By Eric SmithAvailable now from Quirk Books
Review copy
I was instantly drawn to THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DATING. The cover is cute and, well, I'm a geek and not all that great at meeting new people. I am, however, a girl. THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DATING is aimed almost entirely at straight guys, which is made clear inside, but not on the back copy.
Now, there are plenty of bits of advice I found helpful, but I'd've liked for THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DATING to try to make more than a few cursory gestures toward the whole dating spectrum. (In fact, I think there is more advice for transgender daters than gay, lesbian, or bi daters.) The advice I found personally most useful is about places to meet people. I'll not give away the secrets of the book, but there were some fun activities suggested. The book was very right in guessing that the bar scene isn't really my scene.
I can't see THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DATING appealing outside of the subculture. The references fly fast and furious. I'm sure I missed some of the video game ones, at least. The guide does excel in showcasing the diversity of geekhood. It's also pretty good about how showing geeky skills like picking out which show to follow next or which merchandise to collect can apply to dating.
THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DATING isn't perfect, but it is funny and contains plenty of good advice.
