The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith - Review

The Geeks Guide to Dating by Eric Smith

First up... book cover.  I love it so much.  I think of myself as a geek and so I was in!!  I mean YES!  A friend, myself and my husband sat around reading this book aloud and laughing so hard. Here is the goodreads description:

You keep your action figures in their original packaging. Your bedsheets are officially licensed Star Wars merchandise. You’re hooked on Elder Scrolls and Metal Gear but now you’ve discovered an even bigger obsession: the new girl who just moved in down the hall. What’s a geek to do? Take some tips from Eric Smith in The Geek’s Guide to Dating. This hilarious primer leads geeks of all ages through the perils and pitfalls of meeting women, going on dates, getting serious, breaking up, and establishing a successful lifelong relationship (hint: it’s time to invest in new bedsheets). Full of whimsical 8-bit illustrations, The Geek’s Guide to Dating will teach fanboys everywhere to love long and prosper. 

First off let me say.. I am a girl. I am a girl who is a geek. This book is not really written for girls. Just men. You can take what is written and put a girl in the place of situations... but it's still not totally for girls. There is a page that Smith writes to the geek girls reading apologizing but he does say it's written by a geek guy for geek guys. Also.. there is A LOT of geek terminology in this book so well if you aren't a geek you just won't get it.

I play a lot of Dungeons and Dragons.  So I like how when you would read along things were given points (like +3 Wind-open mind).  The book talks about what kind of geek you are.  You read through it and pick which one... I would say I am a book geek (there were a few more geeks in there I think I am, but since this is mainly a book blog I'll pick that one). I love it... it says for weaknesses "your eyes will immediately dart to the bookcase when you walk into someone's home for the first time.  You know you're not suppose to judge a book by it's cover, but you can't help it.  You're only human (unlike the protagonists of the Twilight book set you're casting your judgey glance on). Instead of treating someone's taste in reading matter as a red flag, use it as a jumping off point to ask questions." I thought this was funny!

I love that in another chapter asking someone out is compared to the tracks in Mario Kart. The tracks are named (Telephone Talkin', Social Media Schomoozin, In Person Parley, ) they are assigned a difficult level, the Terrain is described and then there are track tips.  As a gamer I get a real kick out of this.  I haven't been on the dating scene in many many years.  15 years in fact.  Wow.  This book though is still fun to read.  Dating is so different now I don't know what I would do! I met my husband in high school so that was easy.  Now... though.. with facebook, cell phones, skype (am I aging myself here).  I think it would be crazy.

There is a song playlist with geeky tunes (songs from Zelda and Halo) that will get you ready for the date night.  The book also provides a Chose Your Own Adventure section (best books ever) where you read along and make choices for your date night. If you chose the wrong choice Game Over... good choice you're the winner!  Plus Easter Eggs are given (Easter Eggs for those that don't know are little surprises found in games/movies/books).

I read this book cover to cover.  Usually with these niche books I skim them and read what's interests me.  The whole book was entertaining to me.  Even the parts about men and grooming for the date.  The references to geek culture entertained me enough to just read through it all.  I pretty much understood every reference made = I am an epic geek~! Let's be honest though.. Smith now needs to write a book for married people.  There was even a nice ending in the book about breaking up and how to do it.  For people who are more mature you probably don't need this part... but people who haven't dumped a lot of people it's nice advice.

The art work in the book is fun too.  A bunch of 8 bit drawing in it are cute. Like the cover they pull the reader in.  Since my book came from the library I couldn't see the cover underneath the slipcase but googled it and sure enough people have pictures of it up. The author Eric Smith runs the website Geekadelphia which I have been checking out and is fun. I wish he would move to where I live and start up a website here!

Seriously pick this book up, for the men in your life.  I will say it's not totally for women so you may want to just pick it up from the library for them to enjoy!!

The crystal ball says:

Sun is shinning!!!  Great day to go outside and read this book.