The Know-It-All

In the case of the massive, regally embossed, thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, reading them is out of the question. The books explore every person, plant, and ping-pong ball that ever existed on Bible-thin pages and close-set, tiny rows of pearl-like print. However, A.J. Jacobs offers a smaller, less complete version with a lighter touch in The Know-It-All. He skillfully intertwines funny stories and memories from his own life with interesting facts from the Britannica. The whole book is an endless bundle of connections that create bridges between information and his own quest of reading the Encyclopedias.

Everyone in his family is skeptical about him reading the books, and their snide comments are sprinkled throughout The Know-It-All in a hilarious way. I would certainly recommend this book because not only is it laugh-out-loud funny, but is packed with knowledge. A fast and silly read, it is a crowd pleaser.