Regular readers have doubtlessly noticed that I’ve been absent for the past few weeks. In addition to starting a new, full-time job in law enforcement, undergoing FTO training, and regular life stuff, I’ve been in the final push for my new book: Competent & Dangerous: Master the Skills to be a Man Among Men! This is my magnum opus, the accumulated knowledge of my extremely varied background as a deputy, paramedic, SAR tech, Marine, special operations instructor, locksmith, digital security author and podcaster, and more! I imagine it will be of interest to many in the “tactical” space, but there’s a little something for everyone. Read on for a chapter list and description.
Disclaimer: This book contains Amazon affiliate links.
Competent & Dangerous
Competent & Dangerous: Master the Skills to be a Man Among Men is the book I wanted (and needed!) to read when I was 16, but couldn’t find. It is also the book I wanted to write at 26, but didn’t have the knowledge or experience. But now is the time. This is the book for you, your sons, grandsons, nephews – hell, your daughters and nieces – and anyone else who needs to be a little tougher, a little more competent, and a little more dangerous!
From the introduction, Competent & Dangerous is:
…the accumulated wisdom and knowledge of a quarter-century of adventuring, globe-trotting, teaching, learning, loving, fighting, philandering, boozing in shady dives, hanging out with interesting, sketchy, and downright disreputable people, schmoozing at embassy parties, running patrols under triple-canopy jungle and direct-action raids in Iraq, working the street as a paramedic and deputy, being head-hunted by a big-city startup, reading thousands of books, writing a couple, infiltrating countries as a covert operative, attending hundreds of classes, teaching hundreds more, and living vicariously through myself!
On Being Competent
What does it mean to be “competent and dangerous?” Let’s tackle the first part first: competent. There is a Hollywood trope of the “competent man” – a dude who has massive amounts of skills across a broad array of disciplines. There is almost no situation you can throw at the Competent Man in which he can’t survive and thrive with only the stuff in his pockets and the immense knowledge in his head. Some fictional examples are MacGyver (perhaps television’s original Competent Man) from MacGyver, Michael Weston from the show Burn Notice, and the eponymous Jack Reacher. I have always loved the Competent Man trope, and since joining the Marines at the tender age of 19, have worked to become one.
In a world where competence has fallen by the wayside, this book seemed important to write. If I were born today, I would likely have begun my journey even less competent, as individuals today become more and more specialized and siloed in their careers. Being competent across numerous domains and disciplines will enable you to tackle whatever comes your way. Competence will increase your survivability…and your attractiveness. Being competent is something that is highly coveted, but difficult to come by today.
On Being Dangerous
What about being a dangerous man? Well, it means exactly how it sounds, and I’m going to steal a quote here: “A harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very, very dangerous man who has that under voluntary control[1].” So, other than that definition, why is being dangerous a good thing? Without the capability for violence, one lacks the ability to uphold his values. You can say you are “against” rape or murder or racism, but if you don’t have the ability to step in and stop these atrocities from happening, your values are just impotent thoughts. Not so with a dangerous man. A dangerous man is a fearsome threat to those who would harm him and those under his protection. A man who is competent and dangerous is a force to be reckoned with.
[1] Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
Table of Contents
This book contains a little bit of everything a competent and dangerous man needs to know. From good table manners to firearms, from how to dress well to how to splint a bone, it’s all here. Here is the table of contents of this 550+ page, textbook-sized work:
| Acknowledgments About The Author Foreword by Rich Brown “Ithaka” by C.P. Cavafy Introduction |
| PREPARE YOUR BODY AND MIND Eat: The ELAFA Diet Sleep: Get a Good Night’s Sleep Exercise: Build Strength and Resilience Alcohol, Nicotine, & Other Addictive Drugs Develop Mental Toughness Appendix 1: Cooper Law Enforcement Standards |
| DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF EVERY DAY CARRY (EDC) Essential: Wallet Essential: Knife Essential: Flashlight Essential: Keys Essential: Watch Recommended: Medical Recommended: Pepper Spray Organizing All This Stuff |
| BUILD FINANCIAL STABILITY Cut Expenses Reduce Debt Build Reserves |
| MOBILITY Vehicle PMCS How to Change a Tire How to Jump-Start a Car How to Change Your Oil Emergency Equipment“If” by Rudyard Kipling |
| FIRST AID Disclaimer Patient Assessment Trauma: Bleeding Control Medical/Trauma: Airway & Breathing Secondary Trauma Survey Trauma: Fractures Trauma: Shock Trauma: Hypothermia Medical/Trauma: Seizures Medical: Allergic Reactions Trauma: Bites/Stings Medical: Diabetic Problems Trauma: Burns Medical: Heart Problems Why You Should Go to EMT School Appendix 2: First Aid Kits |
| DIGITAL SECURITY The Digital Security Framework 1. Resist Malware 2. Defend Cloud-Hosted Data 3. Protect Data-in-Motion 4. Safeguard Data-at-Rest 5. Protect Personally Identifiable Information |
| DRESS WELL & LOOK SHARP The Basics: General Appearance Build a Wardrobe How to Iron Clothes How to Shine Shoes Basic Sewing |
| BASIC ALL-HAZARDS PREPAREDNESS Water Food Environment Medication & First Aid Sanitation & Hygiene Pets Bugout Bags & Bugging Out“The Men That Don’t Fit In” by Robert Service |
| PHYSICAL SECURITY Rings of Security Deterring Security Measures: Being a Hard Target Delaying Security Measures: Locks Deterring Security Measures: Alarm & Camera Systems Appendix 3: How to Train a Dog |
| WILDERNESS SURVIVAL Before You Go in the Woods Fire Shelter Water Appendix 4: Survival KitsPEOPLE OPS How to Give a Handshake How to be a Charming Conversationalist How to Tell a Joke Elicitation Food & Drink: Cook the Perfect Meal Food & Drink: Dining Etiquette How to Be a Good House Guest How to Be a Good Host to House Guests How to Be the Perfect Wedding Guest Appendix 5: Meal Prep Logistics Appendix 6: Bourbon – America’s Native Spirit! FIREARMS Closing Thoughts “Principles My Father Taught Me” by Maj. Douglas Zembeic Appendix 8: Recommended Reading |
When, Where, How Much?
At this point I hope you are asking where you can get this book! Competent & Dangerous will be available on Amazon starting November 1st. The planned price is $39.99. I know that seems expensive, but this is a large book. Competent & Dangerous runs 588 total pages and is printed in 8.5 x 11 format. It also consists of over 325,000 words. The average novel is 80,000 to 100,000 words in length, so this thing is 3-4 novels long. Not only that, but acquiring all this information has consumed literal years of my life. I feel like it is an appropriate value proposition.
