How to Troll in 3 Pages : Satire and Self Defense

by Ryan Adams

In three brisk, punchy pages, this tiny book explains the strange physics of the internet’s most persistent the troll.



How to Troll in 3 Pages is a miniature field guide to online friction — not a manual for harassment — but a witty, wry explainer of why provocation works, how platforms accidentally incentivize it, and how recognizing patterns helps you stay unhooked. Part internet anthropology, part meme-forensics, this micro-essay is designed to be read in a single sitting.



If you’ve ever



why certain comments explodewhy negativity gets disproportionate tractionwhy trolls never “feel like they lost”



…this short book is the 5-minute decoder ring you keep next to your keyboard.



Equal parts satire and self-defense. Read it before you post.

3 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2025

About the author

David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter. Raised by his mother and grandmother, Adams dropped out of school at age 16 and performed with several local bands before moving to Raleigh and forming the band Whiskeytown. Three albums and five years later, Adams went solo, releasing Heartbreaker in 2000. A longtime resident of New York City, Adams is probably best known for his song "New York, New York", which appeared on his 2001 release Gold. He has since released four more solo albums and three albums and one EP with backing band The Cardinals. His latest release, the EP Follow The Lights, was released on October 23, 2007.

Adams has also produced albums by Jesse Malin and Willie Nelson and contributed to the albums of artists, including Toots and the Maytals, Beth Orton, The Wallflowers, Jesse Brand, Minnie Driver, Counting Crows, America and Cowboy Junkies. He also appeared on CMT's Crossroads with Elton John.