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

Summary:

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.

Staff Review:

This nonfiction book was pulished in 2004, but it has been on my reading list until just recently when I was finally able to check it off the list. It is the autobiographical tale of A.J. Jacobs' endeavor to read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z.

Jacobs' self deprecating humor provided frequent laughs, and the topics he chose to address in his book were obscure enough to spark my curiosity, yet presented with a humor and levity that kept my interest going. I almost feel as though I read the Encyclopaedia, and I highly recommend this savorable book.

-- by Amy S.