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Abby's review

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
by A.J. Jacobs

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28116.The_Know_It_All_One_Man_s_Humble_Quest_to_Become_the_Smartest_Person_in_the_World?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1167927775m/28116.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28116.The_Know_It_All_One_Man_s_Humble_Quest_to_Become_the_Smartest_Person_in_the_World?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/963811.A_J_Jacobs">A.J. Jacobs</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27300158?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 4 of 5 stars In this book A.J. Jacobs reads the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A- Z, in an attempt to become the smartest person alive. I can understand. I LOVED the encyclopedia when I was a kid. However, it was the World Book (with lots of pictures), and I didn't read it A-Z. I probably lingered on articles about cats and The Beatles way more than any about mathematical concepts or historical events. But still, I know what it's like to cuddle up with an encyclopedia for the evening, just like A.J.
 
 There are so many reasons why I love this author. In fact, I was thrilled to find that I share with him many strange neurotic behaviors, which I thought belonged solely to me (except for his germaphobia - my kid can lick the street and I won't bat an eyelash).
 
 FOR EXAMPLE: When he was in Jr. High school, he used to imagine that girls he had crushes on were watching him. Not just at school (where they ignored him), but at home, when he was alone in his bedroom. So he had to act cool, no matter what. Here is a secret about me: I always did the same thing. Actually, I still do. I imagine that someone is watching me when I am alone. Maybe it's my husband, my unborn children, girls who were mean to me in elementary school who would now be jealous of me, or maybe talent scouts. I do it on at least a semi-regular basis, especially when something cool happens to me and I want to rub it in the face of someone I used to know.
 
 Here is an example of me imagining that people were always watching me: In 7th grade, this super creepy 8th grader named Sam came up to me at my locker and said, "Abby. I hope you know that I took the time to write you a note." I said, "Oh." And he handed me a folded up note and walked off. He had a tone of voice like we were having a big fight, but in reality we never talked. We were in the same math class, and I think he thought we were friends because I didn't make fun of him to his face like everyone else did. (I'm not proud of this time in my life, but he seriously was very creepy.) As of late, I had been making less eye contact in class, and the teacher had rearranged the seating chart so I no longer sat by him. I think he figured we were having a lover's spat.
 
 Well, I was walking down the hall to my last period with the note in hand. I thought, "What would a totally cool girl do?" and I imagined the whole school was watching me. I acted very cool and tossed his note straight into the trash without reading it. Oh, if I could only go back in time and change that moment! I have always wondered what was in that note. Me and creepy Sam never spoke again the rest of the year. 
 
 Fast forward to my junior year in high school. We STILL have not spoken since that 7th grade moment, and he is still kind of creepy. However, I have grown up enough to realize that I don't have to shun him. He is in a photography class, and I am a photography T.A. (although not for his class). One day, I suddenly see him around the corner from the dark room, doing some make up work. I stand on the other side of the wall, debating whether or not I should walk to him and say, "Sam! How you doing? I know we haven't talked in years and all, but I accidentally lost a note you gave me back in 7th grade, and I have always meant to ask you what it said." But no matter how many times I tried to figure out a casual way to ask, it didn't sound right. So I chickened out and went back to the classroom. 
 
 #1 regret of my life: Throwing away that note from Sam in 7th grade.
 #2 regret of my life: Chickening out my junior year and not asking Sam what was in that note.
 
 Dear God, can you help me meet Sam at the grocery store sometime? I just have a very important little question to ask him. Also, it would help if you could make him less creepy so that I don't chicken out. Thanks!
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1069403?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Abby's review
rating:

In this book A.J. Jacobs reads the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A- Z, in an attempt to become the smartest person alive. I can understand. I LOVED the encyclopedia when I was a kid. However, it was the World Book (with lots of pictures), and I didn't read it A-Z. I probably lingered on articles about cats and The Beatles way more than any about mathematical concepts or historical events. But still, I know what it's like to cuddle up with an encyclopedia for the evening, just like A.J.

There are so many reasons why I love this author. In fact, I was thrilled to find that I share with him many strange neurotic behaviors, which I thought belonged solely to me (except for his germaphobia - my kid can lick the street and I won't bat an eyelash).

FOR EXAMPLE: When he was in Jr. High school, he used to imagine that girls he had crushes on were watching him. Not just at school (where they ignored him), but at home, when he was alone in his bedroom. So he had to act cool, no matte...more In this book A.J. Jacobs reads the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A- Z, in an attempt to become the smartest person alive. I can understand. I LOVED the encyclopedia when I was a kid. However, it was the World Book (with lots of pictures), and I didn't read it A-Z. I probably lingered on articles about cats and The Beatles way more than any about mathematical concepts or historical events. But still, I know what it's like to cuddle up with an encyclopedia for the evening, just like A.J.

There are so many reasons why I love this author. In fact, I was thrilled to find that I share with him many strange neurotic behaviors, which I thought belonged solely to me (except for his germaphobia - my kid can lick the street and I won't bat an eyelash).

FOR EXAMPLE: When he was in Jr. High school, he used to imagine that girls he had crushes on were watching him. Not just at school (where they ignored him), but at home, when he was alone in his bedroom. So he had to act cool, no matter what. Here is a secret about me: I always did the same thing. Actually, I still do. I imagine that someone is watching me when I am alone. Maybe it's my husband, my unborn children, girls who were mean to me in elementary school who would now be jealous of me, or maybe talent scouts. I do it on at least a semi-regular basis, especially when something cool happens to me and I want to rub it in the face of someone I used to know.

Here is an example of me imagining that people were always watching me: In 7th grade, this super creepy 8th grader named Sam came up to me at my locker and said, "Abby. I hope you know that I took the time to write you a note." I said, "Oh." And he handed me a folded up note and walked off. He had a tone of voice like we were having a big fight, but in reality we never talked. We were in the same math class, and I think he thought we were friends because I didn't make fun of him to his face like everyone else did. (I'm not proud of this time in my life, but he seriously was very creepy.) As of late, I had been making less eye contact in class, and the teacher had rearranged the seating chart so I no longer sat by him. I think he figured we were having a lover's spat.

Well, I was walking down the hall to my last period with the note in hand. I thought, "What would a totally cool girl do?" and I imagined the whole school was watching me. I acted very cool and tossed his note straight into the trash without reading it. Oh, if I could only go back in time and change that moment! I have always wondered what was in that note. Me and creepy Sam never spoke again the rest of the year.

Fast forward to my junior year in high school. We STILL have not spoken since that 7th grade moment, and he is still kind of creepy. However, I have grown up enough to realize that I don't have to shun him. He is in a photography class, and I am a photography T.A. (although not for his class). One day, I suddenly see him around the corner from the dark room, doing some make up work. I stand on the other side of the wall, debating whether or not I should walk to him and say, "Sam! How you doing? I know we haven't talked in years and all, but I accidentally lost a note you gave me back in 7th grade, and I have always meant to ask you what it said." But no matter how many times I tried to figure out a casual way to ask, it didn't sound right. So I chickened out and went back to the classroom.

#1 regret of my life: Throwing away that note from Sam in 7th grade.
#2 regret of my life: Chickening out my junior year and not asking Sam what was in that note.

Dear God, can you help me meet Sam at the grocery store sometime? I just have a very important little question to ask him. Also, it would help if you could make him less creepy so that I don't chicken out. Thanks!...less

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message 1: by Dahlene

08/19/2008 05:20AM

You are so funny. I can just picture you having full conversations with yourself while you are doing your work at home. I'd like to see that. I loved your story about Sam. I find myself wishing I knew what was in that note from Sam. It may have changed your life, you know.