Synopsis
Now in paperback comes the eye-opening, endearing, true tale hailed by the Chicago Sun-Times as a sweet story about two teens who escape dead-end lives in Caldwell, Idaho . . . and why society badly needs to reconnect with its geeks. Includes a new Afterword.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
Teenage hackers Jesse Dailey and Eric Twilegar are the heroes of Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet out of Idaho, a thoughtful, affecting pop ethnography--and heroes is exactly what Jon Katz wants you to see them as. To the rest of the world, themselves included, they are geeks, which is a complicated thing to be these days. With the rise of the networked economy, the world and its wealth have become increasingly dependent on the expertise of Star Wars-loving, cola-swilling propellerheads everywhere. Yet at the same time, the typical geek--especially the typical adolescent geek--remains a consummate outsider, with passions for technological arcana that are both alienating and empowering.
Katz, a writer for both Rolling Stone and the profoundly geeky Web site Slashdot.org, does a fine job of mapping this ambiguous new state of affairs (the Geek Ascendancy, he calls it). But the book's heart and soul is the well-told tale of Jesse and Eric's adventurous flight from lonely, dead-end lives in Idaho Mormon country to brighter possibilities in Chicago.
Katz argues that this great escape couldn't have happened without the networks (both social and technological) that are the lifeblood of 1990s geekdom, but he doesn't let his celebratory argument get in the way of the story. Although he's a tireless advocate for geeks (the last chapters retrace his impassioned advocacy for brooding teenage weirdos in the face of post-Columbine media attacks), he presents their culture warts and all, with its tendencies toward social awkwardness and arrogance recognisably intact. He doesn't demand your sympathy for his heroes and their world--but he wins it anyway, by bringing them vividly and honestly to life. --Julian Dibbell, Amazon.com
Review
Praise for A Dog Year
"A great book that dog lovers will definitely enjoy."
-"Booklist"
"The story line of Katz's latest book can be summed up very simply-two dogs die and two new ones join the family
but its charm comes from an intricate blend of witty anecdote and touching reflection."
-"Publishers Weekly"
"A surfeit of tail-wagging, face-licking love."
-"Kirkus Reviews"
Praise for Running to the Mountain
"A wonderful book -- personal, moving, funny... to call a book a perfect gift always seems slightly patronizing, but I already have a long list of names -- yes aging baby boomers -- I'm intending to give "Running to the Mountain,""
-"USA Today
"
"A funny, moving, and triumphant voyage of the soul... Katz finds faith not by running away, but by realizing that spiritual sustenance comes from within -- from the decency with which we handle our roles as spouses, parents, and friends."
-"Boston Globe
"
"You'll love this book.... In the end, we admire Katz, not for the spiritual grace that he seeks but for the grace he finds: the grace of fatherhood, husbandhood, of tending fully to those who depend on him to be a source of stability in their world."
-"Men's Journal
"
"Candid and inspiring... Katz has much to be proud of: he faced himself, he rearranged himself, and he came back to write movingly of the experience."
-"Washington Post Book World"
Praise for Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho
"In Geeks, Katz displays a deft reporter's touch and shows us the geek truth, rather than simply telling us about it.... Too often, writing about the on-line world lacks emotional punch, but Katz's obvious love forhis 'lost boys' gives his narrative a rich taste."
-"New York Times Book Review
"
"Geeks is a story of triumph, friendship, love, and above all, about being human and reaching for dreams in a hard-wired world."
"-Seattle Times
"
"A touching page-turner about social outcasts using technology to wriggle free of dead-end lives."
-"U.S. News & World Report
"
"An uplifting and hugely compassionate book."
-"Philadelphia Inquirer"
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