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Reviews
Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings
rachfbrown's review
4.0
Twitter is finally good for something after all!
For whatever reason, I somehow ended up following Ken Jennings on Twitter and vaguely remembered him as 'that Jeopardy guy.' Brother is HILARIOUS. I used to check Twitter maybe once every 2 or 3 months, but I'm now checking 2 or 3 times a day, mostly to see what Ken Jennings has to say. I just find him so witty and funny and clever, and although I don't care much about trivia or Jeopardy at all, I wanted to read his book just to hear more of whatever he felt like talking about.
This book is 1/3 memoir, 2/3 history of trivia, trivia facts, a peek into the world of trivia. I loved the memoir portions and honestly wish this book was just entirely memoir. I wasn't particularly interested in the trivia parts initially, but Jennings is a good and clever enough writer that even those bits were pretty interesting to read.
For whatever reason, I somehow ended up following Ken Jennings on Twitter and vaguely remembered him as 'that Jeopardy guy.' Brother is HILARIOUS. I used to check Twitter maybe once every 2 or 3 months, but I'm now checking 2 or 3 times a day, mostly to see what Ken Jennings has to say. I just find him so witty and funny and clever, and although I don't care much about trivia or Jeopardy at all, I wanted to read his book just to hear more of whatever he felt like talking about.
This book is 1/3 memoir, 2/3 history of trivia, trivia facts, a peek into the world of trivia. I loved the memoir portions and honestly wish this book was just entirely memoir. I wasn't particularly interested in the trivia parts initially, but Jennings is a good and clever enough writer that even those bits were pretty interesting to read.
dray's review
4.0
A must read for jeopardy buffs as well as any trivia fan. I'm on the outskirts of this pastime but this is, what seems to me, a very complete exploration of the various trivia oriented worlds and subcultures. Ken's journey on Jeopardy is also well told and honestly presented without braggadocio. I, of course, loved the sprinkling of trivia throughout the book. A good read.
lindzee's review
5.0
4.5 stars. Little light on what the actual Jeopardy experience was, but hit upon all types of trivia culture.
diadaily's review
"Every trivia fad in history, he said, was followed immediately by hard times, by economic collapse."
Can't stop thinking about that daily video trivia app HQ! from a few years ago, lolsob
Can't stop thinking about that daily video trivia app HQ! from a few years ago, lolsob
rach's review
5.0
Something about trivia really fascinates me. I know probably as much trivia as the person next to me, and I don't particularly have a talent for remembering it, but I still keep wanting to learn more. My mom has always loved Jeopardy, so I grew up watching the show, and to this day, whenever I am at home at 7:30, we have Jeopardy on the TV, and I yell out the answers when I know them, whether I am watching by myself or not.
It's not like I didn't know who Ken Jennings was. I watched quite a few of his games when he was on Jeopardy, thought I can't say I saw them all. To be honest, he hadn't really crossed my mind in years, until his appearance on Jeopardy recently to play against Watson, the unbeatable super-computer. After that appearance, which reading an interview or something by him, I was struck with how witty and funny he was - he seemed like someone who would fit in with my friends, as we are quite the geeky group ourselves. I soon discovered he'd written this book, and that day, I bought it for my family's Kindle group.
I was expecting a funny, witty, well-written account of Jennings' time on Jeopardy, and I certainly got that. Jennings is self-deprecating, honest, and frank with his whole Jeopardy experience, from childhood obsession, to interview, to his final game. What I didn't expect was the detailed history of trivia in general, from the first question-write-in columns in newspapers to the game-show booms of the 1930s, 1950s, 1980s, and today. I really enjoyed every part of this book, especially the trivia questions sprinkled throughout the book. More than anything, this book made me was to learn more, to become a smarter, more aware person. And also, I really want to make it on Jeopardy one day. :)
It's not like I didn't know who Ken Jennings was. I watched quite a few of his games when he was on Jeopardy, thought I can't say I saw them all. To be honest, he hadn't really crossed my mind in years, until his appearance on Jeopardy recently to play against Watson, the unbeatable super-computer. After that appearance, which reading an interview or something by him, I was struck with how witty and funny he was - he seemed like someone who would fit in with my friends, as we are quite the geeky group ourselves. I soon discovered he'd written this book, and that day, I bought it for my family's Kindle group.
I was expecting a funny, witty, well-written account of Jennings' time on Jeopardy, and I certainly got that. Jennings is self-deprecating, honest, and frank with his whole Jeopardy experience, from childhood obsession, to interview, to his final game. What I didn't expect was the detailed history of trivia in general, from the first question-write-in columns in newspapers to the game-show booms of the 1930s, 1950s, 1980s, and today. I really enjoyed every part of this book, especially the trivia questions sprinkled throughout the book. More than anything, this book made me was to learn more, to become a smarter, more aware person. And also, I really want to make it on Jeopardy one day. :)
loribailey's review
3.0
I was surprised at how fun this book was to read. Great sense of humor & well-told, with solid history woven in deftly.