Joseph Carrabis is the author of over a dozen novels and hundreds of short stories, including the Nebula-recommended Cymodoce and the Pushcart nominated The Weight. Raised by his maternal grandfather John, Joseph developed a thirst for knowledge that would motivate him to seek immersion within indigenous societies all over the world. These experiences compelled Joseph to help others and have inspired his writing. In addition to writing fiction, Joseph is the author of internationally best-selling non-fiction. Prior to becoming a full-time author, Joseph sat on several advisory boards including the Center for Multicultural Science and the Journal of Cultural Marketing Strategy. He was a Senior Research Fellow at the Society for New Communications Research, an Annenberg Fellow at the University of Southern California, and served with the UN/NYAS Scientists Without Borders program. Joseph was born in Melrose, MA, and currently lives in Nashua, New Hampshire with his wife, Susan, and their two four-legged child, Boo.

blah blah blah.

Personally, I think I'm rather boring and dull. I figured that wouldn't make good copy so I asked a bunch of friends how they'd describe me. Everybody said I was "intriguing". That's a nice double-edged word, don't you think? Kind of like something you want to stare at from a distance or with a good, solid, thick piece of steel reinforced glass between you and whatever you're looking at.

Me, if I think something's intriguing, I want to know more about it but I don't want to get too close while getting to know more about it. Know what I mean?

Next came "multi-dimensional, refined and cerebral" and in that order except for one person who actually used "refined and cerebral" together. Okay. I might get invited to more parties being "multi-dimensional, refined and cerebral" than simply "intriguing". Probably depends on the type of party.

Then came, to me, the good stuff: loves to talk around a campfire, loves to fly kites, finds joy in the simple things, loves to cook for friends, befriends all sorts of wildlife (raccoons, skunk, opossum, deer, turkey, coyote, gray and red fox, hawk, deer, squirrel, chipmunk, finches, robins, snakes, turtles) to the point that they come up and take food from his hand (this one I can verify as can most people who come over to visit us in the evenings), always ready to help his friends and strangers when asked, makes pizza to die for, loves long walks with his wife and dog, ...

One friend wrote "You want to know about Joseph Carrabis? He's a master story-teller with a sharp sense of humor. He's a musician and an extraordinary pizza maker. He flies kites that are so big they would tear my arms off, and he knows the best diners with the best pie in New England. He taught me what real coffee should taste like, and how to really enjoy a good cigar. He can bring forth the joy of a five year old in one moment, and the wisdom of a thousand year old sage the next. He's someone who can help you change how you experience the world, and you'll laugh harder than you thought possible while it's happening. Don't ever buy into his 'I'm boring and dull' line."

I find that flattering (blush). I won't attest to its accuracy, only that I'm flattered by it.

Then there's my professional bio (which, to me, is truly boring and dull): "Joseph Carrabis is Founder and Chief Research Officer of The NextStage Companies and helps clients understand how people think and react to marketing, leveraging that information to improve marketing efforts. He has been awarded patents for NextStage’s Evolution Technology, creating a new, disruptive field of technology and applications. Evolution Technology allows any programmable device to understand human thought and respond accordingly.

"He has designed, developed and delivered over 100 tools that analyze everything from group and individual social behaviors to product design and development to community development and monitoring to consumer psychology to resume analysis and improvement to finding compatible life-partners to personal growth to training measurement for governments, businesses and individuals worldwide.

"He was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center for the Digital Future; is a Senior Research Fellow and Board Advisory Member for the Society for New Communications Research; a Founder, Senior Researcher and Director of Predictive Analytics for the Center for Adaptive Solutions; is an Advisory Board member to the Center for Multicultural Science, Editorial Board member to the Journal of Cultural Marketing Strategy, a member of Scientists Without Borders; has served as Chief Neuroscience Officer, Chief Data Scientist, Chief Scientist and Neuromarketer-in-Residence for a number of companies worldwide.

"Joseph has authored over 25 books, including Reading Virtual Minds Volume I: Science and History, Reading Virtual Minds Volume II: Experience and Expectation, Reading Virtual Minds Volume III: Fair-Exchange and Social Networks, and Tales 'Told Round Celestial Campfires."

So take your pick which of me you like. Just remember that front and back I'm boring and dull. I only seem to be interesting in the middle.