Helpful Score: 8
The Know-It-All is absolutely hilarious. It traces one man's quest to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. Jacobs does a great job of intertwining personal history with funny snippets and reflections on the entries themselves.
Helpful Score: 5
This is a truly hilarious book. A.J. Jacobs read the Encylopedia Britannica from beginning to end. His humorous look at his quest for knowledge is very funny. I highly recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 4
A bit of a "know-it-all" myself, I loved this book. I thought because of the subject matter - one man reads the full encyclopedia britannica cover to cover - that it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but it was wonderfully engaging, warm, and funny. The author takes you through his A to Z trip, peppering the interesting facts he learns along the way with details about his (incredibly entertaining) family and his adventures along the way. During his quest to become the "World's Smartest Man", he talks to high-IQ guns, meets Alex Trebek, and even tries out for Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I think that anyone could enjoy this book (and get something out of it), but those who have a soft spot for trivia, learning, and quirkiness will REALLY enjoy it. I got a chuckle out of nearly every page.
Helpful Score: 4
I cannot remember the last time I laughed out loud while reading a book by myself. This happened several times while reading this book. Not only is it humorous, but it is also very enlightening.
Helpful Score: 3
This is a great, funny book you can set down and pick up a week later, without having to recall different characters. The author is working his way through the entire set of Encyclopaedia Britannica!
