Before I dive into reviewing this just released book, let me provide my parameters and history. I’m a Nerd. An Art Nerd specifically. I watch my fair share of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Anime. I play table top RPGs with friends. And a friend and I write apps for fun and profit. My day job is repairing computer hardware. At the end of the day though, I am an Art Nerd. Even have a Masters degree in it (hence, the day job.)

My Relationship to Chris Hardwick is well… non-existent. I am a fan and long-time listener to The Nerdist Podcast [iTunes]. You can learn more about him at the Nerdist Industries website [link]. What I have learned is that he is a sincere man that has turned his life around.

The Nerdist Way: How to Reach the Next Level (in real life) [Amazon]is his contribution to the self-help shelf of your bookstore. It is his take on how a person can take command of his or her life using the skill set honed by years or rolling d20, collecting stamps, reading the extended Star Wars cannon, learning to play violin, or drawing a perfectly shaded sphere. His approach appeals to me.

My goal is to read a chapter each night and review it. I want to avoid a blow by blow comment on the chapters. Instead, I will respond to the chapter contents and maybe even add my two-cents to the discussion. In the end, I hope to preserve the details for others to enjoy. The book also has a personal interest for me. For the last several years I have struggled to put my own life on a better course. I’m hoping to find some useful advice and affirmation in these pages.

On to the review…

I Have Lazer Brains – Pew-pew!

The introduction is a tone setter. It took me a little bit to get use to Hardwick’s writing. He’s a comic by trade and it show’s in his writing. It’s very conversational and personal, but it feels like it’s written for beats. That said, Hardwick lays out the terms for the material he will deliver throughout the rest of the book. Knowing the direction is important to any project.

Part 1 – Chapter 1 – You Own Your Own Mind: Hardwick lays out a clear definition of Nerd. More importantly, he gives justification for owning that title. As a kid, I spent more time with my Legos than other kids. Exploring the countryside was more about finding something than getting away from something else. I spent hours pouring through the Knowledge Tree encyclopedias. Drawing and writing were my favorite tasks. The hallmark of a Nerd is intense focus.

Hardwick touches briefly on what a derailed life looks like. It’s basically a life spent focused on tasks that feel like they have rewards, but ultimately there is nothing to show for the efforts. Essentially, the disillusionment of lost dreams or lives side-tracked takes the form of a person watching TV until their ass turns numb. All that’s leftover is a trivia machine.

The point to be learned here is that the tools learned in childhood are still useful for putting a life on course and making the happiness we want. He does bring up a point that I don’t fully agree with. It’s more that he uses an analogy that I don’t fully agree with. He describes sitting in the car, hungry, and unable to decide what he wants to eat. Eventually, Hardwick gives up and goes back inside. Basically, he saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to get there?”

Hardwick is also describing the terror of making a decision. The terror comes from either having too many choices or none at all. It’s debilitating. I don’t disagree with him here. But he did miss a detail. Knowing a state of being needs to be changed is enough to begin the process regardless if all the details are decided. The alternative to sitting at home hungry is going somewhere for food. Just because you don’t know your exact destination doesn’t mean that you should just accept not moving. If you are hungry go find food. If you are unhappy, go find happiness. Go find satisfaction. Go find purpose. It’s better to be seeking without a specific target that not to be seeking at all.

Tomorrow: RPG Your Life