Throughout my teen years, the “popular†and “cool†kids called me various names. These included: nerd, dork, dweeb, lame ass, weirdo, doofus, and freak. But the one name I didn’t mind being called was “geek,†because it sounded less harmless than the others.
Today I still consider myself a geek and I’m proud to be one. So to all those “popular†and “cool†kids, all I want the say is: Look at me now, beeyatch!
I’m the editor of a kind-of-popular not-so-popular quasi-review blog. What do you got?
Great kids, a loving wife, a low mortgage, a steady paycheck, and regular nights of sex?
That’s all?
Tell me, who’s the lame ass doofus now?
(tear)
Sometimes it’s hard being a geek, so I was excited when Amazon.com recommend Just A Geek by Wil Wheaton. In case you don’t know or don’t remember, Wil was Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation and also starred in the movie Stand By Me.
I instantly bought the book hoping that it would be about becoming a better geek and how to cope with being a geek. I was also hoping there would be a section of “You might be a geek…†jokes, like these:
You might be a geek, if your wedding was performed by an ordained Vulcan or Klingon.
You might be a geek, if your kids’ names are Fortran and Pascal.
You might be a geek, if you find pleasure in bringing down a website by Slashdotting it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t read the product description before buying, so I was surprised when it didn’t contain any of the above.
Despite not having chapters devoted to such things as the snacks you should have for a successful Dungeons & Dragons gathering, Just A Geek was a great read. Wil gives you a look into his personal life and his difficult journey to find himself.
This book was so entertaining that it was the first book in a long time I did not want to put down.
The last book I did not want to put down?
Green Eggs and Ham.
Although I did not want to put that book down because I was trying to beat the class record for spinning a book on a finger.
From reading Just A Geek, you find out that despite being a great actor and a wonderful writer, Wil is just a normal guy with basically the same problems we have all faced at one time or another, except we probably don’t have the shame of being on the cover of Teen Beat magazine.
Just A Geek is a funny, smart, and honest book that I would highly recommend.
Although I REALLY wish there were “You might be a geek…†jokes.
Item: Just A Geek by Wil Wheaton
Purchase Price: $14.95 (Amazon.com)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Pros: A fun and quick read. Wheaton is a talented, funny, and creative writer.
Cons: Not a guide to becoming a better geek. No “You might be a geek…†jokes.
I love being a geek. Still a cool geek but a geek nonetheless. I have not read his book and have given up reading his blog because it has become to ultra-left politically based for me but I might have to try the book now just to see. Thanks for the review!
I was never a ‘Geek’…but I was a ‘Dork’…well…’Orch-Dork’ to be exact…but hey..who was in the number 1 orchestra in the state!!! yeah baby!! (-_-;)
I don’t think that’s something you want to brag about, you Orch-Dork! Just kidding.
*grr* =)