"It Could Be Worse: A Motivational Tour of Tragic Things That Did Not Happen to You" is the answer to the question we ask ourselves after experiencing something annoying, embarrassing, unfortunate or tragic. This darkly humorous, and informative anthology is a morbidly motivational guide that uses the suffering of others to make it a little easier to carry on. Contained within are the stories of unlucky people, untimely deaths, and unfortunate animals. Each subject is illuminated with a unique blend of rich detail, irreverent commentary, and colorful description. It Could Be Worse is over 200 pages with eighty-eight full color photos, illustrations, graphs and tables.

"It Could Be Worse: A Motivational Tour of Tragic Things That Did Not Happen to You" tells 69 stories of tragedy in a way that makes us laugh when we should cry. There are stories of past and present people, their lives and luck, their deaths, and struggles. It explores the natural world and shines a spotlight on some of the most unfortunate creatures that slither through the muck. There are assassinations, shipwrecks, exploding genitals, a celestial drive-by, cannibalism, poison, flightless wings, and fish out of water. There is betrayal, subterfuge and incompetence, murder, disease, and zombie cockroaches. You will learn how not knowing how germs work killed at least two US presidents and not caring about lifeboats killed thousands of maritime passengers. Learn which parasite it would suck to host the most and why penguins are stupid. Discover how drug use, spousal abuse and dead-beat dads are not unique to humans. These topics and more are all contained here. There really is something for everyone (as long as "everyone" is into morbid curiosities, dark humor and unsettling descriptions of genital mutilation). The Author was inspired to write this book because of his own struggles with mental health and his belief that curiosity and comedy are the best defenses against the scourges of depression, self-doubt, and turmoil. It is difficult to find time to wrestle with your demons if you are busy exploring or laughing. It Could Be Worse is carefully and lovingly researched, mostly accurate and "scientifically" proven to be almost as good for your mental health as therapy.

Nate is an author who has been writing since age 14 but only recently started to publish his work. He writes across a variety of styles and subjects. He has written a humor anthology, 2 children's books, and 3 poetry collections. It Could Be Worse is the first of his works to be published. He believes that humor as a tool to teach, to heal, and to entertain. He blends his sharp, sometimes wry and often dark style with whatever subject he explores. Nate lives in rural Ohio with his wife, Rachel, their son Emmanuel, and their pet turtle, Fred. When Nate is not working, he enjoys hunting, fishing, backpacking, photography, reading and tending his apiary. The journey from writing as a private pastime to sharing his work has been a great joy and he looks forward to growing as an author.