| Subcategories |
 |
Personal Finance |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
The Know-It-All
written by A.J. Jacobs
Studio : Highbridge Audio
by Highbridge Audio
Publisher : Highbridge Audio
Released : 2004-09-23
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 12
EAN : 9781565119055
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 220 reviews)
List Price : $39.95
Our Price : $24.53
|
|
| |
|
Product Description |
|
A hilarious, intelligent-trivia-packed story from a man who read the entire ENCYLOPEDIA BRITANNICA. Early in his career, A. J. Jacobs found himself putting his Ivy League education to work at ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. After five years he learned which stars have fake boobs, which stars have toupees, which have both, and not much else. This unsettling realization led Jacobs on a life-changing quest: to read the entire contents of the ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, all 33,000 pages, all 44 million words. Jacobs accumulates useful and less-so knowledge, and along the way finds a deep connection with his father (who attempted the same feat when Jacob's was a child), examines the nature of knowledge vs. intelligence, and learns how to be rather annoying at cocktail parties. Part memoir/part-education (or lack thereof), the chapters are organized by the letters of the alphabet. |
| |
|
| |
|
I Will Read and Re-Read This One! |
A.J. Jacobs works as the editor at large at Esquire magazine and has carved his personal niche at becoming what he calls "a human guinea pig." I would love to be present during one of his brainstorm sessions ("Maybe I could do this!," "Has anyone ever tried that?"). It might have been after consuming several caffeinated drinks that he thought of the premise for The Know It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. In short, he decided to read the entire Encylopaedia Britannica in one year.
I was not sure what to expect when reading about his experience. I worried it might be as big of a snooze as reading the encyclopaedia itself. Let me tell you - it's anything BUT boring. Jacobs highlights several entries - A to Z - from Britannica that he found interesting, disturbing, educational, or just plain random. He also explains how he sought to use his newfound knowledge in his everyday life (often to quite hilarious outcomes!). I didn't realize it was possible to relate even the most dense of encylopaedic articles to one's own life, but Jacobs manages to weave the different entries into aspects of his own life, and you end up getting to know him quite well.
This is a really charming book, and Jacobs' voice is so clear and distinct that you feel the book more as a conversation than a read. |
| |
|
Thoroughly enjoyable |
|
One of my favorite books this year. I fully expected to enjoy it after reading the entertaining account of the author's latest "humble quest" to follow the bible as literally as possible (also highly recommended!). And I was right - I loved the book, and when I finished it, I went into immediate Jacobs withdrawal, and had to look up his old Esquire articles and interviews to get my daily dose of self-deprecating humor (thank you, google!). Jacobs somehow managed to include a dizzying number of Britannica facts in a funny, witty, creative way, by giving the reader a glimpse of his own universe, his quirky family, his compulsions and eccentricities, his marriage and his thoughts on his impending fatherhood. The book is hilarious - I laughed out loud while reading it - but it is also tender and touching. I can't wait to read about the author's next quest. |
| |
|
Generation X goes to the library |
This is a funny book for me. Funny because like most books I think about a lot, reading it left me feeling a mixture of annoyed, amused, depressed and uplifted. In short I think the author got it right.
For what it's worth I really didn't think I'd like him by the middle of the book but really wanted to by the end. Well, who cares? It's just my way of pretending to relate to authors. At first he came off to me as a self-absorbed "gen-x-er" but he seemed to get more thoughtful as the book progressed. Maybe I started the book self-absorbed and I got more thoughtful as the book progressed.
This guy does have a sense of humor but it seemed to take him a while to hit his stride with it. Kurt Vonnegut said a good written joke works like a well-timed bomb and some of Jacobs early efforts really fizzled on me. Somewhere around the "p" entries though I found myself laughing out loud. Either I got used to his style or his style improved as he ploughed through the encyclopedia.
I'm definitely interested in reading his other book on biblical living (I bought it) so his publisher should be happy with him. |
| |
|
It's very cute - read it! |
|
Laugh-out-loud funny in some parts. Maybe a little tedious toward the middle (probably sort of like, say, being in the middle of reading the encyclopaedia), but still well worthwhile. I recommend it for entertaining, humorous reading that sneaks a little knowledge in without being heavy-handed. |
| |
|
My FAVORITE book ever!! |
|
I emailed AJ and told him that this was my favorite book, right up there with my 2nd fav "Memoirs of a Geisha". He thanked me for comparing him to a Japanese hooker! That's funny. In fact, he's so funny and quirky that I'm always thinking of more book ideas for him. This book is so fun to read. I read it aloud to my husband while traveling on our summer vacation. I just wish I could memorize more of it! You gotta read this book. |
| |
|
|
|
