In his charming and disarmingly serious study of the history of the
“nerd” in popular culture and throughout modern history, Nugent (Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing)
succeeds in crafting a nuanced discussion without resorting to smugness
or excessive cleverness. His prose is straightforward, but the writing
is never dry, as Nugent maintains a brisk pace by chasing an
entertaining series of tangents across short chapters. Discrete pockets
of nerd-dom are carefully observed and analyzed, with an eye for
connections that lead to unusual places. While there are engaging
sections about more obvious nerd subjects like the rise of online
gaming and the history of American science-fiction clubs, Nugent takes
his book in surprising directions, such as the ethnic implications of
the “nerd” categorization, particularly in regard to Jewish and Asian
stereotypes. In one chapter, Nugent finds correspondence between
nerdiness and people with Asperger's syndrome, astutely drawing
comparisons between the socializing problems experienced by both groups
and positing that many of those considered “nerds” historically might
in fact be on the autism spectrum. Another unexpected detour, this one
into the intense subculture of high school and college debaters, turns
into an extraordinarily poignant meditation on the friendships
engendered by shared passions. Swinging ably from personal anecdotes to
historical perspective, Nugent's exploration of outcasts is a triumph. (May)
American Nerd: The Story of My People
Benjamin Nugent. Scribner, $20 (240p) ISBN 978-0-7432-8801-9
