The know-it-all : one man's humble quest to become the smartest person in the world

Chronicles the efforts of an NPR contributor to read the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z, sharing the humorous and unexpected mishaps that occurred as a result of the endeavor, from changed dynamics in his family relationships to his efforts to join Mensa and win a spot on Jeopardy! By the author of Fractured Fairy Tales. 100,000 first printing. "Part memoir and part education (or lack thereof), The Know-It-All chronicles NPR contributor A. J. Jacob's hilarious, enlightening, and seemingly impossible quest to read the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z." "The Know-It-All recounts the unexpected and comically descriptive effects Operation Encyclopedia has on every part of Jacobs' life - from his newly minted marriage to his complicated relationship with his father and the rest of his charmingly eccentric New York family to his day job as an editor at Esquire. Jacobs' project tests the outer limits of his stamina and forces him to explore the real meaning of intelligence as he endeavors to join Mensa, win a spot on Jeopardy!, and absorb 33,000 pages of learning."--BOOK JACKET. Chronicles The Efforts Of An Npr Contributor To Read The Encyclopedia Britannica From A To Z, Sharing The Humorous Mishaps That Occurred As A Result Of The Endeavor, From Changed Family Relationships To His Efforts To Join Mensa. A.j. Jacobs. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 370) And Index. Biography detailing the comic effects on Jacobs' life that occur when he attempts to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica volumes A to Z