The Know-It-All
3
Feb
22
2007
1:34 pm

I just started reading the book “The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World” by A.J. Jacobs. So far it’s pretty entertaining. It’s something I thought a few of you, here in my small geek circle, might be interested in

He writes:
“Part memoir, part Cliff’s Notes to every topic under the sun, The Know-It-All is about the year I spent reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z (or, more precisely, from a-ak to zywiec). All forty-four million words of it. The book is many things:

First, it’s a compendium of the funniest, most fascinating, and most profound facts I uncovered-from the history of canned laughter to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s obsessive-compulsive behavior to female spies in the Civil War.

Second, it is a search for meaning and wisdom among that ocean of facts.

Third, it’s a memoir of my eccentric, knowledge-loving family. (My dad, for instance, holds the world record for the most number of footnotes in a law review article: 5,435.)

And finally, it is a series of adventures to test the limits of intelligence. I competed in a crossword-puzzle tournament, went on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and attended a Mensa convention.”

What are you reading?

3 Comments on “The Know-It-All”

  • 1) Brant
    February 22nd, 2007
    @ 8:07 pm

    Yeah, “Cliff’s Notes”, as in, Cliff Claven.

  • 2) kat
    February 27th, 2007
    @ 3:31 pm

    “What are you reading?”

    Your blog.

    I feel smarter already.

  • 3) The Booters
    February 28th, 2007
    @ 4:21 am

    After I am finished with everything john steinbeck has ever written i will read that. it sounds good.

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