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How to Be a Geek Goddess
Reviewed by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS
www.compukiss.com
sandy (at) compukiss.com

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

I am an old hat when it comes to technology. I was a computer programmer back in the seventies before computers came into the home, and I’ve kept my hand in the technology arena all these years with my own computer consulting business and my technical writing career. Yet I’ve never considered myself a “Geek Goddess”. As a matter of fact I have often been a little aggravated to hear Kim Komando refer to herself as “The Digital Goddess” — like she is something really special.

But Christina Tynan-Wood in her book, How to Be a Geek Goddess, isn’t advocating that a Geek goddess is someone above everyone else. She says that being a Geek Goddess is “a simple matter of embracing the incredible innovation that’s going on in our times and harness it for our own purposes”.

Oh yes, and Christina understands the differences between how men and women look at, and deal with, technology. She starts the book off with the sentence, “My husband is a pompous ass.” Many of us have noticed how men seem to pound their chests and promote themselves as the technology heroes of the day. Women, on the other hand, just want to use and enjoy technology.

Christina’s book is filled with good information about technology with everything from how to choose a computer sales person to hooking up with others online. There are tips on everything from controlling your email to trouble-shooting a wireless connection. Chapters include: Getting in Touch with Your Software Side, Where the Stores Never Close, The Wireless Home, Keeping It Safe, Geek Parenting, Groovy Gear and Gadgets, and Your 200 Closest Friends.

The information in this 315 page book is all accurate and informative. Yet, this is not a reference book. It is rather like a free-flowing novel with technical information. If you want a book where you can look up how to do things, you will have to look elsewhere. This is a book for women who want to absorb some pointers here and there while reading about all the things you can do with your computer. If you are already very familiar with computers, you can skip this book. But again, if you want to immerse yourself in technology and pick up some knowledge and useful tidbits on the way, you will love this book. And you may even become a Geek Goddess yourself!