Geek Dad

Ken Denmead points out in the introduction to Geek Dad that most parenting books are about things to do to your kids rather than things to do with your progeny. (And I believe he would approve the use of the word "progeny" to denote one's offspring, as well as this self-conscious explanation of word choice.) This book is of the latter variety—specifically, it is a manual for geeky fathers to bond with and engender geekiness in their kids by sharing the sublime experience of geeking out about stuff.

If you're already a geek, you'll love this book immediately. (Denmead uses Venn diagrams, for crying out loud!) From making cyborg Jack-o'-Lanterns and electronic origami to creating your own RPG and building your own movie theater outside, there's literally something for every species of Homo Geekus and his many variations.

If you aren't yet a geek, buy this book and you soon will be. Who could resist making their own cartoons....and storyboarding with Legos? Better yet, who could resist making their own cartoons with their adorable and impressionable children? Only a cold-hearted man (or possibly a jock, but do they even have kids?) out to kill happiness and destroy fun. For that man, this book is Kryptonite.

Each activity is assessed by cost, difficulty, time, reusability and requisite materials. Denmead walks readers through instructions carefully and thoroughly, though (atypically of most geeks) not pedantically or in too much detail. Also, he's funny. According to him it's nerds that are socially awkward, while geeks have managed to attain a measure of self-awareness. He certainly has.

The artist responsible for the black and white illustrations is no Will Eisner, but he's no slouch either. Mostly the drawings exist for entertainment purposes and not specifically for illumination. For the video game geek: be warned! The activities found here require physical activity, quite a bit of it in some cases. But if you are a video game geek you probably don't have kids, and this book is for kids and their dads. Whether you're into Ingmar Bergman, Philip K. Dick or banthas, if you're a geek and a dad you need to own Geek Dad.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.