Book Review--The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School by Alexandra Robbins

As I read this book, I saw myself in high school. I never really fit into any of these stereotypes. I wasn't smart enough to be a Nerd, nor was I talented at gaming or music. I spent a lot of time by myself through half of high school, though I also achieved "civil" relations with most of the groups by the later half of my sophomore year. By civil, I mean that people who found it fun to bother me in grade school no longer had the time or inclination to bother me as our class moved closer towards graduation. Everyone had to take care of themselves.

But in this book, the stereotypes seemed to linger longer and they remain tied to a person well into their senior year. The author has students, including The Gamer, The Nerd and The Band Geek, all worried about getting through their senior year, all praying that they would get into colleges where they could leave the stereotypes behind and start over.

I'm not sure if the Millenials, subjects in this book, are longer-lasting victims of bullying due mainly to the Internet and the new forms of public expression it started. While the Internet, especially through Facebook, allows high school students to organize "hate" campaigns against classmates, it also helps the bullied find friends outside of school. Gossip has always been a part of high school life. Technology has always taken it beyond the school day, only the technology of the past was the telephone that parents paid for.

Also interesting were the sections about teachers and their cliques, which are little different than those of their students. A teacher who is a non-conformist is shunned, just like a student who is a non-conformist, too. Only the teachers have to keep that information to themselves. A teacher who is unpopular with students and colleagues has to hide a lot of hurt, while a teacher who is popular with students, but unpopular with colleagues is branded a trouble-maker or viewed with cynicism. It makes you wonder how many teachers know how to be effective in a school setting.

This is one book I hope parents of high school age children read no matter if their son or daughter is bothered by bullies in school. It is the first book that makes sense of the reasons why seven types of people: The Loner, The Popular Bitch, The Nerd, The New Girl, The Gamer, The Wierd Girl and The Band Geek all have a difficult time in high school and the coping mechanisms they have developed with the help of the author or others. It might keep other high school students from learning too late.