Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg - Guest Review

Nerd Do Well: A Small Boy's Journey To Becoming A Big Kid
by Simon Pegg
368 pages
Published June 2011 by Penguin Group
Source: the publisher and TLC Book Tours

Summary from the publisher:

The unique life story of one of the most talented and inventive comedians, star of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Star Trek.
Zombies in North London, death cults in the West Country, the engineering deck of the Enterprise: actor, comedian, writer and self-proclaimed supergeek Simon Pegg has been ploughing some bizarre furrows in recent times. Having landed on the U.S. movie scene in the surprise cult hit Shaun of the Dead, his enduring appeal and rise to movie star with a dedicated following has been mercurial, meteoric, megatronic, but mostly just plain great.
From his childhood (and subsequently adult) obsession with science fiction, his enduring friendship with Nick Frost, and his forays into stand-up comedy which began with his regular Monday morning slot in front of his twelve-year-old classmates, Simon has always had a severe and dangerous case of the funnies.
Whether recounting his experience working as a lifeguard at the city pool, going to Comic-Con for the first time and confessing to Carrie Fisher that he used to kiss her picture every night before he went to sleep, or meeting and working with heroes that include Peter Jackson, Kevin Smith, and Quentin Tarantino, Pegg offers a hilarious look at the journey to becoming an international superstar, dotted with a cast of memorable characters, and you're rooting for him all the way.

When the lovely ladies at TLC Book Tours first approached me about the book, I immediately knew it was something that any of the males in my house would enjoy. My husband grabbed the book the minute it came in the mail, so he'll be your guest reviewer for this one!

Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg pretty much sums it up as Simon is a Star Wars and Zombie movie junkie from way back. Having been a science fiction fan from way back as a wee lad of six or seven in Iowa sneaking up out of bed to join my much older brother and his friends, I can relate.  I loved the old Twilight Zone, Star Trek shows as well as Stephen King books, especially in his early days, so we have a similar mind set, although I didn't share the infatuation with zombies.  That being said I loved Simon's "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz," both excellent violent comedies that tickled my dark sense of humor.

One of the things I did not know was Simon's extensive experience in stand up comedy, comedy writing and working on some of the British shows that evidently were more of a hit over there or that I just plain missed here.  Something I will need to go search out.  Simon also has a great love for the dramatic arts and was exposed early and often in his family and I applaud him in his relentless pursuit of  his acting career knowing the ups and downs of the business.  

Being an autobiography it probably will appeal to a certain crowd and. as my lovely wife mentioned, more of a male crowd due to Simon's interests and style, but it was fun and interesting.  Despite his not rising to the pinnacle of the British education system with their various caste levels, Simon has a great command of the English language and a lively and witty writing style.  I can see why he has been doing television comedy writing as well as stand up. 

So if you are a bit is a Star Wars fan, like zombie movies, or are a fan of Simon's movies, this should be an enjoyable read.  I need to go out and see "Paul" that is still in the cheap theater and should be out on DVD soon. 

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for including me on this tour and to my husband for his review. I'm sure this book will be in one of my sons' hands soon! For more reviews of the book, check out the full tour. Follow Simon on Twitter at http://twitter.com/simonpegg.