I have to admit, for the most part I had some pretty cool parents when I was growing up. As far back as I can remember (which is back to around 1985-ish), I was lucky enough to have multiple computers in my house, and even more at my grandparents’ house down the street. I grew up swapping 5 1/4″ floppies and singing along to the Internet song (which would be the timeless handshake between my dial-up modem and the vast unknown). If not for my parents being so cool with technology, I may have grown up to be an athlete or something. Whew, bullet dodged!
I know that I want to be as memorably pro-geek to my kids as my parents were to me, and in an age when video games, computers, and comic books are become more mainstream and more commonplace, the role of the geeky parent has become both easier and harder to fill in. Easier, because these devices are more prevalent, and parents are just as likely (in my generation at the very least) to enjoy them with their children. Harder, because, and let’s be honest here, most games don’t provide much of a learning or discovery experience. That’s where Ken Denmead’s series of Geek Dad books come in handy. Geek Dad, The Geek Dad’s Guide to Weekend Fun, and The Geek Dad Book for Aspiring Mad Scientists all provide fun, educational, geeky experiences that can bring a geek parent, mom or dad, together with their kid(s) for a geektacularly good time.
For under $20 each, the three Geek Dad books contain dozens upon dozens of projects and experiments that will both excite and educate your geeklings.
Other kid: “Hey, what did you do over the weekend? I beat the final boss in Bonestorm.”
YOUR KID: “Oh, that’s cool. I BUILT A FUNCTIONAL RADIO FROM HOUSEHOLD ITEMS BECAUSE I’M MACGYVER.”
Other kid: “Who the hell is MacGyver?”
So not only is your kid doing cooler things than that other kid, he knows who MacGyver is. He’s just double-out-co0led that other kid, all because the Geek Dad series of books has given you and your awesome kid a chance to geek out in a whole new way.
The books are very well written, and serve as a great way of connecting with your kids in a geeky and educational fashion. Not a geek parent? With the holidays coming up, this is a great gift for someone who is. Have a geek parent?
Review
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Well written Excellent projects Great for keeping kids interested in learning | None |
| Rating |
