The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory And Why Outsiders Thrive After High School (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Robbins introduces what she calls "quirk theory," the idea that outsiders thrive after high school for many of the same reasons that they were misfits in high school. She immerses herself in the lives of a wide variety of "outsider" students, including the "band geek," the "artsy indie," the "loner" and the "gamer" and what she learns and reports is fascinating. Robbins demonstrates the ways in which their "quirk" is a good thing. In addition to the profiles, she incorporates interesting research from demography, psychology, and other fields. I really enjoyed this book, especially following the different students through the school year. As a teacher, I found Ragan's story particularly problematic. It is appalling that clique behavior and bullying occur at all, let alone by the educators in a school. It's even more horrifying that such a system is condoned by the administration. It was very upsetting that there was no satisfying resolution to this story. It seems the primary solution is to change situations rather than addressing the problem, but then this book was not toted as a guide for changing the system. Anyway, I found the exposition about different types of outsiders a bit dull towards the end of the book, but overall I enjoyed this.
What do You think about The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory And Why Outsiders Thrive After High School (2009)?
Behavioral science book, focused on those four (very impressionable) high school years.
—Lolly
I liked it and want to read the other books Alexandra Robbins wrote.
—Roo
See Harold's review. My thoughts match his.
—flamingshane11
