American Nerd - Benjamin Nugent

A surprising book. I expected it to be a guy memoir - funny, self-absorbed, autobiographical. But it is much more academic than that, while still being very readable. Nugent traces the history of the nerd stereotype - where did it come from, how is it represented in popular culture, where there nerds in the 18th century (yes, Mary Bennett of Pride and Prejudice was one). He reflects one what nerds get from their distinctive obsessions, like Dungeons & Dragons or Society for Creative Anachronisms. And he uses his childhood experiences and those of his childhood friends to illuminate the subject. I found it an interesting and sensitive discussion.

American Nerd: The Story of My People
Benjamin Nugent
2008
Available from Amazon