The Geiger Counter: Raised by Wolves and Other Stories

by Matt Geiger

Winner of the 2018 Midwest Book Awards in the AUTOBIOGRAPHY category Finalist in the HUMOR Category of the 2018 Best Book Awards. Finalist in the HUMOR/COMEDY Category of the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. His little sister joins the circus. His parents buy a nerdy horse. He's surrounded by hundreds of men dressed up as Ernest Hemingway. He tries to order a monkey through the mail. And now his baby is eating dog food. Matt Geiger's award-winning stories reveal the sublime in the mundane and the comical in the banal. There is existential dread. There is festivity amid detritus. There are moments of genuine introspection on what it means to be human. And it's all laugh-out-loud funny when told by a humorist who is determined to live an examined life, even if he's not always entirely sure what he's looking at.

232 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2016

About the author

Author of "Astonishing Tales!* (Your Astonishment May Vary)” and "The Geiger Counter: Raised by Wolves & Other Stories."

Midwest Book Award winner. Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist. American Book Fest Finalist.

Reviews

[Shoshanah Marohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really entertaining book with a lot of fun stories. I enjoyed reading it. Bite sized bits of fun.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hoping, from the review of this book which I read in my local paper, that it would be as laugh-right-out-loud as they said. Oh, yes, yes, it was! It even conjured up that deepest belly laugh that rumbles for a while before preceding the outright howl! What a wonderful collection of real-life, down to earth, inspiring, hilarious and "out there" stories.

I tried to read them one-a-day because I wanted the book to last. I failed at that several times. There's a good chance I'm just going to read it over again starting today. It felt SOOO good to be SOOO entertained! Excellent job, Mr. Geiger!

My favorites? The chainsaw mention in "In the Graveyard," the Christopher Robin reference is "My Baby is a Princess," the baby-proofing(!) in "Like a Hurricane" and the sweet, poignant ending to the "The Old Lady Who Lived in a Chicken Coop." I think these stories will stay with me a long, long time!

And now I see there's another collection coming December 1st! I am so excited!

[Shoshanah Marohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

Favorite parts:

When he tells his pregnant wife's doctor that the house is very secure, and mentions how you turn a calf around with a chain during breach births.

Describing the difference between momentary joy and deeper happiness.

His interest in monk fashion.

Overall, it went well together, we skipped around his life a lot and read about several hilarious experiences, and the author's philosophical take on the deeper meaning of these things. I really liked this book.

[Paul Herrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to meet the author by chance in a local establishment near his home. A few weeks later, Matt read from his book to an attentive audience between sets at the show my band was performing.
As a parent who has lived through the many stories and experiences that come with raising children, I was immediately hooked on the highly descriptive imagery conjured up by his humor and vocabulary. Raised by Wolves is one of those "must-reads" for anyone who is looking to smile when thinking about the incredibly important job of parenting.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I started reading this, I was lucky enough to see the author speak at a library near me, which made reading these stories even more delightful! I laughed out loud multiple times, and did a lot of nodding along to the many parts that resonated with me. I hope there is another book coming in the future!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short stories were funny and real. I loved the tone of them and how light the author kept even the most serious of thoughts. Fantastic read!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful, entertaining, and heartfelt essays on life and family.

[Okfej · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self-help books are usually filled with normative claims and heavy guilt-trips. This book, "The Geiger Counter," had none of either. It was refreshing to read an author who didn't tell me what to do our how to feel better. In fact, Geiger often seemed befogged and glum. I loved every moment of this book! It was really magical, and real.

[BowbytheBay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories. Poignant and full of humor.