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Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture

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The essential companion for the geek a fusion of inspirational quotes, philosophy, and pop culture that draws upon the entire cult-classic canon of film, TV, books, comics, and science.
 
Celebrate nerd culture by taking a page out of your all-time favorites, like Star Wars and Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings and Dune —and much more!
 
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.

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

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About the author

Stephen H. Segal

18 books14 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
119 reviews
November 26, 2011
I thought this book would be far more amusing. It takes itself far too seriously. I don't really need the quotes of my generation and my culture explained to me in black and white. I doubt that anyone not embedded in this culture would find it in interesting enough to pursue. This book feels pretentious.
76 reviews4 followers
November 23, 2019
This is one of those books where I often found myself thinking "I wish I had written that." It is a collection of quotes mostly from popular cultures, science fiction, and fantasy books, movies, and video games that most fans of the genre know. With each quote is an explanation of what those quotes mean in a larger context. This book is likely to do a number of things: provoke many arguments among fans of each of the entries, lead to late night dorm room discussions, and make a lot of people think twice. I think all of these things will make the authors proud.

In retrospect, I suppose I should have seen this coming. After all, the editor of the book once handed me a sheet of paper with excerpts from Dune on it for me to read and consider. That is what happens when your college roommate is deep-thinking and more well-read geek than you are. (One of those excerpts appear in this book.)

Dune is quoted in the book, along with Ghost Busters , and A Wrinkle in Time. But the book approaches encyclopedic status as it moves past The Matrix to more obscure offerings like The Last Unicorn (Really? That's my sister's movie!), and Henri Poincare's Science and Hypothesis.

While the book can be read at random, I found myself reading it in several long sittings because in some ways it was brain candy, in others, healthy food for thought, and also a trip down memory lane. I would remember coming across some of these things for the first time. I will probably pick it up to refer to it in the future for entertainment, reference, and as a source for things to read, watch or play.

Of course, I do have a couple of quibbles with it. One is that there should be something beyond the index to help you with quick references -- maybe a list of quotes broken out by category: movies, books, television shows, etc., something that ties the characters and works together perhaps. Also, the lack of Harlan Ellison feels like a large omission to this geek.

Finally, this book really gets it wrong about power converters. A little-known fact is that had Luke picked up those power converters, it would have left the Empire severely short on parts, and it would have collapsed under its own weight.
Profile Image for else fine.
277 reviews195 followers
May 28, 2011
I'm not going to finish this. I'm not actually sure where I put it. I didn't particularly like or dislike it. It was enjoyable for a few minutes, but didn't have much substance. Segal's tone was a little wary, which I thought gave the book a tinge of defensiveness and a little too much detachment, but who can blame him? No geek wants to discuss Geekdom with normal people within earshot, not really. And if this book fails to give an accurate depiction of the sincere and deeply held ethical beliefs of geeks, well, that's not what this type of book is for. You wouldn't blame "365 Zen" for failing to provide a thorough introduction to Zen Buddhism, either. And maybe - maybe! - non geeks will pick this book up and learn a little something about the rest of us dwelling quietly in their midst. I think not, though. Probably geeks (and our cousins, the nerds) will buy this hoping to feel validated.

What I really wished I was reading was something that doesn't yet exist: a Geek Bible. I think people, if they were being fair, would find it hard to argue with the assertion that religious and moral systems are constantly adapting and evolving. Geekdom has always attracted the visionary, the over-educated, and the rebellious: the perfect combination for developing a new ethical system. Normal people, please: I am not talking about Dianetics here. I am talking about the collective wisdom and, yes, the spiritual beliefs of Geekdom. What if we had a Bible of our own? It would contain the optimistic belief in human wisdom that filled Star Trek, the Eastern-influenced spiritual ethos of Star Wars, the ecological awareness and self-control advocated by 'Dune'. What geek, in a time of crisis, hasn't found solace in the Bene Gesserit litany against fear?

Maybe this little book is a step in that direction. An actual collection of geek wisdom would, of course, be difficult to pull off. We'd have to appoint a Geek Council of Elders to select and compile the texts. Maybe a Geek Pope to oversee the project. There would be epic disagreements, accusations of heresy, persecution, schisms. But if something could be hammered together, it might become apparent that Geek Wisdom really does have something meaningful to offer our brave new world.
Profile Image for Carol.
Author 1 book1 follower
February 7, 2013
I'll admit, I was intrigued when I saw the title and description of this book on ThinkGeek.com. I'm very much a geek, and anything including the pop culture references with which I am intimately familiar must be worth investigating.
Yes, it was worth investigating, but it wasn't what I expected. To tell truth, I'm not sure what exactly I DID expect - perhaps a collection of quotes, where they came from, some humorous anecdote - but what I got was a very in-depth, sometimes stretched, application of "geek" quotes to everyday life or worldview - it was even formatted like a daily devotional book, with one quote and expanding paragraph per page.
While no one author wrote the book, it's clear that the editors went to great lengths to try and include every favorite quote we geeks have ever uttered, and turn it into some deep philosophical treatise. While this worked for some things, like "The Spice must flow," it didn't work so well with other things, like "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Thankfully, there were humorous parts of it. The aforementioned "Spice must flow" page had a remark at the bottom suggesting that the book "Dune" be read with the assumption that caffeine was the Spice in question. :) I laughed.
Another fun feature of the book were the footnotes at the bottom of most pages; or, rather, the one-sentence trivia. Did you know that Tim Burton called "Edward Scissorhands" his most auto-biographical film? I didn't know that. Makes sense, though.
I enjoyed the book up until the last part, "Wisdom About the Universe." I grew cross at reading a constant undermining of the very possible existence of a Higher Being. I believe in God; I believe God loves me and has an active role in my life. To have the editors assume that all Geeks are either atheist or agnostic is insulting. Science does not exclude God from the universe, thank you very much.
I finished the book simply for the sake of finishing it, but that last section dampened the rest of it for me. Y'all, however, might enjoy it. So go forth and SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
Profile Image for Erica.
1,469 reviews496 followers
December 28, 2011
I only got 23 pages into the book + a full-book-skimming before giving up. I couldn't figure out who the intended audience was (it's not me, though) - was this written for people who are confused by geeks and nerds and want to know why they quote the things they quote? Was it written as a geek reflection, opening the door to a more thorough understanding of why geeks and nerds are the way they are? Whatever it was, I didn't feel the title matched the content; this was not a collection of sacred teachings of nerd culture. To me, it seemed as if the author and his friends sat down and examined their favorite quotes and came up with philosophies as to why those quotes were important to them and what they meant in their closed society. While I have read and seen and listened-to and even quoted many of the sources in the book, I did not feel the sources quoted were important for the reasons the author stated. I did not feel the explanations of why these bits of culture are important to geeks and nerds (I keep using those terms because they're in the book's title) were anything more than reflective essays on why these bits of culture are important to the author and his friends.
I wound up feeling like I was reading a blog by an author with whom I have no connection on a topic I find appealing for very different reasons and so I stopped reading.
Profile Image for Zain Hashmy.
74 reviews3 followers
May 4, 2018
After a few heavy reads, this book seemed ideal to relax with. As I guessed, it was light reading, with pop-culture and science fiction references all over the place. It's a very short read, but the writing style is just right, it never takes itself too seriously or goes into being too preachy.

Simply put, this book is a small collection of quotes and references from all of Geekdom, ranging from Terminator to Doctor Who to the famous "Leeroy Jenkins" from World of Warcraft. Those quotes have been explained and used to provide everyday wisdom, and while I have never wanted my favourite quotes explained, I wasn't let down either. The interpretation does tend to peg them down into a single dimension, but the writing style makes it funny and readable.
For example, a particular quote reads:
"
"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." - Gildor, Lord of the Rings.
This saying has spawned a favourite geek parody:
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
"

The book has plenty more hilarious snippets like this. At the end of the day, the book is fun to read, lighthearted, and immensely geeky. If you like science fiction, fantasy, pop-culture, or movies, definitely skim this book.
Profile Image for Fraser Simons.
Author 9 books296 followers
April 6, 2021
Wow. Got this as a gift a while back. Found it in a box the other day. It is very pretentious and off the mark. Basically construes pop culture references considered nerdy and recontextualize them based on his own world views, which are deeply privileged and seem to have foundation in moral absolutism. The first page has him digging on Paris Hilton because unlike Spider-Man, she doesn’t take responsibility for her actions.

Yeah, that’s a miss, for me.
Profile Image for Aaron Maurer.
240 reviews11 followers
September 18, 2011
This is a great read to have on your bedside or bathroom or in your work bag. It is not one of those books where you sit down on page 1 and just read straight through. I found myself bouncing around finding a quote that struck a chord with me and then reading the short essay.

This book will be in my collection and will be read over the course of a long time. Not because it is bad, but because I will read at moments when I just need some good old geek talk. I really liked reading the various quotes and remembering certain geek moments that I forgot all about.

One thing that I think this book should have is a companion website. I was looking online, but could not find one. Can you imagine how cool of an idea it would be to take this book and the basic concept, place it online and allow other geeks to add entries. Our very own Geek Wikipedia. That would be so cool.

Once again, I have hit a nice steak of excellent books. This one was a departure from the chapter book style and offered me little geek insights that I found very entertaining. Be sure to check this out at your bookstore over coffee and I guarantee you will walk out with this book in your hands.
Profile Image for Claire.
1,364 reviews43 followers
April 29, 2011
The Sacred Teachings of the Nerd Culture: Really what more needs saying- snippets of our favorite movies, comix, and novels are blazed across the top of each page with a bit of back story or commentary supporting it.
From Jefferson to Darth Vadar; Vonnegut to Wolverine pithy statements that evoke pondering or a smile. Fun.
Profile Image for Vicky.
Author 26 books59 followers
May 6, 2011
“Computer nerds are our titans of industry; comic-book superheros are our Hollywood idols; the Internet is our night on the town…Yes, this collection of min-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.”

Finally, a book of witticisms and wisdom for those of us who grew up entrenched in science fiction, computers, robotics, and so much more. “Geeks are passionate fans of stuff, and particularly of stuff that lies somewhere along one of two cultural axes: math and myth.”

Full of quotes from movies, TV, books, games, science and more, this is a fun look at all things geek. Included are funny/serious chapters on the self (“happiness means accepting who you are”), relationships (yes, geeks do have them!), humanity, conflict, the universe and future. There are quotes from Asimov to Yoda and everyone in between with short essays to point out the value of each.

Yes, this is a fun book to read. But it also has some deep wisdom that everyone should read, not just nerds and geeks. It’s deep while still being readable and witty. The editor, Stephen H. Segal is an award winning editor and it shows in this selection of essays. This is a definite pick up and read book. Highly recommended.

Note: I read this book as a Pre-pub ARC. But still loved it!
Profile Image for Kristyn.
478 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2019
I like the premise of this, and some of the short essays, but I had qualms about the broad use of a supposed dichotomy "we" meaning "Geeks" and everyone else who just doesn't understand. I preferred the selections that focused on what a particularl quote says about humanity rather than geekdom.

I kept thinking of a line from a song by the band We're About 9. The song is called "Human Experience" the line is "if the nerd is still the odd man out / then it's cool to be a hypocrite." We can apply this to both "sides." The selections that are most successful in this book are the ones that focus on the application of these quotes to humanity, or recognized the nuances and variations of geek culture, not the ones that generalized and reinforced the myth of "us" vs. "non-geeks"
102 reviews1 follower
January 9, 2012
I picked this book up in the humor section of my local Barnes & Noble. But, in reading it, I found it grossly misfiled. This collection of various pop culture quotes from everything from movies to books to historical figures is not just a collection of cool quotes (which it is). It is an exploration of what exactly these quotes actually mean, exploring the meta-meanings very profoundly, revealing the deeper meanings of statements which everyone, geek or not, has heard in their lives. I often found myself reading the entries and just saying, "Oh wow, I never thought of it that way before," pulling me in deeper and deeper into this book.
Profile Image for Mickie.
232 reviews13 followers
August 30, 2011
Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. My family and I have been ripping this book out of each others hands and reading aloud from it. My teen son loved it so much that he bought a copy to give as a birthday gift to another teen!! What teenager gives BOOKS as presents!?
Profile Image for Emma.
108 reviews40 followers
May 3, 2016
I’m kind of glad I read this but I’m also kind of glad I didn’t pay for it. This book is basically made up of well known sayings from nerd culture and each has a little paragraph of wisdom relating to each quote. It’s an interesting read but don’t pay full price for it.
Profile Image for Metalpig.
54 reviews3 followers
November 29, 2015
Lots of food for thought. Not nearly as self-congratulatory as I expected. Anyone who considers "geek" and related cultures as part of their identity should find at least a few insights here.
Profile Image for Caitlin.
280 reviews2 followers
did-not-finish
August 8, 2018
I only got about 20% of the way through this book before dumping it. I was hoping for more thoughtful essays, but instead I got little blurbs about iconic geek quotes that I’ve figured out for myself. I just don’t feel like skimming through the ebook version to find something deeper, which is why I gave up so quickly. I only picked it up because NK Jemisin was listed as one of the writers, but as far as I could tell, none of the chapters have writer names on it, so I couldn’t even look for her stuff. Some of the language and references felt like this was trying too hard to appeal to geeks without actually saying anything meaningful. I think this didn’t take itself seriously enough, and it ends up pandering to a sort of “wow, look at all the references we’re making!!” sort of mentality instead of thoughtfully engaging with the culture and understanding the influence of geekdom.

This book may be more meaningful for someone younger who is struggling to find themselves and is passionate about geek culture.
Profile Image for Magnus Trogen Pahlén.
54 reviews5 followers
May 30, 2021
Bitvis både kul och inspirerande. Sista kapitlet med visdomsord om framtiden gillande jag bäst. Hade gärna fått vara mer trivia och mer återberättande från varje del av geekvärlden den citerar. Nu verkar författarna ha gjort sitt bästa för att undvika spoilers. Märks att flera skrivit då aningens ojämn. Men fin!
43 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2019
This is a fun little book of inspiration and support for all of the geeks who love sci-fi, fantasy, and pop culture. It doesn't say we will rule the world, but it does let us know we can happily exist on it.
Profile Image for Julio Biason.
199 reviews28 followers
March 10, 2020
Although it is getting common in my reviews, I have to say this again: I have no idea what's the target of this book.

Everything starts with a quote: A scientist, a meme, a movie quote, a game character, take your "geek" pick". Then, it is followed by a commentary about the quote. And, finally, some piece of trivia/explanation about the quote itself.

The content of the book, then, is the commentary about the quotes.

And that's where my confusion comes.

Some explanations seem targeted to other geeks: "You see, So-And-So says this, so we geek should be careful about that". Some others seem targeted to non-geeks: "Geeks love So-And-So, because they said that and geeks related to it". So, it's a book to geeks or to non-geeks?

No only that, but some explanations are really dense, like the author (one of them) is trying to push a point in a short form and throwing jumping stones really fast, to the point that when you reach the end of the paragraph, you have no idea how it started.

And some are borderline insane: "Transformers! Transform and roll out!" is related to Martin Luther King "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." And with that all I can think is "Really? Like, really really?!?"

In the end, it is just a book about geeky quotes and a lot of filler.
Profile Image for Travis.
191 reviews58 followers
July 10, 2019
Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture is a collection of mini-essays written by N. K. Jemisin, Genevieve Valentine, Eric San Juan, and Zaki Hasan. It was edited by Stephen H. Segal.

With such a diverse team of writers, I was happy to see the emphasis on positivity and inclusion present in Geek Wisdom. It highlighted the positive elements of geek culture that we can all learn from, while gently reminding us that we still have a ways to go. Each of the 200 or so mini-essays takes a popular movie, game, book, or TV show and examines what made them so impactful and enduring in our collective conscious, as well as what nuggets of wisdom can be gleaned from them.

For a book that’s less than 250 pages, 200 mini-essays was a lot. No idea is discussed for more than a couple pages, which was something of a double-edged sword: It was easy to pick up the book and start reading without commitment, but it was just as easy to set it down.

I did appreciate the extensive footnotes on geek history, though. For instance, did you know that Superman: The Motion Picture (1978) was the first time Lex Luthor was portrayed as a businessman? Or that Mario was originally called “Jumpman” and was actually once portrayed as the villain? These little fun facts were sprinkled throughout the text and my inner trivia nerd loved them.

One unfortunate aspect of geek culture is that it tends to be considered, to put it bluntly, white and male. I don’t believe that’s actually true, but there is unfortunately still a very real problem with sexism, racism, and an “us vs. them” mentality present today. Geek Wisdom felt like it was primarily written to nudge a few of the less open-minded geeks towards wisdom through the lens of their favorite franchises. So you could say this is a highly political book. Rather than trying to make their arguments themselves, the authors are simply pointing out the wisdom to be found in geek classics all along.

There’s a central dilemma they deal with: Because most geeks have, historically speaking, generally identified as outcasts on the margins of society, they often have trouble understanding that it’s possible for some geeks to be marginalized even within geekdom due to other qualities of identity, such as gender, race, and class.

Of all the points that stood out to me in Geek Wisdom, one of the most memorable was how we interpret strength. There’s a trend in geek culture to look down upon physical strength, prioritizing wits and intelligence. And that’s a perfectly valid set of priorities, but not the only one.

We all tend to believe that our own best characteristic represents “true strength,” just as we’re all instinctively inclined to believe that a person who agrees with us a lot must be a very smart person indeed. Therefore, as intellectuals, we find physical force abhorrent in the extreme, in part because it just plain is, but also in part because our self-esteem depends on believing that mental power is more important.

I could go on and on with relevant quotes from the book. It’s one of the most quotable books I’ve ever read. Instead, I’ll close with one last quote that I feel best encompasses the message of Geek Wisdom:

We geeks all share an important trait. It’s not just that we can imagine—everyone can—it’s that we’re not afraid to.

We geeks are not afraid to imagine new worlds, from the far past to the distant future, full of magic and impossible technology and societies entirely unlike our own. So why not imagine a better version of our own world?

Find this review and more at The Fantasy Inn
Profile Image for Jeff.
113 reviews1 follower
May 6, 2024
Don't bother trying to read this cover-to-cover. It's almost certainly meant to be more like a coffee table book, or a joke book you pull off the shelf, thumb to a page, chuckle, and then put back down again. And moreover, its discussions on the "sacred teachings" are shallow, obvious, and boring. There could be and should be an insightful, rewarding book with this exact title, premise, and structure. This ain't it.
Profile Image for Reader.
13 reviews
March 27, 2012
One line in Geek Wisdom sums up my childhood, my teens and my twenties: "Sometimes it's hard to accept one's inner weirdo."

Geek Wisdom brought back memories of forgotten moments in my life; I didn't expect the trip down memory lane but was grateful for it. It reminded me of books and movies I want to revisit. The book also introduced me to some bits of geek culture that I missed somehow.

It's impossible for a book like this to cover all available material out there. I'm hoping for another volume with the same quick essay approach from varied sources. As it stands, this book is manageable and approachable for a wide range of readers, even those of the non-geek species.

I was caught off-guard by the self-help aspects of the commentary, but also found it inviting and though-provoking, much like Segal's opening ruminations:

The question was: "What was your religion when you were growing up?" And my answer was: "Uh, science fiction, pretty much."

I meant it as a joke. I was poking fun at myself, saying that I'd been such a freaking geek as a kid, watching Star Trek and reading Tolkien and writing computer programs and building TARDIS models, you'd think that stuff was my religion. But as soon as it came out of my mouth, I immediately understood this was no joke. It was absolutely 100 per cent true in a way that I'd never thought of before--and, furthermore, it was a good thing.


The format is akin to an encyclopedia: you can flip to any page and start reading that entry. I liked that I didn't have to start from the beginning. I flipped to different parts and caught myself reading for much longer than I had intended.

Geek Wisdom is a compendium of witticisms and catch phrases, each with a brief history and a fairly fast-moving analysis. Those expecting a dissertation on only a few geek-isms will be disappointed. Those looking for a varied cultural sampling will be thrilled. The wisdom comes from "scriptures" and "teachings" as diverse as The Princess Bride, Einstein, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Stan Lee, Lovecraft and The Kids in the Hall.
Profile Image for Tung.
630 reviews49 followers
November 12, 2013
Facts about me: my water bottle and lunchbox have Superman logos on them; I've read the Lord of the Rings trilogy about a dozen times, and have seen the movies about thirty times each; for my birthday this year I got a plastic Captain America shield; about fifty percent of the daily blogs I read are tech blogs and I'm not in the tech industry. In short, I am a geek, which is why I really, really wanted to enjoy this book. The book is essentially a series of short (VERY short) musings about identity, relationships, the universe, and the future from a geek's perspective. Each musing is preceded by a quote, followed by a paragraph tying the quote to some larger theme. The quotes come from the sources you'd expect: Tolkien, Star Wars, Star Trek, comic books, The Big Bang Theory, The Princess Bride, video games, The Simpsons, Harry Potter books, and more (I'm proud I instantly recognized about 95% of the included quotes). Unfortunately, these musings belong on a page-a-day calendar rather than in book form. These musings are literally a handful of sentences thrown into single paragraphs for each quote. I would rather the book had consisted of geek culture essays (a la Chuck Klosterman) that ran much longer and included fewer quotes; at least that would have provided some depth. These are simply shallow quick observations -- most of which are cliches like know yourself, don't be a jerk, treat each other with respect, etc. Geeks will get a momentary thrill from recognizing the quotes, but beyond that, these musings are too shallow. Pass on this one.
Profile Image for Elena.
206 reviews
August 11, 2014
Lo entiendo, de verdad, lo entiendo. Seguro que los autores de este libro crecieron en una época en la que tener intereses frikis* era más difícil, sin internet para ponerse en contacto con gente que los compartiese, mayor presión social, etc. Pertenecen a la generación resentida. Pero, al menos en mi opinión, los tiempos han cambiado, y los que siguen aferrándose a la "superioridad" intelectual o moral del friki™ sobre el "hombre común" están haciendo lo que a ellos se les hizo, o lo que tanto desprecian. Y ese es el tonillo que desprende este libro a menudo... Como todas esas páginas en las que hablan de cómo los frikis** desprecian a las masas que se dejan pastorear por el último éxito televisivo (esto... ¿cómo van las recaudaciones de cartelera de Marvel Studios?) Mira, todos tenemos algún interés especial, ya sea una película, un equipo de fútbol, un periodo histórico o un diseñador de moda. Según la RAE, friki ="persona que practica desmesurada y obsesivamente una afición". ¿Podemos llevarnos ya todos bien?

(Sobre el libro en sí: interesante como colección de citas muy variadas, pero el nivel y pertinencia del análisis me recuerda a mis intentos de llenar más páginas en los exámenes de filosofía.)

*que, viendo las fuentes de estas citas, abarcan cosas tan extremas como Saturday Night Live
**no quiero volver a leer esta palabra en la menos una semana, por favor
Profile Image for Sara.
264 reviews11 followers
August 29, 2011
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads program.

If you're a geek, you probably enjoy quotes. If you're an especially nerdy kind of geek, you might like your quotes annotated. If you're beyond that (like me), you will certainly enjoy that many of the quotes in Geek Wisdom also have footnotes.

This handy, pocket-size volume claims to explore the wisdom to be found in the holy texts of geekdom. Never fear--said explorations are bite-sized, keeping to a single page. Inside, you'll find a bit of philosophy, a bit of cultural studies, a bit of history, and so on. Quotes from favorite geeky movies, books, games, and more are analyzed not only within their original context, but within the context of the human experience (or cyborg experience, depending).

This book is probably best if it is not read in one sitting. Read a page or two and ponder what the geek canon has to tell you about life.
Profile Image for Jane.
Author 28 books91 followers
December 11, 2014
Think of every great geek movie quote ever (well at least through 2010 when this book was published). And consider what it's meant to you. Why might you toss it into a conversation, dare to utter it during an important presentation, call upon its sentiments in your hour of need? That's what this book does--in a tongue-in-cheek yet serious manner, finds the wisdom even as it laughs at such phrases as (if you can't finish the quotes, you probably wouldn't like this book...) "By Grabthar's Hammer...." "Ray, if someone asks you if you are a god..." "Do. Or do not. There is no..."You keep saying that word. I do not think..." You get the picture.

I made this book last as long as I could, reading no more than 2 "devotionals" a day. Enjoy its pages. And--ADDED BONUS!--never again be guilty of misquoting the giants of geekdom!!
Profile Image for Sharon.
30 reviews2 followers
August 15, 2011
*Goodreads Giveaway*
This is a great book that anyone who considers themselves a "geek" will love. The quotes are pulled together, in an enjoyable way, from all sorts of sources (cartoons, sci-fi, movies, comicbooks, etc.) The writing is witty and humorous. Where else can you find quotes from The Kids in the Hall, Firefly, Simpsons, Star Wars, and Clue? The insight that is shed on every quote is wonderful. I recommend Geek Wisdom to anyone (self-proclaimed geek or not) and would make a perfect gift.
Profile Image for Jill.
326 reviews10 followers
March 18, 2012
Geek Wisdom is a collection of mini-essays that expand on, interpret, comment upon, and philosophise about, some of the most well-known quotes from movies, television shows, literature, games, science, the internet etc. Some essays are humorous, most are profound, and as a collection, I’m sure that they all speak to our inner nerd.
The fact that most of these quotations are now a part of everyday pop-culture says it all - maybe "the geek shall inherit the Earth". So get your geek on and read this book and hey - "Live long and prosper".
Profile Image for Tory.
3 reviews
June 19, 2020
I abandoned this book after reading the section where Martin Luther King, Jr. was compared to an anthropomorphized truck. The author made the claim that Optimus Prime, of the Transformers, was just like Martin Luther King, Jr. and they had the same message. This is offensive on so many levels. Not the least of which is comparing a Black man to an object. I am disgusted with this and will not continue this book nor will I read anything from this author in the future. This is utterly reprehensible.
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