The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth : Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School

Voted BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF 2011 at Goodreads. A New York Times bestseller. 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follows seven real people grappling with the uncertainties of high school social life, including: The Loner , who has withdrawn from classmates since they persuaded her to unwittingly join her own hate club; The Popular Bitch , a cheerleading captain both seduced by and trapped within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.

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.

Winner of the 2011 Books for a Better Life Award for Psychology

These intertwining narratives'beautifully demonstrate... that the people who are excluded and bullied for their offbeat passions and refusal to conform are often the ones who are embraced and lauded for those very qualities in college and beyond'(The New York Times). 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. Voted **BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF 2011** at Goodreads. A New York Times bestseller. 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. 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 essential reading not just 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. - Jacket flap. "In her new book, Alexandra Robbins explores the ways group identity theories play out among cliques - and the students they exclude. She reveals the new labels students stick onto each other today, the long-term effects of this marginalization, and the reasons students falling under these categories are often shunned. And then she will celebrate them. In this ever-conformist, cookie-cutter, magazine-celebrity-worshipping, creativity-stifling society, the innovation, courage, and differences of outcasts - nerds, freaks, weirdos, punks, Goths, etc. - are crucial to America's progress. No Child Left Behind and the homogenization of the US education system have made outcasts bolder and more important than ever. Robbins intertwines psychology with science inentertaining, illuminating prose, addressing questions such as "Why are popular people mean?" "Why is seventh grade the worst?" "Why do social labels stick?" and "Are students better off popular or unpopular?" As in Pledged and The Overachievers, Robbinsfollows students throughout the course of a year to present compelling narratives that thread investigative discussions about of-the-moment issues. In her other books, however, Robbins merely observed students. This time, Robbins crosses the line. She forces the students to examine who they are and how other students perceive them. And then she dares them to step outside of their comfort zone. She challenges some of these students to attempt social experiments at their schools - experiments that end up changing their lives"-- Provided by publisher "In her new book, Alexandra Robbins explores the ways group identity theories play out among cliques - and the students they exclude. She reveals the new labels students stick onto each other today, the long-term effects of this marginalization, and the reasons students falling under these categories are often shunned. And then she will celebrate them. In this ever-conformist, cookie-cutter, magazine-celebrity-worshipping, creativity-stifling society, the innovation, courage, and differences of outcasts - nerds, freaks, weirdos, punks, Goths, etc. - are crucial to America's progress. No Child Left Behind and the homogenization of the US education system have made outcasts bolder and more important than ever. Robbins intertwines psychology with science in entertaining, illuminating prose, addressing questions such as "Why are popular people mean?" "Why is seventh grade the worst?" "Why do social labels stick?" and "Are students better off popular or unpopular?" As in Pledged and The Overachievers, Robbins follows students throughout the course of a year to present compelling narratives that thread investigative discussions about of-the-moment issues. In her other books, however, Robbins merely observed students. This time, Robbins crosses the line. She forces the students to examine who they are and how other students perceive them. And then she dares them to step outside of their comfort zone. She challenges some of these students to attempt social experiments at their schools - experiments that end up changing their lives"- Prologue 1. Meet the cafeteria fringe Late summer to early fall : the popularity myth. 2. Quirk theory and the secret of popularity 3. Why are popular people mean? Fall : why quirk theory works. 4. In the shadow of the freak tree 5. It's good to be the cafeteria fringe Winter : outcast profiling and other dangers. 6. Challenges 7. Misperceptions Late winter to early spring : being excluded doesn't mean that anything's wrong with you. 8. A brief introduction to group psychology 9. Why labels stick : the motivations of the normal police Spring : quirk theory's origins : why these issues are hardest in school. 10. Changing perceptions 11. Two steps forward, one step back Late spring to early summer : popular vs. outcast. 12. Popularity doesn't lead to happiness 13. The rise of the cafeteria fringe 14. Cafeteria fringe : lucky and free When school lunchroom doors open, hungry students rush in, searching for tables where they wouldn't be outsiders. Of course, in middle school and high school, almost everyone is an outsider: the nerds, the new girls, the band geeks, the loners; even the "popular" cheerleaders. Alexandra Robbins' The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth takes us inside the hallways of real schools to show us how shifting cliques and permanent marginalization affect children. Following individual students over the course of a year, she tracks the plight and possibilities of self-confessed nerds, freaks, punks, Goths, and weirdos. Her central message is heartening: Our increasingly homogenized society ultimately needs and welcomes the cafeteria fringe.