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Are_grits_groceries

(17,111 posts)
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 10:29 AM Mar 2013

"Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop"

‘Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop And Other Practical Advice In Our Campaign Against The Fairy Kingdom' wins prize for year’s oddest book title

LONDON — A supernaturally tinged barnyard manual has won an award for the year’s oddest book title.

“Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop” by Reginald Bakeley was awarded the Diagram Prize on Friday by trade magazine, The Bookseller.

The book took 38 percent of the votes in a public ballot, beating finalists including “How Tea Cosies Changed the World” and “Was Hitler Ill?”

“Goblinproofing” editor Clint Marsh said he and the author were honored to receive a prize that “celebrates the playfulness that is at the heart of much of the world’s best book publishing.”

The prize was founded in 1978. Its rules say the books must be serious and their titles not merely a gimmick.

Previous winners include “Bombproof Your Horse” and “Managing a Dental Practice: The Genghis Khan Way.”
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/22/goblinproofing-one-chicken-coop-wins-prize-for-year-oddest-book-title/

A must read especially if your laying hens are not producing eggs.

11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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"Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop" (Original Post) Are_grits_groceries Mar 2013 OP
I thought everything was about Zombie proofing things Bay Boy Mar 2013 #1
Behind the curve, pal. Zombie-pop is at saturation stage... JHB Mar 2013 #11
"Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop" I would have thought that was a euphemism! Poll_Blind Mar 2013 #2
"the books must be serious" - but it's in the humor section muriel_volestrangler Mar 2013 #3
I sure hope Poo was the fuel source Viva_La_Revolution Mar 2013 #4
For next year Bosonic Mar 2013 #5
From the title I thought it was a medieval book on sex (nt) The Straight Story Mar 2013 #6
I wanna learn about Gengis Khan dentistry Yo_Mama Mar 2013 #7
Here you go (blessed by Amazon): IdaBriggs Mar 2013 #8
Made my day Yo_Mama Mar 2013 #9
You'll go to the Dentist or not live to regret it Demo_Chris Mar 2013 #10

JHB

(37,158 posts)
11. Behind the curve, pal. Zombie-pop is at saturation stage...
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 12:35 PM
Mar 2013

...goblins are vying for The Next Big Thing.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,310 posts)
3. "the books must be serious" - but it's in the humor section
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 10:58 AM
Mar 2013
http://www.amazon.com/Goblinproofing-Ones-Chicken-Coop-Practical/dp/1573245321

It seems to me that this book shouldn't qualify.

The others on the shortlist:

2) How Tea Cosies Changed the World by Loani Prior (Murdoch Books) 31%

3) God's Doodle: The Life and Times of the Penis by Tom Hickman (Square
Peg) 14%

4) How to Sharpen Pencils by David Rees (Melville House) 13%

5) Was Hitler Ill? by Hans-Joachim Neumann and Henrik Eberle (Polity Press)
3%

6) Lofts of North America: Pigeon Lofts by Jerry Gagne (Foy's Pet Supplies)
1%

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/goblinproofing-ones-chicken-coop-wins-diagram-prize.html


"Previous winners of the title have included Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers, Highlights in the History of Concrete, Bombproof Your Horse and Cooking with Poo."

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
9. Made my day
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 12:08 PM
Mar 2013

"Successful people management" - yep, old Genghis Khan was legendary for that.

Is this really what dentistry needs, given its already unpleasant image? From the book blurb:

His hugely successful strategies included intelligence gathering, understanding his rivals' motivations, being quick to learn and adopt new technologies and ideas, and successful people management. Genghis Khan is one of history's most charismatic and dynamic leaders - and you will need all his skill, strength and tenacity to succeed in both dentistry and business.


These are examples of the charisma, dynamism and people management:
http://www.biography.com/people/genghis-khan-9308634
When Temujin was about 20, he was captured in a raid by former family allies, the Taichi'uts, and temporarily enslaved. He escaped with the help of a sympathetic captor and joined his brothers and several other clansmen to form a fighting unit. Temujin began his slow ascent to power by building a large army of more than 20,000 men. He set out to destroy traditional divisions among the various tribes and unite the Mongols under his rule. Through a combination of outstanding military tactics and merciless brutality, Temujin avenged his father's murder by decimating the Tatar army and ordered the killing of every Tatar male less than 3 feet tall. Temujin's Mongols then defeated, the Taichi'ut, using a series of massive cavalry attacks, and had all the Taichi'ut chiefs boiled alive.
...
The Mongols swept through every city's fortifications with unstoppable savagery. Those who weren't immediately slaughtered were driven in front of the Mongol army, serving as human shields when the Mongols took the next city. No living thing was spared, including small domestic animals and livestock. Skulls of men, women, and children were piled in large, pyramidal mounds.


It does seem that such tactics could aid in bill collection, and thus aid practice profitability. But is there not a sustainability issue? Would not the clientele object to being reduced to skull mounds for such infractions as 30-day lates and missing appointments? Would one not, in fact, shortly discover that practice assets consisted of a clientele limited to near family members and the precious metals gleaned from the teeth in the skull mounds?

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. I really need to go have some dental work done! I noted a reference to the NHS, but can one be sure that this theory of practice management has not swept the profession?
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