If you know how to read, this book is a must-have. Have you ever noticed there's some pretty fascinating stuff in the encyclopedia (with an awful lot of less fascinating information mixed in). This book gives you a good percentage of the highlights, as well as laugh-out-loud-funny anecdotes from the life of a guy with the patience/gumption/insanity to read it all. All 33,000 pages of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Believe it or not, this book is actually a page-turner. Somewhere between A-ak and Zywiec, you start to relate to this self-effacing guy (who, in reality, is probably 3.7 times smarter than most of us) and become genuinely interested in the success of his quest. On another level, The Know-It-All is like the Krispy Kreme’s of its kind, allowing you to watch the process of its creation as the book itself unfolds. Its transparency is both insightful and endearing. The writing process takes you into his office, on the NY Subway and to a personal interview with Alex Trebek. It culminates with a visit to Britannica headquarters, which sincerely fascinates you by the time you arrive there in the book. I recommend this book to everyone.Read full review
Perfect read during this quarantine! Bought another copy for a friend.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Aj is very humorous and fun to read.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I loved A.J. Jacobs' "The Year of Living Biblically" and knew this title, his earlier work, would not disappoint. Jacobs is a wonderful, hilariously self-deprecating writer who makes even the most mundane subjects hilarious.
Very interesting while also being hysterically funny.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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