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.

hashtag squee

This is a great book, IF you know what you are getting. For realsies. If you don't know a tardis from a taunton, can't tell Louis CK from Patten Oswalt, have never rolled a 20 sided die in an RPG, or leveled up in World of Warcraft, this book might not be for you. But for a particular group of tech and pop culture savvy nerds (generally male), looking for help in the grown up world, this is the book that will try to show the way.

Chris uses his personal struggles, a gigabyte of humor and a gazillion pop culture references to illustrate how the time honored keys to success can be reframed for the hyper-connected who are used to instant gratification online. Goal setting and decision making hasn't changed much over the centuries, but if you look at time management from the perspective of an Evil Genius for example, it may resonate enough to make it a do-able IRL. You are your character in a giant LARP. Here you just need to you identify your abilities and start racking up experience pointsm to get to the next level.

Chris narrates the book, and at warp speed, it might be difficult to catch all the references. Movie and comic book characters abound and shout outs to Ben Franklin, Charlie Rose, Oprah, Stephen Frye, the Kardashians, among many others, pepper the story. Everything from bits of the Lincoln-Douglas debate, to solipsism, to chess, make an appearance, as Chris shares how he overcame panic attacks, a back injury, a serious dependance on alcohol, a crappy credit rating and bad Asian chicken salds, in a way that says, you can absolutely do this too.

I can't imagine "reading" this book. The audio is the way to go, since it's so much like a comedy routine. There are links provided to items which must be diagrams in the book. And those circling the OCD island will certainly find them helpful. I don't see how this book can possibly have a long shelf like. Two years from now, it may be totally incomprehensible. But for the target audience, two years from now is another universe. It's about the now, and in more ways than one.

The Nerdist Way is profane, and not always PC. But it is Chris Hardwick at his best. A pink pill of happy. He's not paying me, but maybe he should.

#hugs

Good data, plus XPs! What more could you want?

I have a child with Aspergers and I am going to use this book as the basis for a social and life skills curriculum for her. The humor in this book will keep most nerd teens engaged as they pick up valuable info. I listened with headphones on while cleaning my house, and almost scared my wife with my cackling when the author suddenly told his brain to "f--k off!" Way to go, Chris.