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Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings
rampaginglibrarian's review
2.0
don't you wanna be a brainiac too?
I'm not so sure that i do, at least not if you're defining "brainiac" by the terms of the trivia-buffs encountered in Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings the greatest champion in Jeopardy! history (so far). Jennings, as you may or may not remember, spent six months in a 75-game winning streak on the game show Jeopardy!. Brainiac isn't so much a behind the scenes account of his Jeopardy! experience(s) (although there is a bit of that in here) as it is an exploration of the world of trivia.
Although i found the material somewhat interesting i found the author just the teensiest annoying and the book did drag somewhat toward the end. Jennings humor seemed to often miss his mark (though i'm not sure he knew it) and some of his objects were a bit too near to my heart, for instance:
when the Brooklyn public library system announced in 1946 that it would no longer help patrons answer radio quizzes (due to the success of such programs as Ask Me Another! and Break the Bank) "In some cases, [quiz questions] have resulted in actual impairment of morale," the head librarian sniffed."
"He then returned to his various important card-catalog-related duties.*"
"Salt Lake City's bar scene not being exactly what you would call "hopping."*
"Maybe now I can stop being Ken Jennings, nerd folk icon, and just be Ken Jennings, nerd, like I was before. I have finally, as they say in drama classes and twelve-step programs, achieved closure."*
*These are the direct Jennings quotes that for some reason or other hit a particular nerve with me, i'm not sure why, perhaps if he were funnier, perhaps if her were a little more familiar with his subject (for instance: we librarians do much more than card-cataloging~we do much in the service of trivia information~very little of which was mentioned here~ahem; i have lived in Salt Lake City and have spent a good deal of time in its bar/club scene as well as many other cities Mr. Mormon Boy, and though it may not be QUITE as hopping as some, it is not all that bad and since you self-confessedly have little experience in such areas i think you really should not base your opinion on the going urban legend; though i'm sure they speak of closure in twelve-step programs they never spoke of it in ANY of the MANY drama classes I attended (nor were any of my drama experiences similar to anything you describe~NOT that i'm taking anything in this book personally~REALLY. ☺
(boy that was a bit of a rant wasn't it?)
ANYWAY...
Sometimes i watch the trivia shows like Jeorpardy!, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, 1 vs. 100 and such, and think, oh i could totally do that (i totally need the money, i am so in debt, and that seems SO VERY APPEALING). After reading this book i realized i am really not a trivia buff, for the most part i do not enjoy reading lists of various facts and figures and memorizing them (although i do like leafing through the new Guinness Book of World Records when it comes in~i no longer read the whole thing obsessively like i did when i was a kid, and i also enjoy books of lists and the like) most of the reason that i can answer many of those questions (and certainly not all of them) comes from my actual READING background (why imagine that). Jennings had mentioned that many players of college quiz challenges would sometimes develop an interest in classical music or literature because of the facts they were memorizing about those subjects. I tend to remember the little factoids because of my wide and eclectic reading interests and having been blessed with the ability to retain minute details easily (especially now that i'm making myself blog about each book i read.) Jennings is quick to point out that there are many different kinds and levels of intelligence and that the ability to memorize trivia is not ALWAYS a good gauge of either of those, but that it can exercise those brain muscles.
Brainiac is an interesting read, and Jennings does have his moments (regardless of how i may sound here~i must admit he IS humble~and he even has his moments of witticism). The rest is just stuff and nonsense.
I'm not so sure that i do, at least not if you're defining "brainiac" by the terms of the trivia-buffs encountered in Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings the greatest champion in Jeopardy! history (so far). Jennings, as you may or may not remember, spent six months in a 75-game winning streak on the game show Jeopardy!. Brainiac isn't so much a behind the scenes account of his Jeopardy! experience(s) (although there is a bit of that in here) as it is an exploration of the world of trivia.
Although i found the material somewhat interesting i found the author just the teensiest annoying and the book did drag somewhat toward the end. Jennings humor seemed to often miss his mark (though i'm not sure he knew it) and some of his objects were a bit too near to my heart, for instance:
when the Brooklyn public library system announced in 1946 that it would no longer help patrons answer radio quizzes (due to the success of such programs as Ask Me Another! and Break the Bank) "In some cases, [quiz questions] have resulted in actual impairment of morale," the head librarian sniffed."
"He then returned to his various important card-catalog-related duties.*"
"Salt Lake City's bar scene not being exactly what you would call "hopping."*
"Maybe now I can stop being Ken Jennings, nerd folk icon, and just be Ken Jennings, nerd, like I was before. I have finally, as they say in drama classes and twelve-step programs, achieved closure."*
*These are the direct Jennings quotes that for some reason or other hit a particular nerve with me, i'm not sure why, perhaps if he were funnier, perhaps if her were a little more familiar with his subject (for instance: we librarians do much more than card-cataloging~we do much in the service of trivia information~very little of which was mentioned here~ahem; i have lived in Salt Lake City and have spent a good deal of time in its bar/club scene as well as many other cities Mr. Mormon Boy, and though it may not be QUITE as hopping as some, it is not all that bad and since you self-confessedly have little experience in such areas i think you really should not base your opinion on the going urban legend; though i'm sure they speak of closure in twelve-step programs they never spoke of it in ANY of the MANY drama classes I attended (nor were any of my drama experiences similar to anything you describe~NOT that i'm taking anything in this book personally~REALLY. ☺
(boy that was a bit of a rant wasn't it?)
ANYWAY...
Sometimes i watch the trivia shows like Jeorpardy!, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, 1 vs. 100 and such, and think, oh i could totally do that (i totally need the money, i am so in debt, and that seems SO VERY APPEALING). After reading this book i realized i am really not a trivia buff, for the most part i do not enjoy reading lists of various facts and figures and memorizing them (although i do like leafing through the new Guinness Book of World Records when it comes in~i no longer read the whole thing obsessively like i did when i was a kid, and i also enjoy books of lists and the like) most of the reason that i can answer many of those questions (and certainly not all of them) comes from my actual READING background (why imagine that). Jennings had mentioned that many players of college quiz challenges would sometimes develop an interest in classical music or literature because of the facts they were memorizing about those subjects. I tend to remember the little factoids because of my wide and eclectic reading interests and having been blessed with the ability to retain minute details easily (especially now that i'm making myself blog about each book i read.) Jennings is quick to point out that there are many different kinds and levels of intelligence and that the ability to memorize trivia is not ALWAYS a good gauge of either of those, but that it can exercise those brain muscles.
Brainiac is an interesting read, and Jennings does have his moments (regardless of how i may sound here~i must admit he IS humble~and he even has his moments of witticism). The rest is just stuff and nonsense.
portajonk's review
4.0
ken jennings is an entertaining writer on the whole, i will look for anything else he has written. i enjoyed the narrative sections detailing his Jeopardy run, but I found some of the history chapters less than gripping.
toniclark's review
4.0
I liked it a lot, for what it is and was pretty engrossed for the first 200 pages. I admit, my interest waned a bit after that.
littletaiko's review
4.0
This book was such fun to read, especially if you have any interest in trivia, game shows, and a love of learning things. Ken Jennings is a surprisingly entertaining author who not only tells the story of his record breaking run on Jeopardy but on the history of trivia and the various forms you can find it in throughout the world.
becca_g_powell's review
3.0
I like Ken Jennings a lot. I think he's really smart and really funny. The problem with this book is that only about 15% of it is about him and his time on Jeopardy. The rest of the book is about detailing other trivia phenomena throughout the United States, from the culture of college quiz bowls to huge radio trivia competitions to pub quiz nights. The first few were interesting... but after awhile, I just started skipping those parts.
rlb424's review
4.0
Inspired by the Jeopardy GOAT tournament, I wanted to read about Ken Jennings’s original run, which happened while I was in college. This book serves as his memoir of the experience, but also as a well-written and fascinating reported history of trivia and its fanatical devotees, half Moonwalking With Einstein and half The Noble Hustle. Wouldn’t expect anything less from the GOAT.
yjsoon's review
4.0
I've never watched much Jeopardy!, and I completely missed Ken Jennings' streak on TV when it aired. Nonetheless, I found this memoir thoroughly enjoyable—a light, humorous read filled with trivia and trivia about trivia.
branch_c's review against another edition
5.0
Coming across this book at a library book sale, I figured I would probably like it, since I enjoy Jeopardy and trivia in general. I did not, however, expect it to be a five star book, so I’m pleasantly surprised to be able to say that I really think it is.
It turns out that Jennings not only knows a lot of trivia, he’s a really good writer, and knows which trivial facts to just say, which to ask, and which to just hint at in throwaway lines that he realizes his intended audience will likely get, even if the general public doesn’t. I’d give examples, but instead I’ll just recommend reading the book - anyone with any kind of interest in trivia will certainly enjoy it.
Not only does Jennings cover his own story of Jeopardy appearances, he also delves into the history of trivia, college quiz bowls, the creation of Trivial Pursuit, pub trivia, and related topics. All these things are discussed in exactly the appropriate depth to be engaging rather than tedious, and interspersed, of course, with appropriate trivia. The writing is light and elegant, and humorous enough that I laughed out loud probably five or six times.
In fact, the only negative thing I can think of about the book is the title. Brainiac, seriously? Even if I didn’t know that publishers have the final say on things like that, I’d be pretty sure this was not contributed by Jennings. He could certainly have come up with something much more clever, more trivia related, and with subtle humor - like the rest of the book.
Anyway, this is highly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in the subject.
It turns out that Jennings not only knows a lot of trivia, he’s a really good writer, and knows which trivial facts to just say, which to ask, and which to just hint at in throwaway lines that he realizes his intended audience will likely get, even if the general public doesn’t. I’d give examples, but instead I’ll just recommend reading the book - anyone with any kind of interest in trivia will certainly enjoy it.
Not only does Jennings cover his own story of Jeopardy appearances, he also delves into the history of trivia, college quiz bowls, the creation of Trivial Pursuit, pub trivia, and related topics. All these things are discussed in exactly the appropriate depth to be engaging rather than tedious, and interspersed, of course, with appropriate trivia. The writing is light and elegant, and humorous enough that I laughed out loud probably five or six times.
In fact, the only negative thing I can think of about the book is the title. Brainiac, seriously? Even if I didn’t know that publishers have the final say on things like that, I’d be pretty sure this was not contributed by Jennings. He could certainly have come up with something much more clever, more trivia related, and with subtle humor - like the rest of the book.
Anyway, this is highly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in the subject.
lylyan_aki's review
2.0
I like Ken a lot. I'm a big fan of Jeopardy as well. The book is written in a Jeopardy format, which is quite smart. It's just hard to find someone's very normal life interesting.