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Don’t!: Misadventures of a Sword Guy
Larger Than Life Swords – and Larger Than Life Injuries
Micheal Craughwell’s homemade weapons were an overwhelming success the moment they hit the Internet, from his replica of Cloud Strife’s sword to his infamous Pride Month-themed Big Gay Sword. His road to success was far from straightforward, though, and involved more than a few cuts, scrapes, and encounters with nitric acid.
In this gory and gut-busting essay collection, Michael tells the story of his rise to prominence as YouTube’s favorite blacksmith, all by recounting the most dangerous (and hilarious) stories from his career. Dive into a collection of essays with titles
• Art College and the Crushing of My Balls
• A Million Steel Splinters in my Skin
• America! (And Boiling My Face Off)
• Lathes and the Times My Swords Have Bit Me
Sword lovers, weapon enthusiasts, and nerds of all kinds will marvel at the scope of the giant, impractical video game weapons described in this book – and anyone with a curious streak will enjoy learning why you should absolutely not try this at home. With heart, humor, and blood (lots of blood), Michael shows us what it takes to work with your hands.
Micheal Craughwell’s homemade weapons were an overwhelming success the moment they hit the Internet, from his replica of Cloud Strife’s sword to his infamous Pride Month-themed Big Gay Sword. His road to success was far from straightforward, though, and involved more than a few cuts, scrapes, and encounters with nitric acid.
In this gory and gut-busting essay collection, Michael tells the story of his rise to prominence as YouTube’s favorite blacksmith, all by recounting the most dangerous (and hilarious) stories from his career. Dive into a collection of essays with titles
• Art College and the Crushing of My Balls
• A Million Steel Splinters in my Skin
• America! (And Boiling My Face Off)
• Lathes and the Times My Swords Have Bit Me
Sword lovers, weapon enthusiasts, and nerds of all kinds will marvel at the scope of the giant, impractical video game weapons described in this book – and anyone with a curious streak will enjoy learning why you should absolutely not try this at home. With heart, humor, and blood (lots of blood), Michael shows us what it takes to work with your hands.
160 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2023
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 27, 2023
Disclaimer that I received this book early from Mike as a joke and then insisted he let me actually read it. With that being said, I am not someone who watches his YouTube or knows anything about swords/welding, but I am a fan of Mike as a human.
I will now provide a numbered list of thoughts:
1. I frankly could care less about welding or swords, but did in fact really enjoy reading about welding and swords. I believe that is a win.
2. I read the whole thing in on sitting in about 2.5 hours. I have ADHD and do not read (my Goodreads is up to date with all the books I've ever read as of late if you want to fact check me on this). I believe that is also a win.
3. I laughed out loud multiple times. My favorite part(s) were whenever he roasted Americans and imperial measurements at the same time. Spoiler: Truly incredible.
4. I was engaged (almost) the whole time. He lost me whenever he got very technical about welding, but also I am definitely not the primary demographic for this book since I am just "Friend of Mike" and not "Fan of Michaelcthulhu" or "Welder". If you are in that primary demographic, you will be engaged the whole time.
5. I felt like I was just like I was hanging out with Mike in read life (with slightly less innuendo/twisted jokes involved). It's a very authentic and genuine series of essays. If you want to feel like you actually know Mike in real life, read this book. Just don't let reading this book feed a weird parasocial relationship thing.
6. I want a sequel, which is annoying because the original isn't even out yet.
All that to say, I'm proud to be one of the first to read this book, and I highly recommend anyone to read it, even if you do not care about welding, swords, or Michaelcthulhu.
I will now provide a numbered list of thoughts:
1. I frankly could care less about welding or swords, but did in fact really enjoy reading about welding and swords. I believe that is a win.
2. I read the whole thing in on sitting in about 2.5 hours. I have ADHD and do not read (my Goodreads is up to date with all the books I've ever read as of late if you want to fact check me on this). I believe that is also a win.
3. I laughed out loud multiple times. My favorite part(s) were whenever he roasted Americans and imperial measurements at the same time. Spoiler: Truly incredible.
4. I was engaged (almost) the whole time. He lost me whenever he got very technical about welding, but also I am definitely not the primary demographic for this book since I am just "Friend of Mike" and not "Fan of Michaelcthulhu" or "Welder". If you are in that primary demographic, you will be engaged the whole time.
5. I felt like I was just like I was hanging out with Mike in read life (with slightly less innuendo/twisted jokes involved). It's a very authentic and genuine series of essays. If you want to feel like you actually know Mike in real life, read this book. Just don't let reading this book feed a weird parasocial relationship thing.
6. I want a sequel, which is annoying because the original isn't even out yet.
All that to say, I'm proud to be one of the first to read this book, and I highly recommend anyone to read it, even if you do not care about welding, swords, or Michaelcthulhu.
Displaying 1 of 1 review