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.

Deepen your love for Chris Hardwick.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Nerdist Way to be better than the print version?

Yes, Chris is very entertaining and his passion is infective.

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

Maybe closer to something like Tim Ferriss and the 4 Hour series.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the whole book, though the personal stories from Chris's childhood and early life experiences are highly entertaining.

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

Love the book, I read it twice in the first week, and I will be reading it again.

Any additional comments?

If you are a nerd(ist) this is a must read.

Life Altering!!!!!

Would you listen to The Nerdist Way again? Why?

Yes, I know for a fact I am. I have chapters noted to listen to again for various reasons. Also can see myself listening to it randomly in its entirety in the future.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Favorite character was alcohilc Chris Hardwick because I relate to him with my own addictions and disregaurd of responsibility. Hope to go in the same direction that he has. This book really opened my eyes to what I can become and that satisfaction in ones self is not an unreasonable task.

What about Chris Hardwick’s performance did you like?

I loved how I didn't have the feeling that he was reading out of a book the whole time. In my head it felt like he was on stage making a motavational speech to his fella nerds.

Any additional comments?

I spent my time listening to this book walking around. I would recommend this because I was able to listen to what he said, pause it, than really spend time thinking to my self how what he said made me feel and also what i can get out of it. Book is interactive so I had to note down various sections to revisit at home.

Great Book For Levelling Your Nerd

Chris Hardwick is a nerd. If you're a nerd, too, then this book is a perfect match of content and audience.

Knowing nerds and geeks and others of the tribe, Hardwick has written a book that will not only appeal to nerds, but motivate them in a way other books about self improvement won't. He speaks the language and leverages some of the shared culture to do it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, with one caveat. In certain sections, especially the exercises, narration wasn't the best way to absorb the material. The content itself, the narration and the production, were all top notch.

Nerd-tastic!

for me, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Chris Hardwick's delivery felt more like a conversation than an audiobook. at certain times I felt myself responding to the questions he was asking. it was a well thought out well executed use of anecdotes and lessons learned so that I can either feel like I'm not the only one who did these things or learn something to where I won't do certain things. Well done Sir. Cheers

Great book.

Read by the author. Endlessly entertaining and helpful. As a nerd he provides great insight in s fun accessible manner.

Great!

Didn’t really know the author. Decided to pick up the book on a whim and very glad I did! He is hilarious (bookmarked his Doc Brown speech to make everyone I know listens to it.)
I plan to make my son listen to it before he goes off to college. Highly recommended.

All you need!

Awesome narration by the author and hoards of valuable information. Of all of the similar books and audio books I have read, this has been the most valuable by far!

Fantastic, entertaining, and helpful

Any additional comments?

This is funny and enjoyable just as a semi-memoir of Hardwick, but also really useful as a self-help guide geared toward nerdy-minded people. The only part I didn't like was the workout guide section toward the middle - probably more useful (and/or easier to skip over) in physical book format, but annoying in the audiobook. Otherwise, highly recommended.

Finally,self-improvement advice for the nerd brain

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

I'm a fan of Hardwick's standup, so I knew I would probably enjoy the performance and comedy aspects of the book. What I didn't expect was for it to be so damn useful. I got plenty of laughs, but so many of the strategies he suggests for managing one's life and productivity are really, truly valuable, especially since it is written specifically for those of us who to have a very particular sort of "nerd brain": hyper-aware obsessives who are equally creative and scientific in their interests and skills. Bonus: he makes it very fun, which is essential ingredient in getting any results when embarking on any self improvement odyssey. It's a lot easier to do the work when it doesn't all feel like someone has a Gom Jabar pointed at your jugular.

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

Having been drawn to books like Getting Things Done, The Four Hour Body and numerous other self help books about getting organized and systematic in my chronic and withered attempts to embrace adulthood, this has similar advice, but it is really laser focused for what he referes to as the "nerd brain", i.e., analytic yet creative thinkers who tend to be somewhat compulsive in their interests, motivated by systemic rewards systems (i.e., those of us who live for progress bars and experience points). Because his brain also works this way, he is remarkably insightful in not only giving advice that would actually work for this particular mindset, but also breaking down the WHY'S of what he proposes. For example, when discussing managing anxiety and panic attacks, two conditions he personally suffers from, he doesn't just tell you to "take a deep breath" and meditate; he actually tells you the physiological reasons that taking deep, slow breaths can conquer a panic attack (i.e., flooding the blood with oxygen,which will help neutralize the biochemicals that are flooding your system when you have an attack). For folks like me who need to analyze and understand processes, this sort of information is absolutely vital for not only grasping what is happening to you, but how you can change it, allowing you to focus on the PROCESS rather than just following instructions. While many might find the whole idea of "DMing" your life (i.e., Dungeons and Dragons style character profiling of yourself and your goals and using a similar progress reward system) as somewhat juvenile, anybody who has spend 8 hours straight playing a video game and feeling like they accomplished something will likely find value in the approach.

What about Chris Hardwick’s performance did you like?

Aw, Hardwick is like a very smart, funny and adorable Golden Retriever that you just want to go to the park with and then you discover he can open refrigerators, douse water and diagnose blood diseases with just his nose. I mean, I knew the guy was very funny, but I had no idea how much I would respond to the actual advice and tips in the book and that I would actively implement them into my life. A lot of it is very serious advice, whether it's about career goals, health, managing stress and anxiety or just getting out of your own way. Because he presents it interwoven with the geek humor he is known for and a multitude of personal anecdotes about his own triumphs and soul crushing defeats, you are thoroughly entertained while getting introduced to concepts that could indeed improve the quality of your life. Oh, and also, maybe get some nerd tail.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I'M IN YOUR HEAD,NERD

Any additional comments?

If you like Hardwick already, you'll like the entertainment value of the book, but it's likely you can get a lot of great tips from it as well. It does reference a lot of content in the physical book, but you can go the the Nerdist Way site to access what he is referencing. Finally, Lizard Brain.

For nerds and those who love them!

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

Chris Hardwick's delivery was wonderful. He takes an important topic and makes it enjoyable (both in the book itself and his performance). I am not a nerd but I loved this book, mostly because he read it himself.

What did you like best about this story?

The topics he covers for his nerd brethren are important and delivered in a way that makes you want to listen (and follow).

What does Chris Hardwick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His delivery is great and you can tell he is excited and committed to what he writes about.

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

When he talks about turning his own life around and how he methodically went about it--quit drinking, got fit, improved his finances, and took control over his life. He provides a systematic way that others can follow.