Make It So: Nerdonomics
Gods, I love it when otaku, nerds, and geeks go economic. You may have freakonomics, but we have got our own brand of crazy finances.
Case in point, people who evaluate the financial issues surrounding the Death Star.
Or maybe fictional characters and comparative wealth.
I enjoy these things because they’re fascinating intersections of fantasy and the real world. They make you think, they push people to use economic smarts and information, they challenge models of money. They’re the spreadsheet-and-accountant equivalent of pitting Batman versus Jules Verne*
So I wish to propose something that we nerds, geeks, fans, and otaku need.
We need a book on Nerdonomics.
Yes, why must these articles on whether Scrooge Mc Duck is richer than Bruce Wayne, or how Wookies maintain their food supply**, be in magazines and humorous one-offs. Let us compile them into a book!
In fact, why use pre-existing articles? I’m sure as soon as some enterprising author (that could be you) started doing this more people would jump on board. Face it, when you’re busy modeling the macroeconomics of steel, at some point you want to say “screw it” and figure out how the Shire’s economy functions***
Now imagine that big, huge, deliciously nerdy book going on sale. Let’s face it you’d buy it. I’d buy it. We’d buy it as a gift. It would probably sell quite well, and given the crapulescent economic times, a little humor would make it welcome.
It might even get people a bit more aware of economics and economic issues. I mean hey, once you’ve contemplated how to fund a giant robot****, you might notice more things in regular economics.
And of course, there are plenty of possible sequels.
OK, get on it nerdonomics enthusiasts and geekonomists. Make it so!
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach. He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at http://www.stevensavage.com/.
* Winner? The readers.
** I have no idea, you do the research.
*** I figure short selling.
**** MOST AWESOME KICKSTARTER EVER.
