While we’re on the subject of books, I’d like to talk about a great one I recently read: “The Know It All: One Man’s Humble Quest To Become The Smartest Person In The World.” A front cover quote from a hero of mine, John Stewart, host of Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show,’ should clue readers in to exactly the type of book this is- one which, like Stewart’s show, is both highly educational and laugh out loud hilarious.
While hearing the author, AJ Jacobs, interviewed on NPR, I was simultaneously entertained and enlightened by what he had to say. He brought to mind a literary, more self-deprecating version of Morgan Spurlock, the indie filmmaker best known for subsisting on nothing but McDonald’s for a month (a process documented in his film ‘Supersize Me’). Jacobs’ books overlap with Spurlock’s films in the sense that both these guys place themselves in the role of guinea pig for their own social experiments.
AJ, an editor for Esquire Magazine, has become well known for devoting a year of his life to following the Old Testament as literally as possible, living and working in present day Manhattan in Biblical dress and behavior, a process he’s documented in his 2007 book “The Year Of Living Biblically” (which is coming up on my ‘to read’ list). But just before that, he wrote ‘The Know It All,’ which documents the year or so he spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica- all 32 volumes, 33,000 pages, 44 million words.
Despite the high comedic factor of ‘The Know It All,’ I had a lot of deep thoughts while reading it. First, I wished I’d had a teacher like this- one who could have instilled the love of learning in a young age and forge a connection between classical academic knowledge and our pop culture infused society. Second, I found myself with a new urge to look beyond the surface, to seek out the full stories of the everyday inventions we take for granted (I’ll never look at lightbulbs and vending machines the same), the wonders of nature that most of us have never thought about (did you know a dragonfly can eat its own weight in thirty minutes? Or that an oyster can change its sex?), not to mention profound facts surrounding the world’s great works of art, architecture, music, philosophy and pretty much anything else imaginable. Adding to the entertainment value, Jacobs cleverly points out that many historical figures have fascinating stories, some of them tabloid scandal worthy, all of which are told eloquently and humorously.
As if the educational and comedic factors weren’t enough, ‘The Know It All’ is an extremely personal narrative. Though not everyone will relate to AJ’s world of upper class intellectual New York professionals- he manages to break down these barriers by describing situations that anyone can relate to, such as complicated relationships with family and friends and feelings of inferiority. Early in the book, for example, Jacobs describes his ‘long, slow slide into dumbness,’ when, fresh out of college, he began working for ‘Entertainment Weekly’ magazine: “I learned the names of ‘N’Sync’s singers- as well as their choreographer. I could tell you which stars have toupees, which have fake breasts, and which have both. But this meant anything profound got pushed out. I could talk confidently about the doughnut eating Homer, but I’d forgotten all about the blind guy who wrote long poems.”
Then there is the fact that AJ is surrounded by people who are intimidatingly smart. His father has written dozens of respected law books (my own father being one of the most respected academic figures in modern sociology- I can relate to this). Then, there is his Harvard educated, overachieving, pontificating brother in law- a ‘shockingly bright’ intellectual superior who is not shy about rubbing it in: “When he looks at me, it’s the same way I might look at a golden retriever. No matter how clever the golden retriever-even if it learns to flush the toilet or bark to ‘happy birthday’- it’s still a golden retriever.”
Along the way, AJ fearlessly jumps into vulnerable situations, testing out his new found knowledge in social gatherings (in some cases to the embarrassment of his wife), attending a Mensa convention (despite entering through a ‘loophole’), even becoming a contestant on ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,’ all of which he documents brilliantly.
Although there is a lot to absorb here, this is a book you can easily read piece by piece. Since it is arranged alphabetically, like a condensed version of the Britannica, it is easy to read in increments, even while you’re in the middle of reading other books. Overall, ‘The Know It All’ is extremely educational, changes ones entire outlook on learning and caused me to see the world through different eyes. It also forced me laugh out loud in public many times, nearly causing a scene. MORE INFO