Scan barcode
ekb523's review against another edition
4.0
A.J. Jacobs is a fascinating and hilarious man. I read The Year of Living Biblically and loved it, so I decided I would give this one a try. It reads short-story style and gives you a glimpse at some of the funny and crazy "experiments" he has done in his life.
And I seriously do think his wife is a saint.
And I seriously do think his wife is a saint.
jpcapili's review against another edition
4.0
I discovered this little gem while I was reading 4-hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. The author put himself into extraordinary situations to learn from them. He pretended to be a beautiful woman seeking potential boyfriends through internet dating. He outsourced some of his personal tasks to an Indian company in order to minimize stress. He pretended to be an actor to experience fame. He unitask'ed -- where he explained how multitasking slows our thinking down, instead of being efficient. But three of my favorite social experiments that he did include Radical Honesty (where he attempted to say anything that comes up in his mind without any filters), Rationality Project (where he tried to think and do things rationally), and Project Washington (where he learned how to act and think like George Washington), which allowed me to appreciate Mr. Washington, whom I had no idea how fascinating he was until now.
ogreart's review against another edition
5.0
This book was a great deal of fun. The humor does not seemed forced in any way. While I would probably be unhappy and divorced living out one experiment after another like this, it seems to work for him. I especially enjoyed the "codas" when he went past the end of the essay he wrote and explained what he kept long-term from each experiment.
nightchough's review against another edition
3.0
A trifle, not a must-read like The Year of Living Biblically, but nevertheless entertaining.
lyrareadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable if gimmicky. Some experiments work better than others. At its worst points, it's funny. At its best, it is thought provoking and funny. Looking forward to reading more by A. J. Jacobs ( with all apologies to his saintly wife.)
twstdtink's review against another edition
1.0
I got halfway through this book and then decided to stop wasting my time. Which is a shame, since I've been looking forward to reading it for two years. The premise of the book was good: guy decides to perform and then write about his month-long experiments with things like radical honesty and being a gorgeous woman in the online dating world. The only problem was, he did each task half-assed. The book is (essentially) about nothing. I've read free blogs with more substance and creativity. On top of that, the writer isn't even funny or likeable! He's slightly chauvinistic and thinks way too highly of himself. Don't waste your time on this one.
kayceslitlife's review against another edition
5.0
AJ Jacobs still reigns as my favorite author. This book is full of month long experiments, similar to his experimental Year of Living Biblically, which is still unmatched as my favorite book.
There are a variety of experiments in this book, my favorite one being the month he outsourced his life to a team in India. Brilliant. And funny. Although I've never read something AJ wrote that I didn't laugh out loud. And frequently call someone to say "This is hilarious, let me read you this part"
He is creative with his ideas and his attempts, he is an excellent writer and he makes you chuckle. And the whole time you are learning something. For example, how many of George Washington's 110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation can you name? And who knew that the founder of a movement called Radical Honesty lives in Stanley, Virginia? Just over the mountain from where I went to high school. And he has been married 5 times. Guess he is TOO honest, no?
I definitely recommend this book! Light hearted and a quick read!
There are a variety of experiments in this book, my favorite one being the month he outsourced his life to a team in India. Brilliant. And funny. Although I've never read something AJ wrote that I didn't laugh out loud. And frequently call someone to say "This is hilarious, let me read you this part"
He is creative with his ideas and his attempts, he is an excellent writer and he makes you chuckle. And the whole time you are learning something. For example, how many of George Washington's 110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation can you name? And who knew that the founder of a movement called Radical Honesty lives in Stanley, Virginia? Just over the mountain from where I went to high school. And he has been married 5 times. Guess he is TOO honest, no?
I definitely recommend this book! Light hearted and a quick read!
lavoiture's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe a 3.5. The only essay that really had me laughing hysterically was the one about how Jacobs outsourced his life. That was hilarious, enough that I made a fool of myself on the Metro laughing like a crazy person. The other ones--meh. I'd read several of them before, anyway, so there weren't any great revelations. The George Washington one was actually boring.
smudpu's review against another edition
4.0
Fun read. I feel for this guys wife and what he put her through.
matthewwester's review against another edition
5.0
I flew through this book and loved every single page. We have all had those "what if" thoughts but it takes a rare level of disciple and humor to achieve what A.J. Jacobs achieves. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
And I really enjoyed how the book ends, with a couple chapters honoring his wife. She must certainly have a great sense of humor and love him very, very much.
And I really enjoyed how the book ends, with a couple chapters honoring his wife. She must certainly have a great sense of humor and love him very, very much.