Nerd superstar Chris Hardwick offers his fellow "creative obsessives" crucial information needed to come out on top in the current Nerd upris... read full description
reviews
Feb 03, 2012
Michael
rated it: 
Nerdist was a lot of fun to go through. I'd been listening to Hardwick's Nerdist podcast for quite a while, so his announcement of a productivity book felt like something I could make use of. One of the central points of the book is taking the laser-focus of the nerd brain and refocusing it on productive tasks.
Yes, we dedicate ourselves to learning all the races mentioned in Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Star Wars or Hitchhiker's Guide, but what if we could take that same energy and re More...
Yes, we dedicate ourselves to learning all the races mentioned in Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Star Wars or Hitchhiker's Guide, but what if we could take that same energy and re More...
Jan 23, 2012
Jaime
rated it: 
I generally don’t read self-help books, but I picked this up because I am a fan of Chris Hardwick. Hardwick, who some may recognize as being one of the hosts of MTV’s Singled Out way back in the 90s, spent much of his 20s partying, drinking, and generally ruining his life. What happened when he hit 30 is best expressed in his own words:
"Then, when I hit thirty, I began to look around at my life: I was consuming a baby elephant’s weight in alcohol EVERY DAY. I lived in a shitty apa More...
"Then, when I hit thirty, I began to look around at my life: I was consuming a baby elephant’s weight in alcohol EVERY DAY. I lived in a shitty apa More...
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Jan 06, 2012
Paul
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Comic Chris Hardwick is probably the last person I would've thought of to write a self help book for nerds, but believe it or not it works. Across nearly 300 pages he dumbs down the idea of what it takes to succeed & puts it into a guide that is designed for those of us who may or may not be all that people smart. Each section focuses on a different area of the person from mind to body to time. What makes this even more unique is that he takes asks the reader to treat life as if it's a gigantic
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Nov 20, 2011
Meghan
rated it: 
I like the idea of this book a whole lot. Hardwick's definition of "nerd" is right on: nerds are those with hyper-self-awareness, with minds that tend towards fixations. Obsessions. Whichever. Reading this book I was reminded of so many people I know, brilliant bright people with brilliant bright minds who are sometimes waylaid by their own processing speed. Hardwick's idea is to take the speed, to take the self-awareness, and to turn it into the asset. Like, I have all these awesome p
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Nov 19, 2011
Teresa
rated it:
Chris Hardwick is like the geeky big brother I never had, showing me where I'm headed in ten years if I keep thinking like I do. Not that I expect to be famous like him, but I hope to get to the point where I am consistently creating and publishing rather than just consuming geeky media. His advice was great reassurance that I'm on the right track, and his anecdotes made me feel better knowing that what I see as a personal burnout phase could have been so much worse.
The book is bro More...
The book is bro More...
Nov 15, 2011
Eric
rated it:
I know what you’re thinking. Why in the hell would I take self-help advice from the former co-host of MTV’s dating game show “Singled Out”? Well, fair point, but consider this. Shortly after the show ended, Hardwick fell onto hard times: alcoholism, weight gain, wrecked credit, inconsistent employment, and the kicker: he was working as an intern at “The Daily Show” when Jon Stewart told interview guest (and former “Singled Out” co-host) Jenny McCarthy that Hardwick was the guy who fetched everyo
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Nov 11, 2011
Whereismyrobot
rated it:
I want a mini Chris Hardwick to sit on my shoulder and tell me everything is going to be okay! This book is a self-help book that brisks through all the self-help advice almost anyone could need; health, addiction, living your dreams, etc. (thought he does claim that he is no expert, but someone who has lived through these things.) I definitely related to Hardwick and it was a fun listen (I have it on audio. Thanks, audible.com!) I just started getting into Nerdist podcasts, so I will definitely
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Nov 23, 2011
India
rated it:
Great chapter for obsessive over-thinkers: Dr. Xaviering Your Mind
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Nov 19, 2011
Teresa
rated it:
Chris Hardwick is like the geeky big brother I never had, showing me where I'm headed in ten years if I keep thinking like I do. Not that I expect to be famous like him, but I hope to get to the point where I am consistently creating and publishing rather than just consuming geeky media. His advice was great reassurance that I'm on the right track, and his anecdotes made me feel better knowing that what I see as a personal burnout phase could have been so much worse.
The book is b More...
The book is b More...
Feb 18, 2012
Bill
rated it:
Very entertaining book - Chris is definitely a smart/funny guy. I think this really deserves 3.5 stars... why cant you enter half stars? That really frustrates me...
Anyway, definitely an interesting (i.e. very nerdy) approach to the self-help book. He definitely provides some good insights/recommendations/guiding principles but the RPG-style "character tome" idea was a little much for me (even though I am a pretty big nerd).
As I said, very entertaining More...
Dec 15, 2011
Danielle
rated it:
I am a big fan of the Nerdist podcast, which is hosted by Chris Hardwick, the author of this book. The book is a humorous self-help book aimed at nerds. When I say it is humorous I mean that it is written in an engaging and amusing style. It still contains a plethora of useful information particularly for anyone who really is in need of some self-help. The book is broken up into three sections focusing on Mind, Body, and Time. In each Hardwick shares stories from his own life along with advice o
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Jan 10, 2012
Jenny
rated it:
Well, everyone knows I love the Nerdist and Christ Hardwick. He is hilarious and witty and an amazing host & interviewer. This book is helpful in a number of ways - in fact, the ways that the book are divided into! I especially liked the list of software he used at the end and what he used each thing to do (shout out to my main man Evernote!). I have to admit, I got a little annoyed at the CAPS LOCKS TO BE SUPER EMPHATIC thing, maybe because I know how he talks so it was unnecessary...I also
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Nov 29, 2011
Andie
rated it: 
I've been obsessively listening to the Nerdist podcast for a couple of months now, and have loved the great discussions of craft (writing, acting, standup) that have happened with various guests inbetween the Doctor Who obsessiveness. So when I saw that Chris Hardwick had a book out, I picked it up without knowing it was a self-help book.
As a self-help book, it has a lot of quality advice, but it lacks the charm and spontaneity that I find so attractive in the Nerdist Podcast. Compare More...
As a self-help book, it has a lot of quality advice, but it lacks the charm and spontaneity that I find so attractive in the Nerdist Podcast. Compare More...
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Jan 29, 2012
Joanna
rated it:
i am giving this an extra star for tone alone. i like that chris hardwick is PSYCHED. if i had to choose whether i would rather live in a world of chris hardwicks or a world of marc marons, i wouldn't hesitate to pick the chris hardwick world: i would pick it immediately, and i would pick it EVERY TIME.
there are faults to this but they didn't detract too much for me from the overall enjoyment of the book. i went into this knowing that chris isn't a writer. he writes the way that he tal More...
there are faults to this but they didn't detract too much for me from the overall enjoyment of the book. i went into this knowing that chris isn't a writer. he writes the way that he tal More...
Jan 12, 2012
Mike
rated it:
I didn't think it was possible. Nothing since school used to make me exercise has EVER made me exercise. This heady combination of humour, indefatigable optimism, and cursing is amazing. Or to use the vernacular: AMAZEBALLS.
Chris Hardwick speaks exactly my language and I'd like to own this as an e-book for future reference. It's in the bookstore humour section, but it was also a surprisingly insightful life guide. Likening oneself to a role-playing character and gaining experience is prefe More...
Chris Hardwick speaks exactly my language and I'd like to own this as an e-book for future reference. It's in the bookstore humour section, but it was also a surprisingly insightful life guide. Likening oneself to a role-playing character and gaining experience is prefe More...
Jan 24, 2012
Sarina
rated it:
I have been a Chris Hardwich fan for a while and was pumped to read his book. Some points in the book gave me great relief, it made me feel like I am not the only weirdo in the world who thinks this about themselves or has a habbit of doing whatever. It was good to see! I also appreciate his advice !
I love the idea of created a Character tome. It made me really want to start playing Dungeons and Dragons. I did infact make one and while looking at it and creating my inventory of weapons I More...
I love the idea of created a Character tome. It made me really want to start playing Dungeons and Dragons. I did infact make one and while looking at it and creating my inventory of weapons I More...
Feb 18, 2012
DJ
rated it:
The best part of this book was actually hearing Chris Hardwick narrate this book in my head. No, I didn't have an audio copy, but having listened to every podcast (as I'm sure a lot of us who have read this book can agree) I felt like he was narrating. That being said, while it was a good read, it wasn't exactly what I expected, even though I really DID care for its content. The way he wrote random jokes as metaphors was incredibly hilarious.
He simplified his process of coming o More...
He simplified his process of coming o More...
Jan 21, 2012
Brittany
rated it:
As a fan of Chris Hardwick, I knew I had to get this book. It's a cross between a self-help novel and a memoir. Hardwick has that spark which makes you want to be his best friend, and he has the skills to make you want to read more.
The book was an interesting look into how you can change your life for the better, and not become that person who lives in the basement of your mother's house.
I myself can't say how much it "changed my life", because most of the stuff More...
The book was an interesting look into how you can change your life for the better, and not become that person who lives in the basement of your mother's house.
I myself can't say how much it "changed my life", because most of the stuff More...
Nov 12, 2011
Jen
rated it:
Overall it was fine. The second section about working out seemed to really be geared towards people who have never, ever participated in any kind of physical activity. I liken the structure of this book to a sort of Oprah's LIfeclass for "nerds". Sometimes Chris says things that make it seem like he has a very stereotypical view of his target audience (from the podcast I know that isn't 100% true) and the book like of geared toward that. I've always found the Nerdist podcast inspiri
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Nov 19, 2011
Brooke
rated it:
I guess I've never read a self-help book before, because I went into this expecting some funny philosophizing from a self-proclaimed nerd who likes Doctor Who and instead found a step-by-step instruction book that included creating an RPG-ish notebook where you give yourself points and a how-to about cleaning up your credit score. Fine and fluffy at best, but I'd expect someone who insists he's super-nerdy to have a better grasp of "your" vs. "you're" and to know that symbols
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Nov 07, 2011
Charlene
rated it:
I'm such a big fan of the Nerdist podcast, that I had to buy this book, even though I wasn't sure it would really tell me anything that would really improve my life. I thought there was enough insight coming from Chris Hardwick through the podcast and his website. I was wrong. I actually realized quite a few things about the nerdy brain really did apply to me and how I (previously inexplicably) react to certain things. And the breakdown in this book of how the nerd brain thinks and obsesses
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Feb 19, 2012
Byron
rated it:
If you are geeky and nerdy, this may be the self help book for you. I didn't grab a lot of new info out of it, but it did reenforce most of what I learned throughout my 30s about getting things done and getting my butt up and getting some exercise.
I found the first part of the book more entertaining and useful than the last. The last part of the book got into a fair amount of specific info about exercising. That info might be good for some, but didn't add much for me.
I found the first part of the book more entertaining and useful than the last. The last part of the book got into a fair amount of specific info about exercising. That info might be good for some, but didn't add much for me.
Jan 05, 2012
Kass
rated it:
I loved this. It's a great book for 20 somethings and beyond trying to get their shiz together. As a person who has spent the last decade wandering around the country trying to figure "it" out and responding to all the crazy out there, this soothed me. Nerdy folk think a little differently and obsess over stuff they think is awesome from an early age and Hardwick focuses on harnessing that for personal benefit, as well as tampering the damage we all do to things like our bodies and
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Feb 08, 2012
Elizabeth
rated it:
I actually really liked this book. I didn't realize it was so self-help-y, I thought it was more of a comedy book. However, I cannot recommend listening to it, because he talks in some weird radio-announcer voice the ENTIRE time. He really does a good job of relating life to nerds and showing them the best way to navigate it. He even throws in exercise advice and time-management. Overall, I liked it more than I thought I would.
Jan 17, 2012
Leslie
rated it:
I had no expectations going into this audiobook, having recently discovered the Nerdist podcast and a $2.95 price on iTunes with a $10 gift card burning a hole in my digital pocket. Right away I was hooked and completely surprised. This book was insightful and straight to the point. Although not tortured as a youth for my nerdiness (thank goodness for small towns), I identify with the issues Chris discussed. This was hilarious and actually helpful!
Jan 28, 2012
amy
rated it:
One of the first books I've read that have made me feel like I can - and should - get my shit together, even at my ripe old age. Hardwick's voice really comes through in the book, it's like reading a podcast or interview with him, and he breaks things down really well (although I found the Workout Bear section a bit...odd).
Jan 17, 2012
No stars, poor soul. As adorable and funny as The Nerdist, Chris Hardwick is on TV and his podcast, turns out his self help book is about as funny as a self help book. (There are exercises, people. Actual, physical workouts.) Back to just collecting semi-nude screen-captures of my favorite nerd-meat. Sigh.
Nov 18, 2011
Topherjaynes
rated it:
If you're a fan of the podcast this will be a good read because Hardwick's writing has a very strong voice and you can hear him just talking this way. Weaves in some good jokes, but more importantly gets very personal about some of his life shaping moments growing up. Worth a read for that.
Dec 02, 2011
Miranda
rated it:
I was mad when my mailman knocked on my door this morning at 7 (I am never pleasant before noon). But since he brought me this book all is forgiven. Read it in a day and now super excited to put some tips into action. Nerdist FTW!
Dec 08, 2011
Emily
rated it:
This was an ok book. I was thrown off when I started to read this that it was a 'self-help' book. If I would have known its seriousness, I would have put it down. I kept waiting for the humor and hilarity to come out, but it never did. Good for Chris Hardwick for getting his life together, but this just didn't help me.
