In 'The Know-It-All', A.J. Jacobs chronicles his humorous and enlightening journey to read all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. This memoir explores the impact of his quest on his personal life, relationships, and understanding of intelligence. Jacobs also attempts to join Mensa and appear on Jeopardy!, while discovering fascinating facts and reflecting on the meaning of intelligence.
In 'It's All Relative', A.J. Jacobs embarks on a three-year journey to build the largest family tree in history, exploring the complexities of family, genetics, and human connection. His adventures take him to all seven continents, uncovering surprising links to historical figures and celebrities. The book is a fascinating look at the bonds that unite humanity.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners. The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure. Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering). The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.
In this book, A.J. Jacobs embarks on a year-long experiment to live according to the Bible's rules as literally as possible. Raised in a secular Jewish family, Jacobs delves into the world of religion to understand its relevance in modern life. He follows over 700 biblical rules, from the well-known Ten Commandments to the lesser-known laws such as avoiding clothes made of mixed fibers and stoning adulterers. The book is a humorous and profound account of his journey, where he interacts with various religious groups, including Amish, Hassidic Jews, and evangelical Christians. Jacobs' experiment leads to surprising insights and personal growth, challenging his initial skepticism about religion and highlighting the complexities of biblical literalism[1][3][5].
In 'Thanks a Thousand', A.J. Jacobs embarks on a global journey to thank every person involved in producing his morning cup of coffee. This deceptively simple idea transforms his life and highlights the benefits of gratitude, which include improving compassion, healing the body, and battling depression. Jacobs meets a diverse range of people, from Minnesota miners to Colombian farmers, and provides insights on how to focus on the positive aspects of daily life and practice gratitude effectively.
Ryan talks to A.J. Jacobs about his new book The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life, the enduring power of puzzles, the Stoic concept of Memento Mori, and more.
A.J. Jacobs is an American journalist, author, and lecturer best known for writing about his lifestyle experiments. He is a self-proclaimed “human guinea pig” and avid nightly crossworder. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor and a dash of self-help. AJ is also editor at large at Esquire magazine, a commentator on NPR and a columnist for Mental Floss magazine. His first book is called The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World (Simon & Schuster, 2004). The memoir — which spent two months on the New York Times bestseller list — chronicles the 18 months Jacobs spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in a quest to learn everything in the world.
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