American Nerd 240
Adam Jenkins writes "This book seemed to have potential, particularly since the image of nerds has changed in recent times.
Once objects of derision and schoolyard bullying, nerds are now acknowledged as having a place in society.
The Lord of the Rings became a multi-million dollar movie trilogy, the internet is now used by an incredible number of people,
and computer games are no longer seen as being 'just for kids.' Around the years of the dot-com boom, successful
nerds were driving Ferraris and going to cool parties. So it's not so surprising
that the definition of a nerd has changed over time, nor that a society which has generally become better at accepting
people who are different, has accepted nerds." Read below for the rest of Adam's review.
As is clear from the title, American Nerd sets out to concentrate on the American nerd, and to define what a nerd is.
As with a lot of social labels, it's not so easily defined. Nugent defines two categories of nerd; those who are intellectual and socially
awkward in a machine-like way, and also people who are simply socially excluded. We learn that the word 'nerd' first started being used in
America around the 1960s, but as well as the more recent 'geek', there have also been words like 'boffin' and 'greasy grind' which are similar in meaning.
The book is divided into three sections, with the history of the nerd, a more detailed section called "Among the Nerds",
and a shorter section "My Credentials". The latter section expands on the glimpses into Nugent's life through the rest of the book,
like the case study in the second part about Nugent's friend from the Ghetto of Amherst and includes another case study,
about another of his childhood friends.
| American Nerd: The Story of My People | |
| author | Benjamin Nugent |
| pages | 224 |
| publisher | Scribner |
| rating | 9/10 |
| reviewer | Adam Jenkins |
| ISBN | 978-0-743-28801-9 |
| summary | A history and entertaining discussion of the American Nerd. |
The author spent some his school years being picked on as a nerd and at the start he discloses that consequently his journalistic objectivity is compromised. Later in the book, he tells us that he stopped being a nerd in his teens. As part of this disclaimer, Nugent states that he empathizes with nerds and anti-nerds alike, and really, who better to do that than an ex-nerd? He seems to have done some good research for the book, including attending the Third Annual Anime Los Angeles Convention, SCA events like Estrella War in Arizona, and talking with Rosie Shuster and Anne Beatts, who wrote the first nerd sketch for Saturday Night Live.
The publishers claim this is the first comprehensive examination of nerds, and it's certainly a fine study of the history to date. No doubt there are good related academic papers in the fields of psychology and sociology, and the books of Professor Sherry Turkle (mentioned in this book) sound interesting, but American Nerd is not only more accessible, but it is specifically about nerds. I've read a couple of books which have touched upon nerd culture, but they have mostly concentrated on other topics; usually the stories of early Silicon Valley pioneers and their companies. Nugent's book covers not only the more usual topics like how nerds are treated at school and what a nerd is, but also science fiction fan clubs and conventions, computer gamers, "fake nerds", Japanese pop culture and parallels between race discrimination and nerds. I was a little surprised that some nerd subcultures weren't included, like those around computer bulletin board systems, or tabletop gaming and live action roleplaying. There were lots of analogies and examples from not only movies like Blade Runner, Rain Man and The Nutty Professor, but also classic literature, like Pride and Prejudice, and Frankenstein. Of more current works, there's mention of Beauty and the Geek and The Big Bang Theory, and some interesting information about the production of Freaks and Geeks.
I'm not sure whether the book would appeal only to nerds or ex-nerds. I think the subject material is probably broad enough that it would have a greater appeal. Parts of the book are quite funny like the story about a Super Smash Bros. Melee competition at a Major League Gaming tournament, and the examples of strange vocabulary adopted by gamers. There are also stories about Ben and his interactions with his friend's crazy Mormon Mum. Toward the end of the book, he described getting drunk with popular kids at age 13 in Petrozavodsk, Russia and deciding he didn't want to be a nerd anymore. There was a lot that I learned from this book, not just the history of nerds, but also something of modern subcultures like yaoi, otaku and SCA, as well as some American specific things like RPIs Bachelor journal and high school debating. Though there's some parallels drawn in this book between the UK and the US in the coverage of "muscular Christianity" around the late 19th century, I am sure that currently nerds in the UK are quite different to those in the US, and I did wonder generally just how nerds in other countries are similar and different to the American variety.
This is an intelligent and thought-provoking book, which also manages to be entertaining. Whether you're a nerd or not, you will find parts of the book that remind you of some of your own experiences and make you appreciate how much richer our society is for having nerds!
You can purchase American Nerd: The Story of My People from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
Examples are not nerdy (Score:5, Insightful)
Appreciation of Classic Fantasy != Nerd. There is the subculture who speak elvish and whatnot, but it's difficult to make the case that this makes them "nerds" rather than being classified as "geek" (American nomenclature), "otaku" (Japanese nomenclature), or simply obsessive fanatics.
That might be considered nerdy if we were still living in the 90's. However, there is very little about today's computers that screams "nerd". Nerds are partly responsible for its success, but otherwise nerds are still in areas where we're a bit obsessive about the intellectual pursuits. (e.g. CompSci) At least now we tend to make a lot of money off of it. ;-)
Oh come on. All the cool kids had computer games in the 80s. That was far from the mark of a nerd. It was far more nerdy to brag about how you programmed your computer or calculator to compute Pi to the 100th decimal place. And in any case, computer gaming is on the decline in favor of more sophisticated game consoles.
not to be the pedant here... (Score:3, Insightful)
Ok, I feel like I'm arguing over "trekker" vs. "trekkie" here but nerd and geek both started out as pejoratives indicating the socially awkward who stood outside of the norm. Geek has softened over time to indicate someone who may stick out of the norm but whose intelligence and skills help compensate for perceived social shortcomings. Nerd still has a negative connotation.
Led Zeppelin != Turbo Nerds (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Revenge of the Nerds... (Score:2, Insightful)
I disagree. a Geek may be an intellectual master of his field. But they are clueless outside of that field, including in social interaction. A nerd has a broader field of interest and expertise. What the two have in common is that we are both smart and share a common aspect of "freak" culture.
I am a nerd, I am equally at home behind a computer screen, under a car with a wrench, in a shop making furniture or in the arms of my lovable little goth chick.
Re:Nerds. (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, my hands move faster than I can think sometimes. When words like "there/their/they're" come along, my brain just says "there". Especially in a hurry or under stress, my brain doesn't say "WHOA there buddy. That sound can be spelled more than one way depending on the context".
This is where the amazing skill taught in school called "proofreading" kicks in. Before you click "Submit" you pause, re-read what you've written, think about it for a moment, and correct any mistakes. Conveniently, Slashdot even provides a "Preview" button to make this "proofreading" even easier :)
*Sigh* Only on Slashdot (Score:5, Insightful)
Will you get nerds and geeks trying to not only define themselves as nerds and geeks but also argue about what it means to be a nerd or geek and which one is more legitimate.
I am a nerd, I know I am. But I'm not ashamed of it because my nerdom allows me make a living doing things that are far from mundane. I don't dread going to work everyday, just dealing with the commute full of those non-nerds that make up rest of the workforce that I have to support in one way or another in my IT endeavors. Just because I'm a nerd doesn't mean I have to fit some pre-described mold. I don't have to be a skinny, socially maladjusted, pasty white kid. I can be physically fit, well groomed and active outdoors with friends that don't cower in the dark fearful of the world either.
There are nerds and geeks everywhere. I have friends who are nurses and paramedics and they live and breathe their medical fields constantly. They know everything about it, inside and out. I can ask them about anything medical and they have some insight for me. But ask them to build a push-pull amplifier using pentode vacuum tubes and adjustable gain control and they wouldn't have clue one. They also wouldn't know anything about the aforementioned TCP/IP stack. Then again, I have friends that are auto mechanics and they can talk at length about the mechanical workings of car but when you start discussing the machine code and C programs used to program and operate the fuel injection computer and they get out of their element quick.
Everybody has a little nerd in them. Just like everybody has a little redneck in them. Just because nerd and geek are seen as derogatory terms in most cases doesn't mean that people who have the nerd or geek mentality about their chosen topic means that they should strive to fit some stereotype. Breaking out of the stereotype invalidates the stereotype and eventually removes that stereotype from common knowledge.
Don't be proud to call yourself a geek or nerd and relish in the uniqueness of the social ineptitude just to say you are different and find your pride there. Be proud to be a geek or nerd because you are different. You are a computer expert or an electronics expert. Be proud that you have skills and abilities that most of the non-nerds don't have. View yourself as an asset to society, as a professional in your profession and present yourself that way. Then people have no choice but to see you as a professional systems admin or engineer rather than one of those "IT Geeks" or an "Engineering nerd".
Re:Revenge of the Nerds... (Score:4, Insightful)
No, you're pretty backwards (at least for the East Coast). Geeks have interests, but are generally fairly socially savvy and competent. You've got music geeks, art geeks, etc.
Nerds are the MIT-esque pocket-protector types.
Re:Revenge of the Nerds... (Score:5, Insightful)
{sarcasm} All hail to you, Count of Monte Cristo!{/sarcasm}
Seriously: At first I, too, thought that it would be nice to show off with my achievements and feast on the look of their faces.
But then I realized that being an academic has another nice advantage: I was able to choose to live in a completely different surrounding in which I NEVER HAVE TO SEE THESE DIMWITS EVER AGAIN.
And to that I say: WOOT ;-)
Voices from the Hellmouth (Score:5, Insightful)
Are we really that much farther away now from Nerd having a negative stigma than we were back in '99 during http://slashdot.org/articles/99/04/25/1438249.shtml [slashdot.org] one of the more famous/important discussions on /.?
Reformed Nerd? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm not sure I trust the opinions or objectivity of anyone who is a "reformed nerd". That probably will keep me from buying the book.
To reform you have to recognize a problem. To recognize a problem you have to believe that something is wrong. Therein lies my concern.
Re:Nerds will be nerds (Score:5, Insightful)
Wikipedia has good article [wikipedia.org] on the evolution of the term "geek." Often important issues are decided by the terms used by both sides to define the issue. For example, "pro-life" is used rather than "anti-abortion." Americans have a huge problem: we aren't learning enough science, math, and technology skills. This is especially true for our daughters. In other countries, like China and India, such skills are encouraged and respected.
The battle for the definition of the term "geek" is the same battle. If we want to put America back on track, we need to respect intelligence again, and push all our children to excel in learning science, math, and technology. Like it or not, "geek" is the label for all children who excel in these areas. If we can win the battle over the connotations of being a geek, it will be much easier to properly educate our kids.
Typical dichotomy of people in America (Score:2, Insightful)
Why does one have to be a nerd, jock, or preppy or whatever. What about working hard at academics, art, and sports? I am not saying that you have to be good at it all; just participating in more than just one area. I guess the ancient Greek values of spirit, body, and mind is what I'm alluding to.
No wonder we've turned into this one dimensional society.
Don't kid yourself (Score:3, Insightful)
I seriously doubt things have changed, regardless of what books or technologies reach blockbuster status in the mainstream. Anyone overly interested in what's under the hood of those blockbusters will still be treated differently. And nerds have always had a place in society: as objects of derision and schoolyard bullying.
Re:What am I? (Score:5, Insightful)
Narcissistic? Self-absorbed? Insecure and needing validation?
Really: why are you posting all this stuff on /.?
Re:Voices from the Hellmouth (Score:3, Insightful)
It's about some people being dicks. They don't act like that towards you because you're smarter or nerdier than them. They act like that to everyone because they're assholes.
Re:I lost it (Score:5, Insightful)
First, Windows made computers more usable to more people. Admittedly, Apple did it first and better, but Gates did more to bring it to the masses, simply because Apple had so little market share. Second- and perhaps more importantly- he made a s***load of money doing that. Americans have a strong anti-intellectual streak, but they do respect the ability to make unholy amounts of cash.
Re:Those are america's problems (Score:5, Insightful)
I won't argue that the issue isn't different in different nations. In fact, I would go further saying that there is a strong cultural element. The United States is a large nation, with a diverse array of cultures, even among those with long histories in the country (trying spending a week in New England, followed by a week in the heart of Appalachia, then Texas).
To state that harassment of "smart kids" is only present in America, however, is absurd. I think the US inherited the roots of the practice from European boarding schools centuries ago.
Re:Revenge of the Nerds... (Score:3, Insightful)
I think dork covers it. ;)
Re:Nerds. (Score:2, Insightful)
No revenge needed. Was:Re:Revenge of the Nerds... (Score:2, Insightful)
I was a classic nerd throughout school. When I went back to rural North Carolina for my 20th high school reunion, I wasn't sure to expect, but what I found was that everyone had simply grown up. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Everyone was perfectly nice, we had good conversation, and it was just a big family cookout at the house of one of my classmates. Some of my classmates had started their own businesses, most were married with kids, and were generally doing well and happy. Sure, I make more money than most of them, I've likely seen a lot more of the world than they have, probably generally more educated, but mainly I realized that I no longer had much of anything in common with them - we didn't enjoy the same things, we didn't have the same hobbies, and not much shared experience. But everyone who'd been an asshole in school to me had long gotten over it, and so had I.
*shrug* I guess I'm supposed to feel all superior, but I honestly don't care enough to hang on to a bunch of BS that happened when we were all kids, and neither did they. We have important issues to deal with.
Re:"Nerd" is a cop-out (Score:3, Insightful)
I think part of it is more desire, than ability. I often fail to see the point of acting like someone other than myself for no other reason than to impress people, or make "contacts" (an idea that I actually find repulsive). The size of my "social network" is meaningless to me.
I find people always desperately grasping for human contact slightly pitiful, and rather sad. Your measure as a man has nothing to do with who, or how many people, you know, but only with how you value your experience of life. Especially people who need a book for it, if I ever caught people using the methodology of that book on me, I'd drop them quickly. These aren't people who want to know me, they want me as an object to count among their resources. This is a rather sociopathic way of relating to your fellow man.
If there is no connection, then they are a waste of time. If it requires work to know someone, they probably aren't worth my time, be civil with them, nothing more.