Author: Dr. Chris Balakrishnan & Matt Wasowski
Publication Information: St. Martin's Press. 2024. 320 pages.
ISBN: 1250288347 / 978-1250288349
Rating: ★★★
Book Source: I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.
Opening Sentence: "For 21 years, Nerd Nite has delivered to live audiences the most interesting, fun, and informative presentations about science, history, the arts, pop, culture, you name it - we're modest, too - as there hasn't been a rabbit hold that our army of presenters hasn't been afraid to explore."
Favorite Quote: "... Nerd Nite has always prided itself on being a launching pad for emerging folks: About 98 percent of our presenters were either grad students or young professionals in their twenties and thirties when they first presented."
Chris Balakrishan started Nerd Nite in Boston in 2003. Matt Wasowski joined in New York City in 2006 with the goal of expanding Nerd Nite globally. Currently, Nerd Nite has been held in over 100 cities around the world.
So, what exactly is Nerd Nite? The project tag line reads, "Be there or Be square." It is a monthly event where individuals give 20 minutes presentations designed to inform and entertain. There may or may not be audience eating and drinking, music, and other things along the way. Anyone wanting to present can reach out via a Nerd Nite city's website. No idea how presenters are selected.
So, what exactly is this book? The title is inspired by, of course, Dale Carnegie and one of the presentations - How to Win Friends and Influence Bacteria - in the book. This presentation is given by Dr. Sarah Richardson, "the CEO of MicroByre, a company dedicated to the domestication of bacteria!"
From its description, the book is a collection of 71 stem-centered presentations from different presenters and cities along the way. From the authors' note, the book came about because "It's much more difficult to find in-depth, quirky content about multiple scientific subjects in one spot. Therefore, we think this book will fill that void of underservedness. With plenty of quirkiness and silliness along the way."
The book is organized into the following sections: Creature features, Mmmm... brains, Bodily fluids, Doing it, Health & (Un)Wellness, Pathogens & Parasites, Death & Taxes (But Really, just death), Space (the big and the beautiful), Tech (high & low), Math is fun, and Careers. The text of each presentation is only a few pages in length. The book is easy to pick up and easy to put down.
Each section also includes a brief paragraph about the presenter and their credentials. The book does not include an index or references to other sources verifying the scientific information. Clearly, while the book presents a lot of information, it is not intended to be a serious scientific tome. This one is definitely for those with a casual interest in "science, tech, engineering, and math."
The book does not have to be read in its entirety. Skip the sections that do not interest you. It is a quick read, entertaining, and definitely does not take itself too seriously. If it educates and attracts people to learn more, I am all for it!
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