Market Gaps

What Happens When You Poke Someone for No Reason

A book marketer guy actually chewed me out in an email for writing in too many different styles, saying it makes it hard for him to categorize me on Amazon.I told him not to worry about it and to kindly get off my back — it would be better for everyone that way.

Still, it got me thinking for a moment — not that I agree with him. Because my body of work isn’t actually that scattered. But I do reserve the right to write about whatever the hell I want. And just so we’re clear: if one of my books ever gets adapted into a movie and wipes the floor at the box office, I still won’t write a sequel. I’m like a flamingo — I don’t fly in captivity.

There aren’t that many topics I wouldn’t enjoy writing about anyway — off the top of my head, I can think of two. One is sports, which I don’t practice, so I don’t understand it. The other is politics — which makes me want to throw up.

(This isn’t strictly relevant — but I’ll tell it anyway. When I used to teach journalism, I always told my students that in our beautiful country there are three things everyone understands: football, alternative medicine — and journalism. Someone would usually add, “And politics.”
Well — that’s wrong. In more functional parts of the world, people don’t care about politics at all. In Switzerland, for example, there’s an organization called a “municipality” — basically what you’d call a local government elsewhere. A few years ago, some lunatic walked into a municipal meeting and mowed everyone down with a submachine gun. Which is tragic, on the one hand — but on the other, most Swiss people only found out at that point that such things even existed.
But why would they have needed to know? The watches worked, the chocolate was good, the banks were reliable — people got along just fine without a degree in public administration. And if the decent Swiss ever felt the need for excitement, they’d go out to the garage and mix up their selectively sorted recycling. That works too.)

But back to the original point: once I realized there’s very little I’m not interested in, I decided to put together a list of things I would happily write about. I think this should fill a few market gaps as well…

So here are a few possible future Radley titles — complete with blurbs.

Raising a Vegetarian T-Rex in a Greenhouse

You inherit a T-Rex — it happens. You didn’t ask for it, you weren’t prepared, and suddenly it’s standing in the middle of your living room, looking at you. Is it hungry? Who knows? But when you open the fridge for some cold cuts — the T-Rex goes for the salad instead. And that’s when the real problems begin.

Because a vegetarian T-Rex isn’t a smaller problem — just a different one. It needs a greenhouse, proper humidity, carefully selected plants, and someone who can explain to the neighbors why the fence suddenly looks lower. The daily routine is simple: feeding, walking, observation, and occasionally reconsidering exactly where all of this went wrong.

This book is a practical guide. It covers proper lettuce selection, reinforced glass structures, and what to do if your T-Rex suddenly develops an interest in other kinds of food after all.

55 Yoga Exercises for Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning. Nobody likes it, but it comes every year. You do it. You hate it. But it could be different. For example, with mindful breathing.

The first exercise is simple. Deep inhale as you take the vacuum cleaner out of the closet. Exhale when you realize the dust bag is full. The second one is more advanced: balancing on one leg while trying to reach a box you forgot on the top shelf.

The 55 exercises guide you through every part of the apartment: kitchen, bathroom, window cleaning, hidden corners and unnecessary objects. Every movement has a name, and each comes with a short note about when it’s best to stop.

Confessions of Elderly Onion Dealers

A quiet street. Everyone knows everyone. Gates are open, gardens are tidy, and afternoons follow a familiar rhythm. Then one day someone mentions that the old lady next door goes to the market… unusually often. More often than necessary.

The book is built from dozens of interviews. Short conversations, notes, occasionally interrupted sentences. Some deny everything. Some just smile. Some give exact numbers, without it ever becoming clear what they refer to. Onions are everywhere: in sacks, bags, on kitchen tables — and sometimes in places where they shouldn’t be.

From time to time, fragments of a larger system emerge — but the full picture never comes together. The only certainty is that something is happening.

The Betrayal of Pedicurists

Foot care. You book an appointment, take off your shoes, sit down in a comfortable chair, and surrender to the routine. Every movement is familiar: disinfection, soaking, soft, practiced touches. Nothing unexpected.

But in Peter Radley’s world, these are not just movements. There is a system behind them — one that has existed for years, and that no one calls by its name. At first, it just sounds strange. Then you start noticing the small deviations: a glance, an interrupted sentence, a question that doesn’t quite belong.

The book compiles case studies. Transcripts, recollections, sometimes completely ordinary conversations that later take on a different meaning. Not every story leads to the same place — and not every participant agrees that anything happened at all.

How Did I Get Rich?

This will be a short book.
I didn’t.

Penguin Therapy for Extreme Snowboarders

Mountains, speed, jumps, precisely calculated risk. All of that is fine — but sometimes you need a new perspective. And — penguins.

The program is simple. A few days in an ice-covered, windless area. Penguins don’t teach anything. They don’t explain. They are simply there: walking, stopping, occasionally falling. Then starting again.

From time to time, a jump appears that turns out differently than expected, a decision that isn’t made. But the penguins remain the same.

This book promises no results. It only describes a few situations where speed and silence briefly share the same slope.

The Basics of Elevator Operation for Claustrophobics

You step into the elevator. You press the button, the door closes, and those few seconds begin that most people try not to take too seriously.

This moment is not a transition — it’s a state. And if it’s a state, it’s worth systematizing. Where to stand, where to look, when to breathe — and when not to.

Stops between floors. Small jolts. Rides that last slightly longer than expected. The notes are precise, but it’s not always clear whether the author made it out every time.

The rest depends on when the door opens.

How to Raise an Influencer from a Houseplant

A houseplant today is more than it seems. It just needs a bit of awareness.

The first step is positioning. It matters which corner it occupies, what background it has, what light it receives. The second is presence: regular appearances, subtle changes, small stories about what happened in the pot that day. The third is more complex: how to respond to feedback, and what to do with sudden attention.

The book also includes case studies. Plants that became something — and those that didn’t.

Peter Radley guarantees nothing. He only points to a few possibilities.

The Ethical Use of Cryptocurrency in Parking Meters

You drop in coins — or at least, that’s the plan. But someone has decided that’s outdated. A new option appears on the display: cryptocurrency. A short guide, a QR code, and a sentence about how all of this is more ethical.

The book collects experiments from different cities. Machines that accept digital payments, systems trying to track transactions, and users who don’t always understand what exactly they’re paying for.

The word “ethical” appears in multiple places. But it doesn’t mean the same thing in every chapter.

Apocalypse and Wet Wipes

You walk into a store — and some shelves are empty. Not completely, just enough to notice. Someone says wet wipes are out of stock. All of this during a pandemic. Coincidence?

This book takes no position. It simply places events next to each other. A cart that fills up quickly. Another that remains empty.

And slowly, social processes begin to organize themselves around an everyday object.

On Self-Hatred — for Narcissists

Everything is fine with you. At least, that’s what you say. But if you read this book, you may see something different in the mirror afterward.

Observations, notes, recurring sentences. They don’t always continue in the same place, and it’s not clear who they are meant for. Sometimes they sound like advice, other times like notes about someone who isn’t present. The line between the two is blurred.

Unless you decide to draw it yourself.

Trade Union Basics for Founding Ant Colonies

You don’t start an ant colony out of sheer enthusiasm. It requires a certain kind of social necessity — and a fair amount of expertise.

At first, everything works. There’s a queen, a few workers, and an initial structure that seems flawless. But then it turns out not everyone knows what they’re doing.

The book starts from the basics: roles, tasks, simple forms of cooperation. Then the first questions emerge. Who decides? On what basis? And what happens if someone disagrees — but keeps working anyway?

Peter Radley doesn’t tell you how to do it right. He just presents a few possibilities.

Some of which might even work.

Hm. This turned into quite an interesting list in the end. Feel free to vote for your favorite topic — and I’ll move that one up in the queue.