Part memoir and part education (or lack thereof), The Know-It-All chronicles NPR contributor A. J. Jacobs's hilarious, enlightening, and seemingly impossible quest to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z.To fill the ever-widening gaps in his Ivy League education, A. J. Jacobs sets for himself the daunting task of reading all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His wife, Julie, tells him it's a waste of time, his friends believe he is losing his mind, and his father, a brilliant attorney who had once attempted the same feat and quit somewhere around Borneo, is encouraging but, shall we say, unconvinced.With self-deprecating wit and a disarming frankness, The Know-It-All recounts the unexpected and comically disruptive effects Operation Encyclopedia has on every part of Jacobs's life—from his newly minted marriage to his complicated relationship with his father and the rest of his charmingly eccentric New York family to his day job as an editor at Esquire. Jacobs's project tests the outer limits of his stamina and forces him to explore the real meaning of intelligence as he endeavors to join Mensa, win a spot on Jeopardy!, and absorb 33,000 pages of learning. On his journey he stumbles upon some of the strangest, funniest, and most profound facts about every topic under the sun.
Download and start listening now!
"I didn't expect this book to be as funny as it was. The author is very witty, and I guess you have to be if all you're talking about it how you read the whole encyclopaedia. I laughed out loud frequently, and enjoyed his funny anticdotes that accompanied the different sections of the book (he broke it down alphebetically, cleverly incorporating the things he read into his everyway life). To top it all off, there was an over-arching story of him and his wife trying to get pregnant that made me want to continue reading to see what happens. It all flows together very nicely." — Aileen (4 out of 5 stars)
"I didn't expect this book to be as funny as it was. The author is very witty, and I guess you have to be if all you're talking about it how you read the whole encyclopaedia. I laughed out loud frequently, and enjoyed his funny anticdotes that accompanied the different sections of the book (he broke it down alphebetically, cleverly incorporating the things he read into his everyway life). To top it all off, there was an over-arching story of him and his wife trying to get pregnant that made me want to continue reading to see what happens. It all flows together very nicely."
" Entertaining tale of celebrity journalist reads the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica, joins Mensa, realizes he can no longer do long algebra, & gets wife pregnant - with some difficulty. "
" Although it took my much longer than expected to read it, I thought it was really funny. It is also handy how you can pick it up for 1 minute incriments as your waiting for the kids to brush their teeth and read an entry or two. It did make me feel smart for knowing a lot of his science facts that he learned, although at the same time I can tell I know zero about most of the famous writers he wrote about. "
" Kind of annoying at times and kind of interesting at others. Overall, probably not worth the time, but its always nice to have variety in the library. "
" fun. good to read little bits at a time. weird trivia and casual writing style. "
" The insecure, self-deprecating-but-not-really brand of writer is like nutmeg -- a little bit goes a lonnnnnggg way. And we already have Woody Allen, so A.J. needs a different schtick. Not my fave by a long shot. "
" It was very entertaining but got boring towards the end. Ended up not finishing it. "
" Humorous and even endearing writing style, but more vulgar than I prefer. "
" A well written, entertaining read. I learned some random facts and enjoyed the anecdotes along the way. Not a must-read book, but a good one nonetheless. "
" Laugh it loud humor. A nice, pleasurable read - an escape from my usual fare. "
" Since I've often driven my wife and others crazy by spouting off disconnected trivia, I could easily relate to this memoir about a man who read the Encyclopedia Britannica and increased his social awkwardness exponentially. "
" An amazing journey through the Encyclopedia Britanica and everyday life "
" So funny, impossible to put down, lots of off-the-wall info. Inspiring and heartfelt at times. Reminded me of David Sedaris books. Loved it! "
" Jon Stewart's quote on the front of the book says it all, "...I've always said, why doesn't someone put out a less complete version of the encyclopedia?" I am only on H, but I am learning a lot of trivia. "
" I only read this because I LOVED his other book. this one was average - I finished it but I'd pretty much lost interest before the end. "
" It was a hard slog at first (much like the author's journey, I imagine) and then ended up a delightful book. The author vacillated between charming enthusiasm and annoying self-awareness, but at the end I liked him and was no longer jealous of his quest. "
" One of the most entertaining, trivial and educating books I've read. Could not put it down. "
" Loved it. Love A. J. Wish I could convey my thoughts as humorously as he does...seemingly so effortlessly. "
" I want to be this guy when I grow up. "
" I belly-laughed my way through this book. Now that I'm finished, I want to extract all manner of portions of it to include in my daily conversation. So darn much interesting info we ought to be sharing! "
" A laugh-out-loud read! AJ Jacobs weaves a wonderful tale of his experience reading Encyclopaedia Britannica from beginning to end. And, how he uses his new-found knowledge in his every-day life. "
" I chuckle as I read his writing...always a good sign. "
" So good, so very funny. great audio book. reminded me a lot of me...always seeking knowledge and facts....great book! "
" Seriously, AJ Jacobs is one of the wittiest, smartest writers out there. He makes me laugh on every page-and his "humble quests" are hysterical and unbelievable. I can't believe the extent he will go to for his research. LOVE his books! "
" This was a funny book. Jacobs is a clever guy, reminds me a lot of some of the brainiacs that I go to school with. I feel like I got to learn a lot of the cocktail party trivia he acquired with far less effort than he put in. :-) "
" Jacobs goes above and beyond to research his books with hilarious results. "
" Fantastic read. I just loved reading and re-reading this book. I'm struggling with my transition from reading for pleasure to reading for knowledge/growth, and this was a nice step in the right direction. I could not put it down! "
" Great concept, worked for about the first half of the book, easily could have shortened it up a bit, because unfortunately the concept lends itself to repetition. Made an entertaining audiobook. "
" Very funny, and I'm a sucker for entertaining facts and tidbits. "
" A.J. Jacobs, you are possibly the most hilarious smart guy ever. Will you be my best friend? "
" Good book about a man who reads the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. The articles he mentions usually relate to his current life story. Interesting parallel. "
" It started slow for me, but got better. It still wasn't as good as his other books, but I did end up liking it. "
" Great read. I laughed out loud a number of times. Found myself trying to remember all the random facts, and have word for word quoted parts of these entries. Jacobs is humble and hilarious as always. "
" I loved this book it was a great way to pass the time. "
" Very entertaining. Somewhat crude and vulgar at times, but mostly hilarious and informative. Makes me want to run out and buy a set of encyclopedias! "
" One of the best books I've read in a long time- funny, smart, and makes your heart feel full at the end. "
" This was a great read. Nice to know I am not the only crazy person out there who thinks reading the Encyclopaedia is a worthwhile effort. The 1911 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica is now in the public domain. Am looking forward to perusing these tomes of knowledge. "
A. J. Jacobs is the editor of What It Feels Like and the author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Year of Living Biblically and Drop Dead Healthy. He is the senior editor of Esquire and has written for the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, New York magazine, New York Observer, and other publications.
Geoffrey Cantor is a magna cum laude graduate of Amherst College. His stage work includes the Broadway play Side Man, as well as Romeo and Juliet and Dinner with Friends. On television, he has appeared on The Sopranos and Law & Order, and his film credits include Public Enemies, When in Rome, and Heavy Petting.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.