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76th out of 140 books
—
22 voters
The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment
by
A.J. Jacobs
For his first book, The Know-It-All, A. J. Jacobs read the entire Encyclopædia Britannica from cover to cover in a quest to learn everything in the world. In The Year of Living Biblically, he followed every single rule of the Bible -- from the Ten Commandments right on down to stoning adulterers.
Now comes a collection of his most hilarious and thought-provoking experiments...more
Now comes a collection of his most hilarious and thought-provoking experiments...more
Hardcover, 236 pages
Published
September 8th 2009
by Simon & Schuster
(first published 2009)
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This is a great book for a gift or to read on the plane. It's funny, somewhat informative and finishes with an essay at the end by the author's long-suffering but not necessarily quiet or patient wife. It's better than The Know-It-All (which was pretty good) in which AJ attempts to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica. But its not as good as A Year of Living Biblically - dressed in a long robe with sandals and a wild beard he makes some serious points while making a total fool of himself and writin...more
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I was planning on reading The Year of Living Biblically by the same author, but The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs was here and the other hasn't come in the mail yet.
However, I'm glad I read this first because I LOVED it! I think we should all read it. It chronicles the author's life as he (1) pretends to be a woman on a dating Web site, (2) outsources his personal life to assistants in India (including a book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKSXdD... ), (3) tries Radical Honesty, (4...more
However, I'm glad I read this first because I LOVED it! I think we should all read it. It chronicles the author's life as he (1) pretends to be a woman on a dating Web site, (2) outsources his personal life to assistants in India (including a book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKSXdD... ), (3) tries Radical Honesty, (4...more
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I don't say this to say that this is a bad book, because it's not, but this is my least favourite of AJ Jacobs' books. A lot of the experiments in this book are interesting, but they don't collectively or individually hold a candle to any of his other books. Some people are good at essays, some people are better at long form: I think Jacobs might be the latter. (That said, I'm not sure most of the ideas in here would make for full-length books, even if he had taken on the experiments for longer...more
A fun quick read. AJ writes about 9 different mini experiments, usually a month long exploration of an idea. I liked the recipe he follows- get an idea, find a book or two, research it, try it, check in with an expert, find a contrasting view point, observe how others respond to you, observe your personal response, apologize to the wife... write essay, begin again!
My favorite was the chapter about outsourcing to India, wherein he hired a remote executive assistant for work assignments and a pers...more
My favorite was the chapter about outsourcing to India, wherein he hired a remote executive assistant for work assignments and a pers...more
Life is an experiment in and of itself. Whether it’s when we fall in love, attend college, or have kids, each event brings a new and exciting adventure. However, what happens when we decide to go beyond these common and everyday goals, and instead intentionally experiment with the bizarre and out of the ordinary?
Well, just ask A.J. Jacobs. He has been living as his own personal guinea pig for most of his adult life. From posing nude at the request of Mary-Louise Parker, to living like George Was...more
Well, just ask A.J. Jacobs. He has been living as his own personal guinea pig for most of his adult life. From posing nude at the request of Mary-Louise Parker, to living like George Was...more
I highly recommend this book to fans of the weird and quirky. Jacobs is the David Blaine of social psychology. While Blaine puts his body through torturous tests of endurance, Jacobs is doing the same with his mind and personal sanity (all while testing the patience of his sainted wife, Julie).
However,, do not believe the blurbs on the cover. It will only lead to disappointment. A.J. Jacobs is a fine writer, and the book is quite amusing. But "a humorist without peer" ? "Laugh-out-loud funny" ?...more
This book definitely has inconsistent quality, but no chapter deserves abuse; some are just better than others. I think I enjoyed the chapter about being George Washington the best. At any rate, Jacobs manages to edify without irritating most of the time, but he sometimes tries a bit too hard to be funny -- especially when the humor inherent in the situation requires no additional comment. I would love to see an addition to the book of a "control" chapter wherein Jacobs reflects on his life when...more
Mar 12, 2012
Erica
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biographical,
funny,
history,
inspiring,
leadership,
men-and-boys,
non-fiction,
short-stories
I'm not sure why A.J. Jacobs has been off my radar all this time! I'm glad I found him.
I read this book in one day and chortled the entire time, much to the dismay of my husband who didn't really want to know what I was reading but couldn't help himself from asking, "What?" in a resigned voice every time I laughed.
I admire Jacob's curiousity and follow-through. I've got the first half but haven't had the second half since high school. I love that he has the energy to research and then carry-out...more
I read this book in one day and chortled the entire time, much to the dismay of my husband who didn't really want to know what I was reading but couldn't help himself from asking, "What?" in a resigned voice every time I laughed.
I admire Jacob's curiousity and follow-through. I've got the first half but haven't had the second half since high school. I love that he has the energy to research and then carry-out...more
Having read 'The Year of Living Biblically' by the same author, I already knew that I liked his writing style but I was wary that it wouldn't be as fulfilling to read. In a sense, I was right. This book wasn't as eye-opening as The Year of Living Biblically, in my opinion. However, it was extremely interesting to read and felt more light-hearted. The varying experiments and projects he conducted ranged from outsourcing almost every aspect of his life to pretending to be a woman on a dating site....more
Never let it be said that I don't love the work of A.J. Jacobs.
What I will say is that Jacobs, who does neuroses like Microsoft does updates, works better on a grand scale. A collection of vignettes simply highlights the obsessive compulsive side and leaves much of the self-deprecating humor behind.
When Jacobs has a large-scale project to work on, he more frequently finds the odd corners that need to be explored; in a collection of stories, he doesn't really have the motivation to find them.
Also...more
What I will say is that Jacobs, who does neuroses like Microsoft does updates, works better on a grand scale. A collection of vignettes simply highlights the obsessive compulsive side and leaves much of the self-deprecating humor behind.
When Jacobs has a large-scale project to work on, he more frequently finds the odd corners that need to be explored; in a collection of stories, he doesn't really have the motivation to find them.
Also...more
This is the 2nd book I have read by A.J. Jacobs and I really enjoy his style of writing and sense of humor. I would have to say that I enjoyed The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible a little more simply because it was a more in depth study than any of the experiments in this book.
Here Jacobs uses himself as a human guinea pig in order to explore various social issues ranging from telling the absolute truth, impersonating a beautiful wom...more
Here Jacobs uses himself as a human guinea pig in order to explore various social issues ranging from telling the absolute truth, impersonating a beautiful wom...more
Quite enjoyed this book. I liked the writing form a lot and I can't wait to pick up more from this author. He also used to write for EW (my favorite magazine) and when he wrote this book, he was writing for Esquire, which I picked up at the State Library while in Melbourne and loved it. So we are already off to a good start!
This book was a mish-mash of various experiments the author undertook. Not multi-tasking. Farming out all his jobs. Doing everything his wife asks for a month. Perfect for th...more
This book was a mish-mash of various experiments the author undertook. Not multi-tasking. Farming out all his jobs. Doing everything his wife asks for a month. Perfect for th...more
Life changing wisdom can be gleaned from unexpected places; I learned more from AJ Jacobs’ hilarious “immersion journalism” than from Gandhi’s “My Experiments with Truth.” This is the most stimulating book I’ve read in weeks—Jacobs is like a combination of Malcolm Gladwell, Sarah Vowell and David Sedaris. I’m a sucker for this sort of edutainment, and just went back to Borders’ bargain section to buy more copies. In previous books he tried to read an Encyclopedia and live “Biblically” for a year...more
Witty, interesting ... and to its credit, not much else. Jacobs wasn't trying to be an amateur psychologist or discern human nature; he simply tells interesting stories, and allows readers to find humor and, if they desire, "truths of life" in that. I personally found his outsourcing his life and catering to all his wife's whims to be particularly interesting experiments.
My problem with the book, I guess, is that he has a tendency to overstate things. "Having someone in India argue with his wif...more
My problem with the book, I guess, is that he has a tendency to overstate things. "Having someone in India argue with his wif...more
Okay, I don't want to oversell this book or anything. It didn't quite live up to its predecessor, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible. But life with A.J. Jacobs is always fun, at least if you're a reader and not his long-suffering wife Julie (who does get hers in the end, happily).
With his trademark earnestness, A. J. Jacobs throws himself into a variety of life experiments, occasionally shocking or annoying unwitting bystanders. He...more
With his trademark earnestness, A. J. Jacobs throws himself into a variety of life experiments, occasionally shocking or annoying unwitting bystanders. He...more
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So, I’m totally going to admit this. The only reason I even knew about The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment is because it’s scheduled to become a pilot entitled My Life as an Experiment starring Paget Brewster (whom I’ve decided to support in every endeavor considering she got kicked out of hit show for no discernible reason). After hearing about the pilot, I decided to read The Guinea Pig Diaries to see if I should be going into the show with the thought that it’s going to get cance...more
I really loved this book. Interactive, investigative journalism is my favorite. I love when people immerse themselves in the story, or try to live that life for a set period of time. AJ Jacobs is the king of doing just that. He's written two previous books: The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All, which I have yet to read, but I'm pretty sure I will. The Guinea Pig Diaries is a book of essays that could stand alone, but some call back to previous experiments. I think most were original...more
I love the books of A.J. Jacobs and this one is no exception. In The Guinea Pig Diaries, Jacobs devotes a month each to several "experiments". He outsources his life to two firms in Bangalore, India--this was actually an on-going experiement--and representatives of the firms took care of his schedule, answered his email, argued with his wife, and even, on occasion, read to his son at bedtime. He spends a month practicing Radical Honesty, which is removing all filters between the brain and the mo...more
I didn't realize Jacobs had written and published another book. When I found mention of this book on his website, I immediately headed over to the library to check it out.
Well... I'm disappointed. The previous two books covered long term challenges (reading the entire encyclopedia and a second challenge to live according to one interpretation of Biblical rules for an entire year). This book was about a series of short term challenges, such as outsourcing his personal life to India, fulfilling h...more
Well... I'm disappointed. The previous two books covered long term challenges (reading the entire encyclopedia and a second challenge to live according to one interpretation of Biblical rules for an entire year). This book was about a series of short term challenges, such as outsourcing his personal life to India, fulfilling h...more
The journalist author notes that being essentially ordinary in life, he must put himself in extraordinary situations in order to get a story. He relates some of these: outsourcing his life, by hiring personal assistants in India; posing online as his attractive nanny in order to get her an date (something not so unheard-of, perhaps); living like George Washington for a while (it boils down to not gossiping and bowing instead of shaking hands); saying exactly what is on his mind at all times; try...more
Jacobs lives his life in memoir, narrating to himself and eventually, to us. It's good then that he leads himself through a life worth hearing about (although I'm sure other reviewers will disagree - we do pick our friends, after all, and Jacobs may not be your type.) I enjoyed his other two books, and was interested to see what other experiments he'd tried on himself.
We all know someone who has tried being vegetarian, or going without a car, or generally making New Year's resolutions. Jacobs i...more
We all know someone who has tried being vegetarian, or going without a car, or generally making New Year's resolutions. Jacobs i...more
The Guinea Pig Diaries is a book of crazy stunts, not unlike the stunts I dream up to try in my life. What fun to read about someone else pulling these silly stunts! And boy, is the author's wife a saint, which the author knows. His first two books I have heard of but not read: The Year of Living Biblically, and The Know-It-All.
The book collects Jacobs’ various articles written about experiments doing things such as outsourcing his life to India, or trying to behave rationally all of the time, o...more
The book collects Jacobs’ various articles written about experiments doing things such as outsourcing his life to India, or trying to behave rationally all of the time, o...more
I cannot tell you just how much I love him. He's so incredibly funny and this was just as good as his other two (The Know-It-All, about reading the entire encyclopedia for fun, and The Year of Living Biblically, where he spent a year following all Biblical commands).
In this one, he does several little social experiments--he outsources his life to India, for example. (His "assistants" order Christmas presents, talk to his wife and relatives for him and once read a story to his son.)
My favorite i...more
In this one, he does several little social experiments--he outsources his life to India, for example. (His "assistants" order Christmas presents, talk to his wife and relatives for him and once read a story to his son.)
My favorite i...more
I checked this book out from the library to scan and see if it would be a good gift for my (non-fiction-only reading) brother. I ended up reading the whole thing including all the notes within a few sittings.
I love the idea of doing something wholly different for a month at a time. I love finding out how "the other side" lives. For about a year, I was a "business woman". I wore suites, I flew places and gave presentations and I went to fancy dinners. It was soooo interesting (and I was so glad w...more
I love the idea of doing something wholly different for a month at a time. I love finding out how "the other side" lives. For about a year, I was a "business woman". I wore suites, I flew places and gave presentations and I went to fancy dinners. It was soooo interesting (and I was so glad w...more
A.J. Jacobs has created his own little niche market: conducting experiments in his life and then writing about them. The first of these books, The Know-It-All, chronicled his experience reading every single page of the Encyclopedia Britannica from cover to cover. He followed that up with The Year of Living Biblically, in which he spent a year trying to follow every rule in the Bible as literally as possible. I loved both of these books, so when I heard that Jacobs had a new book last year, I was...more
A.J. Jacobs has one of the best jobs in the world. An editor at Esquire magazine, the man writes and edits essays on pop culture and social experiments. This book is a collection of articles (with follow-up notes) written over the course of a year for Esquire. He spends about a month on each, trying out various approaches to life. These approaches include living in accordance with George Washington's code of conduct (don't touch your genitals in front of people), outsourcing his life to India (a...more
I love AJ Jacobs, and enjoyed this book, but at times it rehashed stories from The Know-It-All. Probably my favorite story is the time he was forced to pose naked for Esquire so he could understand what women go through when they pose for cheesecake pictures. The photographer, named Nigel, kept telling him to "Sook in yer goot!"
In Jacobs's own words: "My goot? Nigel taps his stomach.
Ah, he's talking about my problematic belly. I sook in some air.
Nigel begins snapping photos. The Frisbee-sized li...more
In Jacobs's own words: "My goot? Nigel taps his stomach.
Ah, he's talking about my problematic belly. I sook in some air.
Nigel begins snapping photos. The Frisbee-sized li...more
This book was a mix of humor and food for thought. The author spent a month each immersing himself in some very disparate situations. One month, he met with the founder of the "Radical Honesty" movement, which advocates not only never lying, not even "white lies," but even turning off the "filter" between what you think and what you say. Another month found him reseraching George Washington & trying to adhere to his 110 Rules. Yet another month, he put overseas outsourcing to the test, by co...more
aj jacobs is the man. yeah yeah yeah he's kind of a tool, he recycles his jokes, whatever. anyone willing to spend a month checking his email with the TV, phone, and radio off is a hero in my book (see the chapter on unitasking).
i must say i liked this one significantly less that his other two. the problem laid in the fact that each experiment is only devoted a short essay rather than a whole book. don't get me wrong, i doubt i would enjoy an entire book about what it was like posing naked for...more
i must say i liked this one significantly less that his other two. the problem laid in the fact that each experiment is only devoted a short essay rather than a whole book. don't get me wrong, i doubt i would enjoy an entire book about what it was like posing naked for...more
The third of A.J. Jacobs life-experiment books, unlike the others which focused on one idea only, this book encompasses a variety of different experiments A.J. makes with his life.
Firstly I enjoyed this one a lot more than The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible. There was a lot more humour in this one and it flowed much better. His last book just felt overly long whereas here each experiment is only fairly short. I also like the codas a...more
Firstly I enjoyed this one a lot more than The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible. There was a lot more humour in this one and it flowed much better. His last book just felt overly long whereas here each experiment is only fairly short. I also like the codas a...more
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A.J. Jacobs is a New York Times bestselling author, Esquire editor and human guinea pig.
Among Jacobs’ life experiments:
--The Know-It-All. The bestselling memoir of the year he spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in a quest to become the smartest person in the world.
--The Year of Living Biblically. The bestseller about his life as the ultimate biblical man. He followed every rule of th...more
More about A.J. Jacobs...
Among Jacobs’ life experiments:
--The Know-It-All. The bestselling memoir of the year he spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in a quest to become the smartest person in the world.
--The Year of Living Biblically. The bestseller about his life as the ultimate biblical man. He followed every rule of th...more
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