Terrible Nerd

Book Synopsis: Terrible Nerd is tech journalist-turned-Web publisher Kevin Savetz' biography of personal computing, gaming, and online adventures as a child in the '80s, and follows the author as an Internet pioneer in the early '90s and into his present-day Web success. Rich in detail and personal memories, this is the story of a boy coming of age in the dawn of home computing. This tech memoir gives readers a front-row seat to a self-confessed geek's early experiences with computers. Accessible to non-techy readers and computer nerds alike, this treasure trove of memories shows how growing up as part of the first computer-native generation shaped friendships, hobbies, and, ultimately, a career. Terrible Nerd brings to life late nights swapping software, hacking the school computer, causing trouble on college radio, a stint as AOL's Internet AnswerMan, and hosting a team of Microsoft suits in his small-town home office. Kevin brings his experiences to life, writing with insightful candor and historical accuracy. Terrible Nerd celebrates an era in all its geeky glory. You'll enjoy following along as Kevin flunks out of P.E. class, gets busted for reading the Intellivision game catalog at church, and accidentally crashes the Internet for all of Europe – yet ultimately triumphs and even gets the girl.

“A joyous romp down memory lane for all us nerds who lived through the home computer revolution of the 1980's!” -- David Simmer II, Blogography

“Terrible Nerd is not only fun to read, but recounts some valuable computer history that is mostly overlooked elsewhere. Kevin recalls what it was like to grow up in the era of the first home computers and BBS communities. These were the soda fountains and fishing holes of our generation. Kevin’s story will strike a chord with nerds and geeks of all ages.” -- Gary Rosenzweig, MacMost