Robbins follows six "geeks" through the most torturous American institution: high school. Instead of being the typical 'follow high school students to show that they're all the same, really' that many documentaries and books of late follow. Instead, 'The Geeks' main point is that being nerdy is ok and that, in the real world, the geeks and nerds end up being the innovators and leaders people look up to (think Mark Zuckerburg, Lady Gaga, President Obama).
Robbins follows the six geeks as they deal with social pressures in and around school, but also challenges them to work to change their perception of the outside world without sacrificing who they are. Follow the Loner, the Popular Bitch, the Band Geek, the Nerd, the New Girl, the Weird Girl and the Gamer as they struggle with the twisted hierarchy and messed up rules that govern adolescent and high school society. To complement Robbins' investigative reporting, scientific data is woven into the narration is a witty, socially conscious manner.
This book was truly shocking. My high school life wasn't so long ago, but reading these books made me realize just how much I don't want to remember about it. Despite it's moving message, I still found my anxiety and stress levels increasing since I could relate so much to what the participants were going through. Robbins' use of the cafeteria as the centerpiece for much of the anxiety in these geeks' worlds (the place where statuses are made and lives are ruined) rang true, both in personal retrospect and as current social commentary. By maintaining this cliquish, mean-spirited society bent on stifling creativity and uniqueness, we're not helping anyone.
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