Give the Gift of Paranoia

A Christmastime appeal.

I'm happy to relay the news that Amazon has declared my book The United States of Paranoia one of the 20 best nonfiction books of 2013. I suppose that's as good a hook as any for me to point out that the book makes a lovely present for the paranoiacs in your life. Both The Wall Street Journal and The National Memo have included the book in their annual gift guides, the former calling it an "imaginative survey of two centuries of belief in sinister dark forces" and the latter saying it shows that "everyone has contributed to instilling conspiratorial fear at some point in time." And the thing just got praised at a site called Luxury Reading, so it might even qualify as a luxurious gift, even if it isn't bound in fine Corinthian leather.

Since I'm in self-promotion mode, here's some more links to recent coverage:

• The Baffler gives the book a shout-out.

• Cato turns an excerpt from a talk about the book into a short podcast.

• I discuss the book on Brazilian TV.

• I'm a guest on a conspiracy-focused episode of the public radio show BackStory.

Comments

[Warty]

? I discuss the book on Brazilian TV.

You were the worst Miss Bumbum contestant ever.

[playa manhattan]

Speaking of which, what channel is that on in the US?

[Episiarch]

He didn't show nearly enough ass.

[playa manhattan]

I lost the links to the food you posted early this week. Can you throw those up again? I'll put them in my contacts this time, I promise.

Thx.

[Episiarch]

You talking about places to eat on Oahu? Since H&R will only let us post two links per comment, here are two for starters:

Nico's Fish Market; get the furikake ahi. It is amazing. Their poke is also fantastic.

Ono Hawaiian Foods; this is a bare-bones no reservation, no alcohol, cash only place where you can get excellent lau lau. The service is really fast but the line can get long.

[playa manhattan]

Thanks.

[Tim]

You know who else got excellent lau lau?

[Episiarch]

Steve McGarrett?

[Episiarch]

Here's two more:

Sushi Izakaya Gaku for excellent sushi.

Teddy's Bigger Burgers for when you just want to chow down on a good burger (even cooked to order, so order rare). There's one right off of Waikiki and is great after hours of tanning, swimming, and snorkeling.

[playa manhattan]

I might be limited to a day and a half in Oahu, so I'm going to try Teddy's in Lahaina.

Having looked at the yelp pictures for Izakaya, there isn't a single dish there that I wouldn't want to try...

[Episiarch]

If you can get Teddy's on another island, then go for the Izakaya for a dinner and go to Nico's and get the furikake ahi as a lunch (I got it after an hour and a half of tennis last time I went and it was great). I'm not sure how much of a lau lau fan you are, but if you're not a big one like me, then probably don't worry about Ono for now especially since it only takes cash and will probably make you wait. Also, you can probably get pretty good lau lau in plenty of places on all the islands.

[jesse.in.mb]

And unsolicited jesse advice: Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin

[playa manhattan]

The only way I'm going to get to all these places is if I have 5 dinners in 1 night and throw up in between. NTTAWWT.

[jesse.in.mb]

Who said Roman decadence was dead.

[Protagoronus]

More unsolicited advice for when back in CA: http://thetastingkitchen.com/

[playa manhattan]

"I'm happy to relay the news that Amazon has declared my book The United States of Paranoia one of the 20 best nonfiction books of 2013."

Nice work Jesse, nice work.

[Tim]

Will they use drones to deliver your book?

[jesse.in.mb]

Fine, Walker. I've purchased your book. It's being wirelessly delivered to several PEDs as we speak.

[Marshall Gill]

Give the gift of Paranoia

Oh, it is a gift that I give my children on a daily basis.

There is a book with that in the title? Nevermind.

[UnCivilServant]

When I find a cover artist, I'll have a new book to promote too (A long discussion with William King about self-publishing convinced me that it is shedding its stigma with Print on Demand and e-book services currently available online)

Any good mercenary artists in the commentariat?

[sarcasmic]

You know who else wrote a book about paranoia?

[UnCivilServant]

Me... no wait, they were spying on that computer so I never typed it up.

[Episiarch]

Remember: just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.