April 2005    

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World Author: A.J. Jacobs Publisher: Simon and Schuster $25.00 Cloth (389 P.) ISBN: 0743250605 B&T         YBP Reviewed by Marcia Amidon Lüsted, Statusing A.J. Jacobs, a senior editor for Esquire magazine, has a simple goal: he is going to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica and become the smartest person in the world, or at least be able to go on Jeopardy or Who Wants to be a Millionaire and make a lot of money. This book chronicles his quest over a period of a year, from "a-ak" to "Zywiec". Jacobs' book is not just a journal of his reading, but also a discussion of some of the more unusual bits of knowledge he gains, as well as forays into related topics. He takes field trips to a Mensa convention, a chess tournament, and the Britannica home office, as well as exploring his relationships with his family and chronicling his wife's first pregnancy after a long battle with infertility. But the most entertaining parts of the book are the miscellaneous and interesting facts that he gleans from his reading and shares with us, in essence pulling out the best parts and sparing us from having to read the dull bits for ourselves. Although he has been criticized for his humor in this book, it keeps the story of his huge reading project from becoming dull because he is able to laugh at himself, especially in his attempts to impress other people with his newfound knowledge. In the end the reader feels as if he has shared in Jacobs' accomplishment, and there's almost a temptation to buy a new set of Britannica and try it! And while Jacobs doesn't make it on to Jeopardy, he does appear on Millionaire and manages to win a thousand dollars. Published by YBP Library Services 999 Maple St., Contoocook, NH 03229 USA v: 800.258.3774   f: 603.746.5628 w: www.ybp.com   e: academia@ybp.com All rights reserved.