The following is a chapter-by-chapter review of Chris Hardwick’s The Nerdist Way: How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life) [Amazon] [The Nerdist]

Alright, Hardwick, what the hell? Why didn’t your editor ask you to put tonight’s chapter earlier in the book? For that matter, why didn’t your editor yell at you for not bringing this chapter to his or her attention sooner? This chapter frames everything that you have written about up to and pass this point. It provides framework that the rest of the book should have been built on. The analogy you draw here is appealing on so many levels and could have knitted together all of your ideas so well.

I suppose I had better reveal what chapter I ranting about, huh? Tee-hee. My bad.

Tonight’s rant review is brought to you by Sec3-Ch4: Become An Evil Genius. I realize that up until now I have done my best to avoid spoilery references to chapter titles and content. I want you to enjoy reading this book as much as I have. That is it until now. Now I want you to say “Ah dude? How did you miss this, huh?”

Become An Evil Genius really does encompass everything the Chris is trying pass on to us. I really do object to its placement in the book though. First, the chapter really doesn’t offer any tips regarding time or financial management. It sits in the middle of the Time section like a cat turd in the hallway. A better place for this chapter is in the first section Mind.

This chapter really does a nice job of distilling the thoughts that have been delivered in the book. It also gives Nerds like me an analog that I can hang his thoughts on. Hell, I often think off myself as mad scientist bent on whorl domination like the Brain. I even have a friend that acts like Pinky. Or am I Pinky and he’s the Brain? It’s the whole top, bottom, or switch question.

The point is that I relate to the villains. They are the more interesting characters in any story. Like Chris points out, the villains often are the ones that have been put down in some way or have had to defeat the odds. Hero’s often don’t every need to overcome obstacles to get where they want to. Keys are put in their hands and carpets are rolled up to door for them.

Given that, the villain does really represent the journey a Nerd needs to take. It takes vigorous and generous application of brains to rule the world. You have to overcome doubt, choose a goal, layout a plan to achieve that goal, hone skills to serve that goal, acquire financing to secure your lair and support your minions.

Chris’ main point in this chapter is to give us another tool to help us focus our attention and be sure that time is spent wisely. What Chris ends up doing is outlining all of his intentions. Once I finished this chapter, I wondered why the whole book wasn’t written from this point of view. Like I said earlier, the villains are the more interesting characters. Chris’ book is about taking interesting people caught in less than stellar lives and making them into interesting characters in their own stellar lives.

Evil Geni give us other great examples. They are routinely defeated. Routinely being the key. Evil Geni try, try again. Evil Geni often band together to defeat a common enemy. They socialize! Evil Geni are willing to commit whatever resources at their disposal to reach their goals. What’s not to admire (other than holding hostage millions of lives)?

Mwa-ha-ha-ha!