Wow, what a title, right? A co-worker put me up on this book a couple years, and it took me about 2 years to read it. Not because it was horrible read, but because it's the perfect book to leave around and pick up whenever. I cherished this book, never wanted it to end. Quick Synopisis, AJ wants to "one up" his dad and read the entire encyclopedia Brittanica, start to finish. Throughout his novel (broken out by letters a-z instead of chapter numbers) we simultaneously get updates on his life ( works as editor of Esquire magazine, is trying to get his wife pregnant, and is constantly embarking on interesting adventures, whether its trying out for 'Who Wants 2 Be a Millionaire' to interviewing Alex Trebec), all while throwing in random facts he learned from his readings in a somewhat organized manner. I highly reccomend this book, although his new one looks beyond corny.
I think Jon Stewart said it best: "The Know-It-All is a hilarious book and quite an impressive achievement. I've always said, why doesn't someone put out a less complete version of the encyclopedia? Well done, AJ"
Definitely a keeper, and a much better bathroom read than "Chicken Soup". How else would I have learned that the "French Horn" is from Germany, or that cold-blooded animals often have warmer blood than warm-blooded animals?
