Gregs pappa har bestemt seg for å gjøre sønnen i hvert fall litt mindre pinglete, og planlegger alle salgs mandige fysiske aktiviteter. Hittil har Greg klart å komme seg unna, men når Militær akademiet blir nevnt, skjønner han at han må gå mer alvorlig til verks. Historiene om antihelten Greg startet som tegneseriestriper på Internett, men har etter hvert kommet ut i bokform, i en tett miks av tekst og bilder.
You know how you're supposed to come up with a list of "resolutions" at the beginning of the year to try to make yourself a better person? Well, the problem is, it's not easy for me to think of ways to improve myself, because I'm pretty much one of the best people I know.
But Greg's dad has other ideas. He wants Greg to change his wimpy ways, toughen up and enlist in other 'manly' endeavours. And when he threatens to send Greg to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up...or get shipped out.
