Great geek reads for snowy days

By nicolebremernash December 17, 2010, 2:37 AM PST

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The Geeks' Guide to World Domination

Winter has already come in with a windy, snowy roar, which indicates that a long winter of snow days is ahead. Whether shopping for yourself or your favorite geek, here’s a list of great geeky books to cozy up to the electric fireplace with. (This list is more about entertainment; if you want to work on your quintessential geekiness, check out Wally Bahny’s 75 must-read geek books.)

You can also view these recommendations in list form in my Geekend post.

The Geeks’ Guide to World Domination: Be Afraid, Beautiful People by Garth Sundem quietly announces that “Begun, the Geek wars have” and this book will help you get ready.

Image credit: Amazon.com

Geek Logik

Take the guesswork out of geek life with Geek Logik: 50 Foolproof Equations for Everyday Life by Garth Sundem.

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xkcd: volume 0

xkcd: volume 0 even includes mouseover text! For a preview of what you can expect, check out the TechRepublic gallery Geek humor from xkcd comics.

Image credit: ThinkGeek

GeekDad - Geeky Projects for Dads and Kids

GeekDad – Geeky Projects for Dads and Kids by Ken Denmead promises to teach you how to do cool things; no child necessary.

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Diamonds in the Sky

Diamonds in the Sky edited by Mike Brotherton is an anthology of astronomy-related science fiction.

Image credit: Library Thing

Heroes!: Draw Your Own Superheroes, Gadget Geeks & Other Do-Gooders

There’s a renaissance of drawing going in my house lately, and Heroes!: Draw Your Own Superheroes, Gadget Geeks & Other Do-Gooders by Jay Stephens might be a great resource.

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Sci-Fi Baby Names

People in a certain condition might like Sci-Fi Baby Names by Robert Schnakenberg.

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Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine: 30th Anniversary Anthology

Escape cabin fever with Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine: 30th Anniversary Anthology edited by Sheila Williams.

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How Many Licks?

How Many Licks? Or How to Estimate Damn Near Anything by Aaron Santos, Ph.D. is at the top of my wish list. It explains Enrico Fermi’s theory of approximation. I want to know how many M&Ms are in that jar at the next Fourth of July picnic.

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Backyard Ballistics

Backyard Ballistics by William Gurstelle has plans and directions for making potato guns and other small scale ballistics devices.

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Why There's Antifreeze in Your Toothpaste

Why There’s Antifreeze in Your Toothpaste by Simon Quellen Field explains what chemicals are found in common household items and what they are doing there. It sounds scary but very, very useful. I recommend this book for people who like documentaries that tell us too much about where our food comes from.

Image credit: ThinkGeek

Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things

Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things by Cy Tymony gives instructions on ways to reuse common household goods (some of the same household goods covered in Why There’s Antifreeze in Your Toothpaste).

Image credit: ThinkGeek

The Magicians

The Magicians by Lev Grossman combines Harry Potter and Narnia, and looks like the kind of book that a geek can really get lost in.

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Dreamdark series

The Dreamdark series, Blackbringer and Silksinger, by Laini Taylor is likely to become a favorite.

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As this is the season of gifting, here are a few items the geeky reader on your list might enjoy:

I use a DIY Library Kit so I can keep track of the geek books lent out of my library. Also, Star Wars Bookends look great on any library shelf (and can also be used to hold video game boxes on a shelf). For more ideas, download TechRepublic’s 2010 Geek Gift Guide.Well, that’s enough to get a person through January at least. Help me fill out my reading list for February by telling me about geek books I missed in the comments.

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By nicolebremernash

Nicole Bremer Nash is Director of Content and Social Media for HuTerra, where she uses SEO and social media to promote charitable organizations in their community-building and fundraising efforts. She enjoys volunteering, arts and crafts, and conduct

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