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jmrprice's review against another edition
4.0
Consumed as an audiobook.
This work so appealed to my sensibilities- if you know me- informational, quirky, fun, conversational (even though it is rather one-sided as a reader/listener).
While I often sat with a volume of an encyclopedia randomly reading entries after reading the item I planned to look up, I’m not sure I have the patience to read the Encyclopedia Brittanica straight-through from A to Z, no matter how much I enjoy reading and picking up varied and sundry information.
This work so appealed to my sensibilities- if you know me- informational, quirky, fun, conversational (even though it is rather one-sided as a reader/listener).
While I often sat with a volume of an encyclopedia randomly reading entries after reading the item I planned to look up, I’m not sure I have the patience to read the Encyclopedia Brittanica straight-through from A to Z, no matter how much I enjoy reading and picking up varied and sundry information.
applegnreads's review against another edition
3.0
I think I would have given it 4 stars if I had read it a chapter a day because it's almost a bit much to just sit and read. Still I enjoyed it and feel a little bit like I learned some things along the way too. I still feel bad for his wife.
chuskeyreads's review against another edition
2.0
I believe reading the actual Encyclopedia Britannica would've been far more interesting. Besides, I don't need to read Jacobs' opinion about each article anymore than I need to read Cliff's Notes for The Hunger Games (Actually, CN are simply literary analyses written by college professors, many of whom teach at the University of Nebraska). Not to mention, I gathered from a few comments in the book that Jacobs doesn't think too highly of the South.
I read a few reviews about how hysterically funny this guy is as a writer - nope, didn't see it. Throughout the book, Jacobs' humor felt forced as though he wrote the summary of an encyclopedia entry and then interjected a story or two about his family - disclosing his and his wife's issues with conceiving a child, playing Simon Says with his nieces and nephews, aspiring to impress his dad (an accomplished writer), and the obvious jealousy towards his brother-in-law, who is evidently the real<\i> know-it-all and the one who probably should've written this book.
I read a few reviews about how hysterically funny this guy is as a writer - nope, didn't see it. Throughout the book, Jacobs' humor felt forced as though he wrote the summary of an encyclopedia entry and then interjected a story or two about his family - disclosing his and his wife's issues with conceiving a child, playing Simon Says with his nieces and nephews, aspiring to impress his dad (an accomplished writer), and the obvious jealousy towards his brother-in-law, who is evidently the real<\i> know-it-all and the one who probably should've written this book.
littlewitchreading's review against another edition
3.0
3.5- had some humorous moments but all in all it took way too long to get through for a book that’s only 369 pages. It moved at a glacial pace. Also and this is nothing to do with the author but my copy of this book had more spelling and grammar mistakes than I have ever come across in a book before. I found this irritating.
alidottie's review against another edition
4.0
One thing that was great about this book was that you can start it and put it aside to read other things and go back to it because of the way it is written. I totally enjoyed all the odd bits of knowledge and information coiled around Jacobs' own life.
loujoseph's review against another edition
2.0
pretty annoying book, perfect for npr-lovers and smug types, i finished this one more out of spite for myself than anything.
sposnick's review against another edition
4.0
Quite liked this book. About a man who reads the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica, and how it tied in with his life at the time. A nice storyline tied in with lots of neat facts. Kind of made me want to read the encyclopedia myself actually.
kalahcakes's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it, because I love information - specifically, consolidated, short facts. But this was obviously his early writing, because I just didn't enjoy the style as much as I did in his Biblical Living book. Some jokes were forced and awkward, corny in a bad way. But all in all...I thank this book for making me feel a tad smarter (or a tad more annoying, deepending on how you fill your glass).
bookbabe222's review against another edition
4.0
I would give this 3.5 stars, but i'll round up. I liked that you got to learn interesting facts along with him but I did feel that it dragged on a little long and the ending was a bit abrupt. Overall, it was entertaining but not a favorite.