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A field manual

They're counting on you staying nice.

Nice is why you get asked first and paid last. This is the field manual for ending that.

You stay late. You remember the birthdays. You say 'no worries' when there are, in fact, worries. Meanwhile someone who did half the work walks off with the raise, the credit, and the last word. Not because they're better. Because they know you won't bite back.

TEETH by Sam Cross book cover: a glitched red and cyan smile beneath the title, with the subtitle A practical guide to power, persuasion and getting what you're worth.

What they told you, and what actually happens

What they told you

Work hard and you'll be noticed. Be patient and it'll come. Be nice and people will be nice back. Don't make a fuss.

What actually happens

The hard worker gets more work. The patient one gets 'next quarter.' The nice one gets asked first, paid last, and thanked in the hallway instead of the meeting.

The advice works fine in a world where everyone plays fair. You don't live in that world. Nobody does.

What teeth are

This isn't a book about becoming cruel.

  1. 01Seeing the plays being run on you.
  2. 02Refusing to lose to them.
  3. 03Getting what you're owed without turning into someone you'd despise.
“Not cruelty. Capacity. A dog with teeth almost never has to use them. Everyone just knows they're there.”

The bill

What it's costing you.

Money

The raise you didn't ask for. The rate you didn't charge. The rent increase you signed the same night it arrived.

Time

The favors you couldn't refuse. The weekends that became 'work emergencies.'

Relationships

Resentment doesn't vanish because you swallowed it. It leaks out sideways, at the wrong person, at the wrong time.

The worst part is the pattern. You've trained everyone around you to expect you to fold.

Who it's for

Who this is for.

Six kinds of people. Most readers see themselves in three.

Inside

Inside the manual.

5 parts. 18 chapters. Every chapter ends with the exact words to use and a drill to run.

PART IThe Board

How power really moves: status, frame, the real decision-makers in any group, and authority without a title.

  1. 1Merit Is a Rumor
  2. 2Frame
  3. 3Who Really Decides
  4. 4Authority Without a Title
PART IIThe Armor

Why some people get targeted, the common manipulation plays, and calm counters that end them.

  1. 5Why You're Easy
  2. 6Reading the Play
  3. 7The Counter
  4. 8Exit Clean
PART IIIThe Tongue

Persuasion that holds up. Each chapter draws a line showing where the tactic tips into manipulation.

  1. 9What Moves People
  2. 10Questions That Do the Work
  3. 11Story Beats Logic
  4. 12Pushback Is Information
PART IVWhat's Yours

Negotiation for everyday life, asking without hedging, and collecting what you're owed.

  1. 13The Negotiation Floor
  2. 14The Ask
  3. 15The Hard Conversation
  4. 16Collecting What You're Owed
PART VThe Code

The line between leverage and manipulation. You write your own code before you finish.

  1. 17Leverage vs. Manipulation
  2. 18Keep Your Teeth

Every chapter includes

  • What was actually happening
  • The tells
  • The move
  • The line (exact words)
  • Drill

Bonuses

Included with every edition.

The Bite Log

The protocol journal. Ten pages to track every drill, every play run on you, and every ask until progress stops being a feeling and becomes a record.

The Ten Field Cards

The whole book on ten cards. When to use it, the steps, the exact words, and the check. Keep the one you need this week as your lock screen.

The Pack

The private reader community. Run the protocols alongside people doing the same work.

Editions

Choose your edition.

Pre-order. Digital editions are delivered on release. The paperback is printed to order and ships after release. Secure checkout by Whop. See our refund policy.

30-day money-back guarantee.

Read it. Run the drills. If it doesn't change how you're treated, email us within 30 days for a full refund.

Refund policy

FAQ

Questions.

Is this about manipulating people?

No. It's about seeing manipulation and refusing to lose to it. Every persuasion chapter marks the line where a tactic tips into manipulation, and Part V has you write your own code.

When do I get it?

TEETH is on pre-order. Digital editions are delivered on release. Paperbacks are printed to order and ship after release, with tracking.

What format is the ebook?

EPUB for phones, Kindle, and Apple Books, plus a PDF for printing the Bite Log pages.

Where do I listen to the audiobook?

Stream it chapter by chapter in your member area, on any device.

Is this therapy?

No. It's a field manual for adults. If you are in danger, the book's Chapter 8 and resources come first.

What if it's not for me?

You have 30 days. Ask for a refund and you get one.

Your work was never going to speak for itself. Now it has you.