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Fragments: Utterances Of A Mongrel Mongoose

by The Mongoose

388 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #06-1806; ISBN 1-4251-0049-X; US$24.89, C$28.62, EUR20.44, £14.31

A different way of looking at the world — from philosophy to history, economics and religion. For change and love this is the book for you. Release the Mongoose within.

The book started itself about five years ago, the result of a simple game. I gave myself the task one day of diluting the mystery of life into as few constituent parts as possible. I had some time on my hands, in the end I concluded that three letters-ABC- which stand for Attitude, Balance, and Control, could explain everything. Simple as that.

With these three letters anything can be understood and analyzed. Obviously that meant that all sorts of diverse areas had to be looked into- philosophy, politics, history, religion and economics. It is also a challenge with a transformative purpose. By starting this simple game the consciousness will change, to what level and how much critical mass will be produced only the reader can decide.

The main structural point regarding the book is that it is in fragments, some large, some small, some trying to be funny, and some trying to be serious. It is not chapters book; there are our reasons why; Firstly everything is a fragment of something else. I am quite sure that every fragment could be re-positioned more logically following the traditions linear approach. This, however, is an experiment trying to mentally break free from the tradition including the structure of books.

Secondly, when reading old manuscripts, I kept coming across fragment this and fragment that- they could never find the whole bloody thing. So I thought- why not already have it in fragment? That will confuse them even more in a thousand years time! How I laughed.

The third reason the book is in fragment, keep with me only one more reason to go, and is that each fragment stands alone. It makes sense, to me at least, in it’s own. My express hope is that if even only one fragment can resonate with one reader and that it can provoke /induce/encourage, stimulate them to act in the critical mass leading to positive change then it will have been worth it. The book is not a novel for people to switch off from the world to – I want the opposite effect. They can read Harry blood y Potter for that. I want people to doubt, doubt me, and doubt everything they are told but if they do not agree they must look the issues and facts up.

“For men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, nut in proportion to their readiness to doubt”- Henry Louis Mencken- Living Philosophies

I want the focus to be on the book and not the author. This is one the main reasons I have chosen to write as Mongoose- the important thing is not my past, my present or my future but what is said in the book

The Mongoose is native to North London’s hilly regions where it can be found patrolling and protecting a small family of mongooses (not mongeeses).

Of mixed background it is part of the Mongralis Mongoosis line of the species, identifiable by it’s large proboscis, flaring nostrils, flat feet and inordinate hairiness.

Why a Mongoose I hear you say? It just came to me one day when I saw Internet pictures of a mongoose trapped by four lions. The mongoose did not just give up against overwhelming odds; it rolled and nipped and scratched and actually stood up to the bullies. Then, as they trundled of bemused, the mongoose gave them a “go on, piss off” stare. That is the attitude I have tried to emulate.

Excerpts

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