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The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
 
 
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The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World (Paperback)

~ (Author) "a-ak That's the first word in the Encyclopaedia Britannica..." (more)
Key Phrases: master kilogram, whale poop, smartest boy, New York, Encyclopaedia Britannica, United States (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (243 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Imagine, the original Berserkers were "savage Norse soldiers" of the Middle Ages who went into battle stark naked! Or consider the Etruscan habit of writing in "boustrophedon style." Intrigued? Well, either hunker down with your own Encyclopædia Britannica, or buy Esquire editor Jacobs's memoir of the year he spent reading all 32 volumes of the 2002 edition—that's 33,000 pages with some 44 million words. Jacobs set out on this delightfully eccentric endeavor attempting to become the "smartest person in the world," although he agrees smart doesn't mean wise. Apart from the sheer pleasure of scaling a major intellectual mountain, Jacobs figured reading the encyclopedia from beginning to end would fill some gaps in his formal education and greatly increase his "quirkiness factor." Reading alphabetically through whole topics he never knew existed meant he'd accumulate huge quantities of trivia to insert into conversations with unsuspecting victims. As his wife shunned him and cocktail party guests edged away, Jacobs started testing his knowledge in a hilarious series of humiliating adventures: hobnobbing at Mensa meetings, shuffling off to chess houses, trying out for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, visiting his old prep school, even competing on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Indeed, one of the book's strongest parts is its laugh-out-loud humor. Jacobs's ability to juxtapose his quirky, sardonic wit with oddball trivia make this one of the season's most unusual books.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


From School Library Journal

Adult/High School - When Jacobs, a pop-culture junkie and magazine editor, got a bee in his bonnet to read the entire abridged set of the Encyclopedia Britannica to stave off the decline of his recalled knowledge, his wife, family, and coworkers looked on with disbelief, amusement, and annoyance. They thought he'd give up on his quest, but fortunately he did not, for his recap manages to impart the joys of learning, along with a lot of laughs. The alphabetical arrangement of his book allows Jacobs to share highlights, many of which show his fixation on the morbid, the insane, and the grotesque in history. Cortés had syphilis. Descartes had a fetish for cross-eyed women. Throughout, the author digresses with anecdotes about such things as his trip to a Mensa meeting, his visit with Alex Trebek, and (mainly) his wife's attempts to get pregnant. While the pregnancy woes probably won't hold the same resonance with teens as with adults, they are all short, and soon there is another funny or gross item. As Jacobs wraps up, he leaves readers with the sense of satisfaction and wistfulness that often occurs when finishing a particularly satisfying book, only multiplied by the magnitude of what he has accomplished. This is a love note to human knowledge and the joys of obtaining it. - Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (October 4, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743250621
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743250627
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (243 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,796 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #2 in  Books > Reference > Encyclopedias > History
    #2 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Books & Reading > History of Books
    #16 in  Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Journalists

More About the Author

A. J. Jacobs
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This book cites 52 books:
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Customer Reviews

243 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (243 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
66 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites of the year; great story, July 27, 2005
This book came highly recommended, but I was skeptical. Nerdy pointless trivia? Becoming the "smartest person in the world" by reading Brittanica? I was even skeptical about the format--an alphabetical tour through the encyclopedia, with starting entries on a-ak, a capella, Aachen, Aaron, etc. Fortunately, Jacobs is a very talented narrator, and he had me hooked in the first few pages. His method of detailing the journey from A to Z was very effective.

This isn't random repeated trivia, it's a very good memoir. We learn about Jacobs's career at Esquire, his relationship with his wife, their on-going fertility troubles, his playfully combative relationship with his brother-in-law, and his relationship with his dad and how dad shaped Jacobs as a person. All of this is intertwined with his journey through Brittanica, and I learned a lot on the way. Jacobs also spices up his quest for knowledge by taking a speed reading class, joining Mensa and attending a gathering, meeting Alex Trebek, and trying out for Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, among other things.

There is, of course, the requisite Brittanica trivia, but Jacobs weaves it all into a cohesive narrative. He points out how many people died of syphillus, the overshadowed siblings of famous people like Charles Darwin, the many occurences of cross-eyed people and those who had fetishes for them, the "good parts" and racy pictures in the Brittanica, and so on. I also learned about ths historical biases of the encyclopedia and how the machine that is the Brittanica works.

This book has mass appeal. I know I'll be loaning it out to my family, because Jacobs tells a story most anyone can relate to. I was sad when I got to the Z's and I had to part with this talented narrator.
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214 of 255 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A great consolation in a world gone mad.., November 22, 2004
AJ Jacobs may not have realized his book could be seen as redemptive, or life-affirming, but to me The Know-It-All is both. I purchased this book one week after losing my dearest friend, at far too young an age, to colon cancer. At the time I was grasping at straws in a mad attempt to find something that could distract me from my grief. Nothing else was working, frankly, and I was mired in unhappiness. I'd read a review of Jacobs' book a few weeks before, and the premise sounded intriguing. When I saw it hit the bookstore shelves I decided I'd give it a try. Imagine my surprise when I found myself riveted, and able to lose myself (and thus for a time forget my sorrow) completely. Then I found myself laughing at the self-deprecating humor, and before I knew it I began to feel a certain sense of inspiration and consolation in the whole sweep of human history, despite the occasional human foibles pointed out so perceptively by Jacobs. I'll never forget that this book, and this author, helped me through one of the darkest times in my life. This book may not be such a savior to everyone, but I can't see how anyone could read it and not be charmed and instructed. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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143 of 174 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, funny and now I'm smart!, September 22, 2004
By N. Gargano "nokegchris" (Waynesville NC and Bradenton, Fl) - See all my reviews
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I saw this book at the bookstore and after glancing through it, I knew I had to take it home. What a funny, fuuny book. Oh....... and very informative. I can't imagine anyone actually trying to read the whole encyclopedia, from A to Z. How boring, how daunting, how strange. But oh, how glad I am this author took on this task. Funny, funny book. I found myself laughing out loud more times than I can count, and I kept wanting to share the entries as I was reading them, not just for the extra laughs, but for the really interesting tidbits the author chose to tell. Since I was alone in the house most of the time I was reading, and couldn't share anything I was reading, I went to Amazon and ordered a couple of copies for other people. I shouldn't be the only one to enjoy this book. Read this book and give one as a gift to someone you know. Well worth it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A. J. JACOBS ATTEMPTS TO BECOME "THE KNOW-IT-ALL" AND DEMONSTRATES SOCRATES' QUOTE THAT "ALL HE KNOWS IS THAT HE KNOWS NOTHING"


A. J. Jacobs performed a feat few people have ever attempted. In the span of one year he totally read the prestigious "Encyclopedia Britannica". Read more
Published 27 days ago by James H. Lister

5.0 out of 5 stars trivia-minded

for those of us with a fascination for facts, this is a book that should be longer! There's a personal factor, but only sketchily; the facts are the thing, and he has... Read more
Published 28 days ago by Sharon K. Byers

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't worry, it's not a Cliff's Notes version of the Encyclopedia
If you like random facts, Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy!, etc., then you'll love The Know It All. If the aforementioned doesn't excite you (e.g. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Shetu Shah

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun
As the blurb on the cover says, the book is about the author deciding to read the Encyclopedia Britannica top to bottom. Read more
Published 2 months ago by anonymous

1.0 out of 5 stars oh please...!
This is the first book I have ever considered actually throwing in the trash can. The writer with his sophmoric humor is just too much to stand. Read more
Published 2 months ago by PAL

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
In his memoir "The Know-it-All," A.J. Jacobs, an editor at Esquire magazine, reads the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in his quest to become the world's smartest man. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jiang Xueqin

5.0 out of 5 stars How to read an encyclopedia
When I was a kid I owned an encyclopedia that my grandpa had given us. My family owned many other reference works as well, and a little nerd that I was I had spent many hours... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Bojan Tunguz

5.0 out of 5 stars engrossing
Joe Queenan blasted this book in a widely-noted NYT Book Review piece, but after reading it myself have lost all respect for Queenan's judgment. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Caraculiambro

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish the Britannica Was This Entertaining
As much as I enjoyed A.J. Jacobs' newest book, THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY, I think that it doesn't hold a candle to the book that preceded it: THE KNOW-IT-ALL. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Rick MacDonnell

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Time for All
The "Know-It-All" by A.J. Jacobs is subtitled, "One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Top Dragon

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