I do not normally read books that tend to be funny, but A.J. Jacobs has comedy writing down to an art form. Likely what makes it so funny is that he is the subject of his books, and the things he will do to write a story…so here goes

The Guinea Pig Diaries – A. J. Jacobs

“My Life as an Experiment”

If you have never read A.J. Jacobs writings, you have no idea what you are missing. Imagine living your life as if it were one big experiment. Were there things you wondered about, but never did anything to find the answer? Was there something you would love to do, but are unsure if it is even possible? This story may give you the courage to do just that. Or at the very least, it will make you laugh at what the author goes through as he uses himself as the test subject in any number of experiments.

This experiment has been a 15 year long project, which began when he saw an advertisement for a Laz-Y-Boy chair that had more bells and whistles than you could even figure out what to do with. A.J. Offered to sit in the chair for 24 hours straight and let the world know if this was the best chair ever made.

He fell asleep. But it started him on this journey that you want to take with him.

How important is the truth? A. J. spent a month being completely honest. Completely. He also spent that same month saying whatever it was that popped into his head. Anything and everything. He claims that this was the worst month of his existence.

This book shows you how easy it was for A.J. to outsource every single aspect of his life. He outsourced someone to pay his bills, do his research, track his tasks, and even feed him. He outsourced everything needed for his wife’s birthday celebration.

The chapter on “The Truth About Nakedness” began innocently enough with the need to assist Mary-Louise Parker on writing an article for Esquire. Wanting something not boring, she agrees to pose nude. She also lets him know for him to get the full experience of this project, he needs to pose nude as well. And he does.

“What would George Washington Do” came from a desire to know more about George Washington, as well as finding an article about the list of rules that George lived by. Well, by George, if he could do it, so could A.J. George’s list of rules covers everything, including not “adjusting” yourself in public. He vows to live by the rules George set, and a lot of it no longer applies 🙂

He wraps it up with being a uni-tasker. Only doing one thing at a time. No multi-tasking allowed. This is so much harder than he ever could have imagined.

If you are looking for a light read, full of laughs and good feelings, you have got to get this book! You will not be sorry!