The Shell of a Person (English Edition)

National Finalist for The Journey Award in narrative non-fiction

Never have disgusting, miserable living conditions been so funny. When someone finally finds a way to send back a report from hell, I hope it will be Lance Pototschnik. Except this guy is going to heaven, for the way he writes. - The Kindle Book Review

Memorable passages that will yank at your heart, and even more that will make you laugh. - The San Francisco Book Review

Marooned on a remote Costa Rican sea turtle conservancy with a handful of fellow unanchored souls, Lance Pototschnik, in his uproarious debut memoir, searches for the purpose of his life. His quest will lead him through crocodile-infested waters, a war with France, a stampede, and the funeral services of many baby turtles. But in the end, we’ll all be better for the journey—and also grateful that we’ve never had to bathe with a dead raccoon.

In Pototschnik, those who have fallen prey to the desolation of broken dreams, the young and the listless, finally find a voice with the talent to cast out demons and turn them into laughs. Beneath its shell, this book is more than a howling ab workout. It's also a treatise about finding your purpose, realizing your full potential, and learning to love your own life. Pototschnik's very personal book happens to be the story we've all been hoping for.