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jmrprice's review
3.0
Jacobs is at it again - wonky personal experiments that tend to prove he’s game for all sorts of irreverent (on occasion) ideas.
At least I can laugh along and enjoy something out of the usual. And share in his insecurities and musings without missing a beat.
Bonus for this audiobook - wife Julie provides a coda… and she is quite the tolerant saint
At least I can laugh along and enjoy something out of the usual. And share in his insecurities and musings without missing a beat.
Bonus for this audiobook - wife Julie provides a coda… and she is quite the tolerant saint
trin's review
4.0
I suppose you either like A.J. Jacobs’ approach to journalism or you don’t: he comes up with a somewhat outlandish concept and then experiments on himself, reading the Encyclopedia Britannica in a year ([b:The Know-It-All|28116|The Know-It-All One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World|A.J. Jacobs|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167927775s/28116.jpg|197064]) or following the Bible, um, religiously ([b:The Year of Living Biblically|495395|The Year of Living Biblically One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible|A.J. Jacobs|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41oOQfL-NcL._SL75_.jpg|2325789]). I think he’s really funny, and often interesting, and occasionally even insightful, so I enjoyed this collection of short pieces. If you like his sort of thing, you’ll like this; if you don’t, you won’t.
If you don’t know yet, I recommend trying The Know-It-All, as it’s still my favorite.
If you don’t know yet, I recommend trying The Know-It-All, as it’s still my favorite.
stephaniesteen73's review
4.0
Not many authors can make me laugh out loud like A.J. Jacobs (which is difficult in public places as it generally elicits suspicious stares). Not as brilliant as The Year of Living Biblically but still ridiculously funny. And I hope my husband follows his lead in conducting the spoil-your-wife-for-one-month experiment.
shorty_320's review
4.0
I am a fan of Jacobs' previous work and really looked forward to this book's release. I found it to be a little tough to get through, most likely because it encased several "experiments," whereas his previous books housed just one.
alidottie's review against another edition
4.0
I read this here and there for a looooooong time--whenever I was either not decided on what I was reading next or hadn't pick it up yet. I like a book that you can put down. This one was all different experiments Abrams did for short periods of time. Some were more fun than others, but I always find him interesting and funny.
sposnick's review
3.0
Interesting. Some chapters were stronger than others though, and others could've used some expanding upon. The author is moderately relatable, but grows a little less likeable as the book goes on, for some reason.
_m_sarai's review
3.0
I liked this book okay, but not as much as his previous two. I got sick of the snarkiness.
rodhilton's review
3.0
The Guinea Pig Diaries is essentially a collection of short essays from writer A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All.
A.J. uses his trademark "immersive journalism" technique with a number of small, month-long experiments. He attempts to live a month practicing brutal honesty, a month outsourcing his life to India, a month of doing whatever his wife tells him, and other experiments.
The book is entertaining and engaging, just like A.J.'s other works, but it lacks the level of detail and insight that his other books provide. In both The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically, A.J.'s experiment is funny and entertaining but also allows the reader to learn quite a bit about the encyclopedia and the bible, respectively. Jacobs's treatments of his various experiments are so surface-level and short that this level is never reached.
If you're a fan of his other books, you'll likely enjoy this book the same way that you enjoy a candy bar: it tastes good but it isn't particularly filling. If you've never experienced Jacobs before, skip this book and pick up The Year of Living Biblically (his best) or The Know-It-All (his second best).
A.J. uses his trademark "immersive journalism" technique with a number of small, month-long experiments. He attempts to live a month practicing brutal honesty, a month outsourcing his life to India, a month of doing whatever his wife tells him, and other experiments.
The book is entertaining and engaging, just like A.J.'s other works, but it lacks the level of detail and insight that his other books provide. In both The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically, A.J.'s experiment is funny and entertaining but also allows the reader to learn quite a bit about the encyclopedia and the bible, respectively. Jacobs's treatments of his various experiments are so surface-level and short that this level is never reached.
If you're a fan of his other books, you'll likely enjoy this book the same way that you enjoy a candy bar: it tastes good but it isn't particularly filling. If you've never experienced Jacobs before, skip this book and pick up The Year of Living Biblically (his best) or The Know-It-All (his second best).
wrentheblurry's review
4.0
I wish I had written the review right after I read this book, for now, over a year later, I cannot recall any specifics. I only even remembered i read the book after my husband pointed out another one of Jacobs' titles, and asked if I had heard of him. I do recall it was a quick read, I liked his casual, humorous writing style, and the concept was interesting and perhaps even a bit thought-provoking. I'll read more!