith, Shepherd, Miller. Here they're discussing those roots:

She kept looking at me intently, so I went on... "What type of person is a blacksmith?"
"Big, strong, hits iron with hammer all day, sweats a lot?"
I laughted. "Right. And what type of person is a shepherd?"
"Quiet, likes being alone, likes sheep, maybe too much, stupid."

[Jer]

Just read the first 6 or so pages, then ordered it.

[Tippster]

FKNA - congrats, Spats!

[doughboyshredder]

I just clicked the link for I'd like a Kindle version.

Any plans on publishing a digital version?

[mock1]

"DIE BITING THE THROAT"
Loved the book, will pass it on. Hope to meet you on the mountain someday.]
Thanks.

[Jer]

I finished it a few days ago and it's one of those rare books where the more you reflect upon it, the better it gets. And I thought it was pretty good the moment I finished it. I'm really not trying to suck dick here (or maybe I should say "lick balls"), but Spats is a damn good writer.

[Alaskan Rover]

Kudos to anyone who still believes in the poetry and the power of the written word...and is willing to dream.

[beaterdit]

Purchased. Looking forward to it.

[Spats]

Thanks for the support: it's greatly appreciated. I'm glad I was able to communicate to you some of what I learned from knowing Gryka. She's wonderful, isn't she?

Jer, mock1, beaterdit, and anyone else who buys a copy: PM me a mailing address and I'll send you some stickers -- suitable for skis, helmets, rocket boxes, or anywhere else.





Keep spreading the word, as every copy sold increases the probability that my publisher will want me to write more books

Small things you can do that really help:
* On Facebook? Click here and hit the "Like" button, and share the link with your friends
* Check out the profusion of spiffy essays and articles at http://www.gnolls.org, and share/forward the ones you like
* Review it on Amazon
* Share/forward http://www.thegnollcredo.com to your friends
* Got questions about the book? Post them on the forums at http://www.gnolls.org/forums/

FKNA - congrats, Spats!

Thanks. Giving birth to a book is rough, and the work has only started once it's released.

Kudos to anyone who still believes in the poetry and the power of the written word...and is willing to dream

I pull no punches. The Gnoll Credo proves that words still have power.

Loved the book, will pass it on. Hope to meet you on the mountain someday

Do that. Lend it out. And let me know next time you're at Heavenly or Sierra.

it's one of those rare books where the more you reflect upon it, the better it gets. And I thought it was pretty good the moment I finished it.

Thank you for the sincere compliments. I worked very hard to write a book that bears re-reading and careful thought, and I'm glad that came across. The world looks a bit different after you've read TGC, doesn't it?

[Dantheman]

* Check out the profusion of spiffy essays and articles at http://www.gnolls.org, and share/forward the ones you like

Your nutrition posts kick ass.

[Sinecure]

Spats, looking at the weather reports, you must not be doing any book signings the next couple weeks. Get on it dude.

[SkiBall]

Just ordered from Amazon to add with something else I have wanting. Free shipping is gtg.

[density]

purchased!
looking forward to it.
interested in other books you would recommend Spats? (others?)

[Jer]

Damn. I just clicked on Spat's link. Now I'm seriously rethinking nutrition and Fight Club.

[Spats]

Your nutrition posts kick ass.

Thank you! ^^^ This man knows what he is talking about re: nutrition.

Most blog posts (and most news articles) are little disconnected pieces of information that only make sense if you already understand the larger context. I try to write articles that explain that context, so you can understand why the information is important -- and so you can forward them to people who aren't already experts.

The series on glycemic index (beginning with Mechanisms Of Sugar Addiction, Or Why You're Addicted To Bread) is a great introduction to low-carb dieting: it explains why low-carb, high-fat diets both work and are healthy, and why low-fat diets are unhealthy and nearly always fail.

I'm also proud of my deconstruction of that shitty John Stossel hit piece on grass-fed beef (Shilling For Eli Lilly And Industrial Agriculture), of the fake term 'vegetable oil' (The Term "Vegetable Oil" is False Advertising)...actually, to hell with it. They're all excellent or I wouldn't post them.

I cover a lot more ground than nutrition, which is just one part of reclaiming our evolutionary heritage as humans. Example: How Glaciers Might Have Made Us Human)

skiball, density: much appreciated! I reiterate the sticker offer to you or anyone else: PM a mailing address. As far as book recommendations, you'll have to give me a bit more direction (fiction? non-fiction? more educational or pure entertainment?)

Sinecure: I'm taking a break...signings are hard work. But if you can find a high-traffic place that's willing to host me (doesn't have to be a bookstore), I'll do it.

Damn. I just clicked on Spat's link. Now I'm seriously rethinking nutrition and Fight Club.

So am I! I write these essays because I'm discovering new things about humans and the world, they're interesting and important, and I enjoy sharing them. "He who teaches learns twice", etc.

[Spats]

I finished it a few days ago and it's one of those rare books where the more you reflect upon it, the better it gets. And I thought it was pretty good the moment I finished it. I'm really not trying to suck dick here (or maybe I should say "lick balls"), but Spats is a damn good writer.

Thanks for letting me know that: it means a lot.

I tore my heart out of my chest and smacked it down onto the page. Then I spent well over a year editing, revising, and improving. I have held nothing back...

...because by putting a book out there, I am telling you that it is worth your time and money to buy and read. As Larry Niven once said, "The reader has certain rights. He bought your story. Think of this as an implicit contract. He's entitled to be entertained, instructed, amused; maybe all three. If he quits in the middle, or puts the book down feeling his time has been wasted, you're in violation."

[Dantheman]

I'm also proud of my deconstruction of that shitty John Stossel hit piece on grass-fed beef (Shilling For Eli Lilly And Industrial Agriculture)

Calling it shitty is far too kind. Complete journalistic abomination is more appropriate, but that seems to be Stossel's SOP no matter what he is reporting on.

[density]

I'm thinking fiction, and more on the entertainment end of the spectrum. Anything that inspired this book?

[Spats]

I'm thinking fiction, and more on the entertainment end of the spectrum. Anything that inspired this book?

No

There are books I can look at in retrospect and say "That probably influenced my writing of The Gnoll Credo," but I wasn't inspired by anything specific and didn't pattern it after anything.

Even the one-sentence elevator pitch ("if Avatar were Fight Club, instead of Pocahontas") is retrospective, not prescriptive. I wrote TGC long before Avatar came out, and before I either saw or read Fight Club.

I believe the diversity of reviews supports this: each touches on different aspects of the book, and most of the reviews say things like "Hard to describe...just read it."

I can certainly recommend books you might like, though. Post your question on the gnolls.org forums, as that question is relevant and interesting to all the other readers of TGC.

Calling it shitty is far too kind. Complete journalistic abomination is more appropriate, but that seems to be Stossel's SOP no matter what he is reporting on.

I wish there was a way to autopost it in every forum thread on the Internet where someone linked to the article. However, I get a lot of hits from people searching for "J L Capper" and finding my article

(For anyone wondering which of my articles DTM is talking about, he's talking about my series on carbohydrate addiction:
Why You're Addicted To Bread, Cereal Addiction: Consider Eating The Box Instead, and Fat and Glycemic Index: The Myth of "Complex Carbohydrates".)

[Trapp]

I'll be honest, I'm not much of a fiction reader. Spats' signature intrigued me though. I thought it was going to be some dark story but I was pleasantly surprised. (Well, maybe a little dark)

Great read. Funny, entertaining, refreshing. As Jer said above, I keep reflecting on it and comparing things to my own life. The epilogue really hit home for me. I'd like to have a beer with you sometime Spats.

Anyway, check it out, Defininetly recommended.

[Spats]

Trapp:

I worked hard to write a book that reads more like non-fiction. Writing TGC was an intense experience, and I'm glad I was able to communicate some of that to you. PM if you're in South Lake.

Thank you for the vote of confidence.

I'll be honest, I'm not much of a fiction reader. Spats' signature intrigued me though. I thought it was going to be some dark story but I was pleasantly surprised. (Well, maybe a little dark)

Great read. Funny, entertaining, refreshing. As Jer said above, I keep reflecting on it and comparing things to my own life. The epilogue really hit home for me. I'd like to have a beer with you sometime Spats.

Anyway, check it out, Defininetly recommended.

[Spats]

UPDATE! The Gnoll Credo continues to sell steadily, and I've accumulated some more excellent reviews:

"...The most scathing yet beautiful insights into “civilized” humanity that I have ever seen...This novel made me reconsider my life and make serious, long-term changes that have brought nothing but positive results. That is the sign of a truly powerful book. Reading this novel, you will see the names of fictional characters and places, but you are not reading about them. You are reading about yourself.

My conclusion: must read." -Steven Gray


"...Somewhere between an anarcho-survivalist manifesto and Orwell's 'Animal Farm'. Perhaps even with a whiff of 'V for Vendetta' spliced with Avatar.
...
Having read it the once I feel the need to read it again straight away...Hard to classify and difficult to describe, but it is a truly engaging work!"
-Asclepius @ Natural Messiah


Thanks again to Jer, mock1, beaterdit, Trapp, and anyone else who's bought a copy -- and special thanks to Sinecure for starting this thread! The sticker offer still stands.

If you're interested in learning more about the book, try http://www.thegnollcredo.com (the first 20 pages are a free download) -- and if you're interested in reading what I have to say about paleonutrition and evolutionary discordance, try http://www.gnolls.org

[Ksyrium]

any plan to put out a Kindle version, before i order the paperback?

[up an down]

spats, you should read the folly of fools by robert trivers,, you're welcome

[Spats]

Ksyrium: There is no firm release date. Also, it won't be much cheaper than the paperback.

up an down: Is that a suggestion or a veiled editorial?