Matteo Gracis, 'Survival Manual for Humans Who Feel Like Aliens'

Matteo Gracis, 'Survival Manual for Humans Who Feel Like Aliens'

The writer, independent journalist and free thinker Matteo Gracis presents a rebellious and completely unconventional work, a true eulogy to the benefit of the doubt, to critical, free and positive thinking. A book that invites deep reflection, dedicated to all those who firmly believe in the words "freedom" and "truth".

Publisher: Do it human Editori | Genre: Essay/Personal growth manual | Pages: 320

“I have to tell you something important: you can read this book however you want, even from the center or the chapter that inspires you the most. It has no beginning or end, it does not have an index to follow to the letter, nor a narration that follows the order of the pages. If you prefer to browse through it and stop randomly at a point, you can do so. Feel free and play with it. Without rules”.

“Manuale di lavoro per essere umani che si sentire alieni” by Matteo Gracis presents the intense flow of free-wheeling thoughts of a writer who has always accustomed his readers to the most brutal sincerity. The author dispenses red pills of truth, to quote the film “Matrix” (also dutifully mentioned in the text); his intent is not to impose his thoughts but to generate the saving doubt, to push people to ask questions, to create a critical mass that rebels against the status quo – “Then there is you, who for a few minutes has been wondering whether you are truly free or not. It is a good thing because this question can be the beginning of a great change, of an internal revolution, of a new awareness”. It is a work aimed at all those who have felt like misfits – aliens – in society, and have wrongly suffered from it; being voices out of the chorus, for Gracis, is instead the last chance that the human race has to evolve positively and to exercise free will – "I've been dancing alone all my life, I'm used to it and deep down I enjoy being out of the chorus. So full speed ahead, back straight, head high and always naturally in an obstinate and contrary direction".

While reading this book you feel at ease, also thanks to the use of a fresh and informal language: the author leads us by the hand in his lucubrations and knows how to dose well those moments in which with a single sentence he can manage to break our hearts and legs; there are many important themes that he addresses - among all we remember environmental sustainability, education, politics, journalism - treated sometimes with biting irony and other times with necessary seriousness, and always with an enviable frankness. The author inserts the title of a song at the beginning of each chapter and uses numerous literary and cinematographic quotes and those from free thinkers and men of politics and culture to fill his already dense work (at the end of the book there are then listed the complete playlists with the inserted musical pieces, the books cited and the films mentioned).

You can also find QR codes with songs to listen to and videos to watch, drawings, sketches, symbols, puzzles and even syllogisms; the fonts with which the book is written can vary at will, and even the pages often turn upside down or mirror themselves, in a whirlwind of expressive freedom. Because after all, this is what the author has always wanted: to offer us stimuli for reflection and then give us the command, in full autonomy. At least as long as thinking is free.

SYNOPSIS OF THE WORK

Are you willing to question your beliefs? To look at the world from another perspective but above all to really put yourself on the line? If the answer to these questions is yes, this book is for you, otherwise, forget it because you risk getting into trouble. A survival manual for all those who are looking for something more, who want to look beyond and are not satisfied with the official versions of the facts, absolute truths and diktats. A book that excites, outrages, surprises, entertains and changes the rules of the game but above all that makes you think and provides precious food for thought, as well as practical musical, cinematic and cultural playlists. The author plays the role of the White Rabbit in the classic Alice in Wonderland: are you ready to discover how deep his hole is?

AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY

Matteo Gracis (Pieve di Cadore, 1983) is a journalist and free thinker. He is the director of the magazine Dolce Vita and founder of the online newspaper L'Indipendente. He was a communications assistant to a Member of Parliament of the Italian Republic. He wrote “Canapa. Una storiaincredibile” (Officina di Hank, 2019) and “Lontano. 10 viaggi che cambiano la vita” (Edizioni Effetto, 2020).