I wanted to like it more than I did. I liked the kids a lot, and some of the cited research was interesting. But it didn't live up to my expectations based on the title.

Totally explains everything! haha

One of the best books I have read all year. I encourage teachers, parents, and really everyone to read it. An insightful and detailed look into the world of outcasts, popularity, and school culture, the book includes analysis of quirk theory as well as narrative accounts of a core set of "outcasts" that exemplify what many teens experience. Again, if you work in a school system or with teens and want to make more of a difference, check this book out.

I found it very effective to hear the stories of a number of different real people: their difficulties finding friends, remaining or becoming popular, and how they changed during the year. It has been awhile since I was in school, but I found I could really relate to some of the stories (though I was actually rather oblivious to much of what was going on around me socially, it seems... which places me outside of the popular group).

What kept my interest in this book the most was the characters. The sections explaining an illuminating what the people experienced and how this shows up in schools all around the country were interesting, but the reason I kept picking this book up was so I could hear about how things were turning out for the people.

One other thing I really liked about this book is that it reminded me a number of things from my school days right now, when my kids are getting to the ages where popularity matters. Last night my oldest son and I talked about geeks, nerds, popular people, etc. He said that he sees all those groups at his school. Reading this book right now is going to make it easier to discuss these topics with my kids.

A good book, one that is worthwhile for parents, educators, and those who work with youth. The vignettes of the "fringe" students was the best aspect of the book. Robbins' recommendations - particularly for parents - were apt. The book certainly confirmed by concerns about how America's public school system rewards conformity and group-think at the expense of individuality.

I have read several books by Alexandra Robbins (Pledged was required reading in grad school) and her qualitative research techniques always interest me since she has to be so protective of her subjects' identities. I enjoyed this so much more than I expected to, and I'm really glad I read it. I recommend this to all of my nerdy friends!

A lot of the trends and group names are no longer applicable, but I'm sure the theory holds.

One thing I have to acknowledge about Alexandra Robbins, having read three of her books, is that she has a gift for interviewing young people and getting them to speak openly about their lives, warts and all. 'Pledged' and 'Geeks' both provide a surprisingly intimate view of their subjects, and it's hard to believe that they could be so comprehensive if Robbins didn't have a talent for getting people to open up. Unfortunately, as with previous efforts, this book does little of value with the results of these interviews.

The thesis of 'Geeks,' which Robbins labels 'quirk theory' (a label so disproportionately pretentious to its value as a concept that I groaned every time I saw it in the text) is that the same qualities that cause a pre-teen or teenager to be rejected or excluded in school are the qualities that will make them successful later in life. Robbins supports this theory (groan) with academic research she rarely discusses in any depth, as well penetrating analytical techniques like 'quoting verbatim a Teen Vogue interview of Taylor Swift' and 'pointing out that some successful people used to be nerdy.' Maybe one of the gifted students in this book could explain post hoc ergo propter hoc to Robbins.

Robbins also points out that some people who are excluded in high school grow up to have terrible lives, so I guess the high school fringe shouldn't start planning for all that future adulation just yet. It comes off less as genuine sociological inquiry and more like the fevered revenge fantasy of a misbegotten teen--all those jocks with their friends and parties may be cool now, but just wait until I'm rich and they have to empty my garbage! I hope the kids chronicled in this book go on to happy and productive lives--they all have qualities and talents that deserve to be, and probably will be, appreciated and embraced in the future. I also hope that I've learned my lesson this time and avoid any future journalistic efforts by Alexandra Robbins.

I thought this book was interesting and an informative summary of ideas about popularity in the high school caste system, although I think Robbins oversimplifies the outcast idea. She focuses very heavily on the perceived popularity group as having all of the negative qualities of adolescents, while ignoring the hierarchy established within each clique. Overall though, I found myself thinking about different ideas and considering parenting ideas for my own future children.

Hands down...one of the very best books I have read this year, maybe ever. This books should be required reading for every parent, teacher, school administrator, teenager...anyone who has ever been in high school and been around kids. That means EVERYONE! As someone who has gone through high school and currently has high school kids, a lot of this stuff was familiar to me. However, I discovered some wonderful information reading this book and I believe that it will help me as I continue to help two amazing kids navigate through some of the most difficult years of their lives. I have highly recommended this to both of them.