Geek Wisdom

Product Description

THE GEEKS HAVE INHERITED THE EARTH.

Computer nerds are our titans of industry; comic-book superheroes are our Hollywood idols; the Internet is our night on the town. Clearly, geeks know something about life in the 21st century that other folks don’t—something we all can learn from. Geek Wisdom takes as gospel some 200 of the most powerful and oft-cited quotes from movies (“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads”), television (“Now we know—and knowing is half the battle”), literature (“All that is gold does not glitter”), games, science, the Internet, and more. Now these beloved pearls of modern-day culture have been painstakingly interpreted by a diverse team of hardcore nerds with their imaginations turned up to 11. Yes, this collection of mini-essays is by, for, and about geeks—but it’s just so surprisingly profound, the rest of us would have to be dorks not to read it. So say we all.

Top Reviews

Meditations for the Triumph of the Geek Age
by Timothy Haugh,Top Contributor: Baby (4 out of 5 stars)
August 13, 2013

Like most books of this type--essentially "inspirational" quotes and explications of the same--there's going to be hits and misses. How much this book appeals will depend on how often you connect to the chosen quotes. (I, for one, was never much of a video game player so reference to Final Fantasy and the like mean nothing to me.) Fortunately, there's enough of a cross-section of popular movies, books, TV, comic books, science/computer nerdspeak, and stand-up comedy that the more obscure references go down much easier.

Of course, those more obscure references are probably some measure of how much of a geek a reader actually is. I was not too surprised that I recognized that vast majority of the quotes here. I was more surprised at how often I was pleased to find quotes I knew really well, even some obscure ones. You expect quotes from Orwell, Dune, LOTR, Star Wars, Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, etc., but Meg Murry's quote from A Wrinkle in Time ("Like and equal are not the same thing at all.") has been rattling around in my brain ever since I read the book in grade school and I was especially pleased to find it here. It was also nice for someone who's been cheerleading for Doctor Who for 30+ years to find him quoted a few times, along with a brief analysis on why his popularity is finally surging.

Ultimately this is a fun little volume whether you read it straight through or dip into it from time to time. There's plenty of "geek wisdom" in the quotes themselves as well as the brief paragraphs that accompany them. And don't forget to check out the footnotes, which are often the best part of each entry. Perfect for the geek in all of us.
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Nerd aphorisms, with commentary, but no Emerson
by Leighland Feinman (3 out of 5 stars)
October 16, 2012

This is a collection of "aphorisms" from iconic parts of nerd culture (Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, etc.) with some "wise" explanation added by the editor to help make some kind of cohesive nerd philosophy. I bought it for a discussion on American geek culture, and I found that while it was a pleasant and funny diversion, it isn't really a collection of particularly substantive insight.

It's a fun read, and you'll enjoy it, but I don't think "wisdom" really fits the book here. This is more of an opportunity to laugh and maybe see a new angle on some old favorite movie moments. I wasn't too crazy about it, but it killed some time and you might enjoy it.
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True to it's name
by Kate (5 out of 5 stars)
October 3, 2012

Considering what it means to grow up as a nerd, this book rings true in every word and piece of knowledge it brings. It conveys messages that non-geeks might pass off as another meme to be repeated ad-nauseum and reveals the hidden means behind it, sometimes revealing a way of looking at the words that you didn't think of before.

And probably best of all, the book has absolutely none of the prejudices that one might expect. It talks about what it means to be a geek girl with stunning accuracy, has a range of quotes from all different types of geekdom, and tells us that no matter who we are, geek or jock, we all face the same issues and problems and deal with them in similar ways.

As it is the messages might not strike a chord with everyone who reads it, but for the ones it does reach it reaches with clarity. It's something that people should read just to see what it is they take away from it.
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I highly recommend it for light reading and entertainment on a cloudy ...
by Natalie Felix-Muller (5 out of 5 stars)
October 26, 2015

If you ever get confused at all your friends "inside jokes/movie/TV/character references" then this is the book for you. Also if you are the friend confusing everyone else this book will make you laugh out loud to yourself. I highly recommend it for light reading and entertainment on a cloudy day. Or just before any kind of "Nerd" party :)
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True geeks beware
by Spenser Calderin (3 out of 5 stars)
June 27, 2016

I have mixed feelings about this book. Some serious time was spent on parts of it, and some of the maxim/chapters make truly excellent points. And there are some really useful or meaningful ideas. BUT THEN their are other chapters. There are several incorrectly attributed quotes. Several inaccuracies. And lots of personal opinions on how to interpret each chosen meme or quotation. While everyone is welcome to interpret things as their paradigm suggests, remember the claw, a real geek will remember that a bit of research is helpful. As someone who inhales science fiction and writes professionally; and who is also married into a family that knew Carl Sagan (babysat his kids) and Rod Serling (were his neighbors) personally, I can note at least two major errors in this book. Serling definitely was not the reason The Twilight Zone was so seminal for example...unless you want to credit him with herding cats like Harry Harrison, Damon Knight, Richard Matheson, and Harlan Ellison (spelling?), of course. And Sagan was far more immensely human than implied. Other items seem to be randomly chosen as filler and lack logic much less profundity. So giving this three stars here. Feel free to read this for the good bits but maybe do a bit of research on your own.
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It's full of movie quotes and pop culture references that are just fantastic! A lot of it is just an
by Ravyn (5 out of 5 stars)
December 26, 2015

Bought this for my brother who is autistic. He loves it! It's full of movie quotes and pop culture references that are just fantastic! A lot of it is just an explanation for a lot of the quotes I hear around conventions and online. Really, if you have a fan of TV tropes, this is a fantastic gift for them! As well as trivia lovers.
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Live Long and Prosper
by Dakotah Gulledge (5 out of 5 stars)
December 22, 2016

Geek Wisdom is a super neat book filled with all kinds of "nerdy" information. The information ranges from movies to TV shows to Video Games and even toys and memorabilia. Awesome grab for any nerd.
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The book is great for anyone who is a true lover of movies ...
by PJ,Top Contributor: Pets (5 out of 5 stars)
February 20, 2018

Gave as a holiday gift. The book is great for anyone who is a true lover of movies and books from the genre. Had enteries for any you could think of!
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"All your geek belong to us"
by Amazon Customer (4 out of 5 stars)
September 14, 2011

It only seems fitting to review a book of geek wisdom with a mashup title. This is a fun bathroom read that covers many iconic movies, books, memes and sundry tidbits from what we refer to as geek culture. The book is divided into segments covering different subjects in easy concise paragraphs. The format seems very fitting for people brought up in an era of sound bites and internet search engines. Anyone remember when "Google" was a noun and not a verb?

Being of an older generation than the author I can excuse him that more geek goodness was not included from the days of BBS's and hacker/phreaker culture. However all your favorites are here from "I can haz cheeseburger" to Hobbits. I found myself smiling many times reading this book.

Joseph
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A Very Pleasant Surprise!
by Psychic Philosopher (5 out of 5 stars)
December 15, 2014

This is an incredible book! I bought it for a friend for Christmas, and I'm toying with buying a copy for myself. The cliche is explained. The citations and research was absolutely fascinating. It's one of those books you can open to any page and learn something from. The explanations are short but thorough. Great job, author(s)!

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