Hasn't this been done?

[Michael]

Can someone please explain one thing to me: in what way is this not a complete rip-off of The Know-it-All, about the guy who decides to read the Encyclopedia Brittanica?

[Grace]

Well, I've read The Know-it-All and I'm about to read "Reading the OED." I'll let you know if it's a rip off when I finish. :)

[Grace]

The basic format is the same; each chapter focuses on a letter of the alphabet and each entry is followed by additional information and commentary by the author. In this regard, yes, Shea rips off "The Know it All." But, I wouldn't call "Reading the OED" a rip off. Ammon Shea reads the OED for the love of words. A.J. Jacobs read the Encyclopedia Brittanica because he wanted to learn everything there is to learn. The goals are way too different for the one to be called a rip off of the other.

[Lydia]

"Reading the OED" is also freakin' hysterical. If the only reason you read it is to add some VERY fun words to your vocabulary, it'll be well worth it. There's nothing new under the sun, so sure, I guess you could call this a rip off in some sense of the word. But it's still pure joy to read and has very different content from other projects of that nature.

[Kent]

Actually, Lydia, I wasn't all that impressed by his selection of words in each chapter. I was hoping for words with a bit more history or drama to them, and as a result I was a bit disappointed. But perhaps that is a matter of taste.

As for whether or not it is a "rip-off" I suppose it depends on your point of view. Yes he copied the general format. But if that is a "rip-off" then every dictionary published is a "rip-off" of previous dictionaries, and most romance novels are "rip-offs" of previous romance novels.

In the end every book is derivative of previous books to some degree. To me, simply copying the overall format isn't really a "rip-off." Not every book needs to have an original format.