Purchase
Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High Schoo
Hyperion Books
May 2011
On Sale: May 1, 2011
448 pages ISBN: 1401302025 EAN: 9781401302023 Hardcover
Add to Wish List
Non-Fiction
In a smart, entertaining, reassuring book that reads like
fiction, Alexandra Robbins manages to cross Gossip Girl with
Freaks and Geeks and explain the fascinating psychology and
science behind popularity and outcasthood. She reveals that
the things that set students apart in high school are the
things that help them stand out later in life. Robbins follows seven real people grappling with the
uncertainties of high school social life, including: The Loner, who has withdrawn from classmates since they
persuaded her to unwittingly join her own hate club; The Popular Bitch, a cheerleading captain both seduced
by and trapped within her clique's perceived prestige; The Nerd, whose differences cause students to laugh at
him and his mother to needle him for not being "normal"; The New Girl, determined to stay positive as classmates
harass her for her mannerisms and target her because of her
race; The Gamer, an underachiever in danger of not graduating,
despite his intellect and his yearning to connect with other
students; The Weird Girl, who battles discrimination and gossipy
politics in school but leads a joyous life outside of it; The Band Geek, who is alternately branded too serious
and too emo, yet annually runs for class president. In the middle of the year, Robbins surprises her subjects
with a secret challenge--experiments that force them to
change how classmates see them. Robbins intertwines these narratives--often triumphant,
occasionally heartbreaking, and always captivating--with
essays exploring subjects like the secrets of popularity,
being excluded doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you,
why outsiders succeed, how schools make the social scene
worse--and how to fix it. The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth is not just essential
reading for students, teachers, parents, and anyone who
deals with teenagers, but for all of us, because at some
point in our lives we've all been on the outside looking in.
Comments
No comments posted.
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
|