The Nerdist Way

How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life)

By: Chris Hardwick

Narrated by: Chris Hardwick

Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Nerds: Once a tormented subrace of humans... Now captains of industry! You don’t have to be a stereotypical geekwad to appreciate the tenets of Nerdism and to make your innate talents for overanalysis and hyper-self-awareness work for you instead of against you. Join Nerd superstar Chris Hardwick as he offers his fellow “creative-obsessives” the crucial information needed to come out on top in the current Nerd uprising.

Nerds subsist on the minutiae of their chosen passions. As a lifelong member of “The Nerd Herd,” as he calls it, Chris Hardwick has learned all there is to know about Nerds. He’s studied them, lived with them, and has endeavored to milk their knowledge nectar and isolate its curative powers for what ails you. Thus, he has founded a philosophical system (and blog) called The Nerdist, and here he shares his hard-earned wisdom about turning seeming weaknesses into world-dominating strengths. From keeping your heart rate below hummingbird levels to managing the avalanche of sadness that is your inbox, from ignoring your brain to attracting wealth by turning down work, Hardwick reveals the secrets that can help you accomplish what you want by tapping into your true nerdtastic self. The Nerdist Way shows how to focus your mind, body, and time into an unstoppable laser of goodness. Don’t wait for another social tragedy. Don’t resort to cheap “mass murder” tactics to exact your revenge on society. Success is the most satisfying - and legal - form of vengeance there is. And you can achieve it when you follow the Nerdist Way.

©2011 Chris Hardwick (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Perfect for nerds like me.

I related instantly to this book as soon as I started listening to it, feeling astounded by the way Hardwick describes his many (former) insecurities as a nerd prior to his strive to better himself. If you're the kind of nerd who is very insecure, rather lazy or generally unmotivated, with imperfect health and fitness as well as possible addiction issues, Hardwick will tell you things you've been needing to hear for years. I already plan on buying the physical book to do Hardwick's many "Character-cises" and note any other words of wisdom. Best of all, Hardwick doesn't drone on his advices in any stuck-up matter. As a comedian, Hardwick injects his nerdy sense of humor everywhere, filling in many sayings that only today's nerd generation will pick up, including numerous pop-culture and D&D references, as well as just being generally snarky and hilarious. If you need something to kick-start your life, and want to hear it from someone who shares a mind with you (and is funny about it), this book is the way to go.

Pick it up if you're a Chris Hardwick fan.

Even if you are not struggling with personal problems, I do think this is a good book. The main problem that I have with it is that there is a lot of busy work if you want to enjoy it. Granted, some of it is kind of cool but other times I feel it is a little unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, I still like it and recommend getting it. If you are a geek and need a little emotional support, this is a great thing for you. I Just think that if you are not a geek or a fan of Hardwick, you would not get a lot of joy from it.

All Hail Hardwick

Honest, direct, and full of nerdisms to connect and inspire just about everyone. The Nerdist Way is a book that belongs in the realm of "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

Awesome for the nerdy mind!

What made the experience of listening to The Nerdist Way the most enjoyable?

Chris puts things in such funny terms. He really drives home points with great examples and easy understandable concepts! The concept of building your real life character is an awesome one! I am trying to incorporate the concepts into my day-to-day life.

What other book might you compare The Nerdist Way to and why?

There is no other book I am aware of that tackles self-help in quite this way! :-)

What about Chris Hardwick???s performance did you like?

Chris is a natural presenter! I don't think I would have gotten most of the funny jokes if I would have just read this book. The way he makes up words and especially his hash tag references just made me laugh every time! :-)

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Chris was talking about not drinking alcohol. I am the same way with pop. So I took his concept of just dropping it and not looking back. Proud to say I have not had any pop for the past month! I have a scanner and also bought a shredder and started going through all my papers to get rid of papers I do not need in physical form!!

Fun and creative.

I thought that it was a really fun and creative approach to self analyze yourself and your goals. Although, I think some parts may be better in the regular book format, as they seem that they would benefit from visual examples. I would have liked a sample character book to view, so I could get a better understanding of the format. Overall, it was a interesting audio book and I enjoyed listening.

Funny and at times helpful

I'm more impressed by Hardwick's intentions than I am about the execution. He's a funny guy and he thrives as an interviewer. I really didn't know whether his shtick would work at all solo. Mostly it does. Some parts are more entertaining than others, some parts are more dry (especially the entire 2nd section).

There's some good advice but nothing too special. The thing I'm most impressed with is that here's a guy who sees his own personal narrative as someone who sank low, found his way up, is currently enjoying great success, and his reaction is to try to help others do the same with kindness and empathy. That's a pretty amazing message and I'm so glad he wants to pull others up with him. As he often disclaims, he's no expert, but he has some personal experiences which worked for him and he's trying to give this gift to others. Kudos!

Only made it half way through.

Would you try another book from Chris Hardwick and/or Chris Hardwick?

I really wanted to like this because I love Chris Hardwick, but I just was not the target audience I suspect.

Has The Nerdist Way turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, not at all.

I quit listening because too much cursing.

I only got part way through because of the cursing. The material was good, but I decided not too finish as there are plenty of other good books without all the cursing. A small amount and in context is fine, but Chris unfortunately used it far too frequently throughout the book and it didn't lighten up.

Awesome-tacular!

Hardwick is awesome and his insights in this book are fantastic. He provides excellent insights and practices that can be put in to practice immediately. What he offers doesn’t need to be taken as a “change everything about you today” approach - in fact, he encourages you to take some action now, but to know that change happens over time. Great book, awesome listen....100% worth the price of admission.

Very motivating.

The best motivation book I have had so far. I loved hearing the author narrate it.