by A. J. Jacobs
origin of AJ’s rivalry with
party behavior of
quasi-Asimov achievements of
Renaissance Man ideal of
Jacobs, Beryl
in Alaska
chemical symbol for
daughter born to
moral sense of
Seymour’s bouncy visit to
Jacobs, Ellen Kheel:
AJ’s cheating incident and
AJ’s reading habits deplored by
Deadhead message heard by
in mother-son bonding trip
multitasking rejected by
pigeons as viewed by
practical mind-set of
telegonic perspective on
Jacobs, Jasper
AJ’s preparation for
gender observed in
naming of
sonogramsof
Jacobs, Julie Schoenberg:
AJ quizzed by
AJ restrained by
AJ’s cranial capacity known by
AJ’s crush revealed to
AJ’s Mensa membership and
birthday expanded by
on Britannica prospect
buying flowers for
canned crying not needed by
celebratory dinner provided by
EB disappointing to
fury provoked in
Hanukkah present of
herb-related aid to
impressive sleep attainments of
J-volume comment of
marriage of
organizing fetish of
Oscar party of
pregnancy of; see also Jacobs, Jasper
Sherwood Schwartz sitcoms known by
“what, what, what?” thing not tried out on
Jacobs family, AJ’s models in
Jamie:
adult ed class of
at crossword tournament with AJ
Jane, Aunt
Jefferson, Thomas
Adams predeceased by
Jeopardy, trying out for
Jesus:
actual birth date of
Easter Bunny and
editorial mischief on
Jews, Judaism
chess-playing
lore of
menstruation taboo in
under Nazis
jokes:
about bartender and Descartes
moon-in-water
poop-culture
pop-culture
Jupiter, Julie’s rash thoughtlessly compared to Great Red Spot of
Kennedy, Edward M., “Punctual Guy” meeting with
Kheel, Ted
kings named Charles, abundance of
know-it-all, Mr., see knowledge displays
knowledge:
clustering of (cannibalism, syphilis, oneeye blinded men, e.g.)
in conversational gambits
creative solutions arising from
for crossword success
Faustian thirst for
flexibility an advantage in
general vs. specialized
Jacobs men in love with
macabre
normal gaps in
philosophy of
Plato’s theory of
in post-Britannica summary
recurring themes in
self-
knowledge displays:
in the As
Britishisms in
in chess game
on coriander
on earth
of eleven-year-old Douglas
e-mails used in
of Eric
in father-son match
on “The Fire Next Time”
guessing in
on head-snapping technique
Julie as restraining influence on
at Mensan convention
on Millionaire
at New-York Historical Society
on pediatrics
on pickles
potential for humiliation in
on sports
on time
in viewing Shanghai Knights
Kogan, Herman
Koning, Hans, on Eleventh Edition
Krantz, David, memorization explained by
lacrosse, lacrosse word vs.
language(s):
eleven-year-old genius on
EB’s help in translation of
pretentious
ridiculous imprecision of
sexist, fruitist, and antianimal
see also words
Latin, life-saving role of
lawyers, “lovely group of people” as
learning, embracing joy of
legal proceedings:
first U.S. insanity plea in
odd
Lego robotics, career as instructor in
Les, learning speed reading with
libido, dampening of
Lies and Fallacies of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, The (McCabe)
life:
chaos of
passing by of
philosophy of, Fitzgerald vs. Fleming on
as “sad piece of buffoonery”
secret of
utopian view of
ligature
light speed:
novel yardstick for
time and
Limbaugh, Rush, positive side of
limerick, G-rated
Lisa (friend), earth explained to
loopholes:
in “benefit of clergy”
biblical
in colonial times
Mensan
of religious men
in wills
losers, lacrosse players giggled at by
Louis XIV, King of France:
bioweapons suppressed by
fontange affixed in court of
Louis XV, King of France:
Encyclopédie tolerated by
hunting days of
Luciano, Lucky, war effort aided by
Luther, Martin, theses not really nailed by
McCabe, Joseph
Macropaedia
Madonna, Britannica-speak view of
males, selfish tool behavior of
Manhattan, Indian sale of
Manhattanites, huge nonflying flock of
marriage(s):
of AJ’s parents
Aristotelian view of
assortative mating in
brief history of
close-knit
fidelity in, of pigeons
after Long March
and Pueblo moccasin divorce
Shaw’s apparent celibacy in
Shaw’s famous quote on
of Solomon
of twins (to each other)
MarshallChess Club, boosting intelligence at
Marti, Aunt
Marx, Karl
meaningful cross-referencing, see cross-referencing, meaningful
melee, memorizing definition of
Melville, Herman, dismissive 1941 write-up of
memorization, nothing bypassed in
memory:
Dave Farrow’s course and
Ebbinghaus curve of
see also Operation Britannica, retention issue in
Mensa(ns):
characteristics observed in
convention of
conversations of
crass drunkenness of
membership in
obesity of
puns and
sweetness and humility wanting in
trivia contest of
Metamorphosis of Ajax, The (Harington)
metric system
Micropaedia
mind:
as attic
as newly painted shack
mistakes and misinformation:
even EB not free of
of successful know-it-alls
mistresses, in Mussolini family
mob, wartime help from
Moore, Demi, Hawthorne revised by
Morozov, Paul
ik, that odious little schmuck
mosquitoes, yellow fever transmitted by
movie ideas:
The Great Metric Caper
Hail to the Freakin’ Chief (president afflicted with Tourette’s syndrome)
Julia Child, chef by day, spy by night
Lumière factory film remake
a romance between Civil War enemies
Young Gandhi
movies:
first talkie, surprisingly
leaving early at
overheard inaccuracies in
tolerable length of
unasked questions about
movie stars, geographic knowledge of
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, Salieri’s friendship with
music:
gagaku (a-ak)
rap
Mussolini, Benito, serious relationship issues of
myths, of conception
Nabokov, Vladimir
names:
apotropaic
bastardization of
coincidences in
colorful, in sports
famous, determined by chance
ill-advised
of Jacobs baby
Julie’s list of
reassessment of
for victims of practical jokes
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French:
hesitation and Waterloo loss of
idiosyncratic portrait of
Native Americans, warfare of
nature, Woody Allen’s view of
negative side:
of AJ, the Mensan
of Jefferson
of natural world
of reading
Neptune, English astronomer’s careless loss of
Newton, Isaac, unorthodox thumbing of
New Yorker
New York Times
crosswords of
nicknames:
eighth-grade
of politicians not to trust
in sports
nipples:
caviar on
Jodie Foster’s
opossum
presidential
“no,” issues with saying
nose, ignorance of what is right under
nouns, in radio turn-off ritual
nudity:
in battle
EB’s surprising amount of
in exercise
in the greats
in photo poses
number(s):
irrational, Pythagorean opposition to
sorting philosophies by
square roots of
nut jobs, rationality sometimes possessed by
Oglesby, Thaddeus
omniscience, see specific topics
Operation Britannica:
as addiction
AJ’s decision on
AJ’s family on
AJ’s limit reached in
AJ Sr. on
authority of doctors eroded by
bedrock of confidence attributed to
being “out there” vs.
coincidences in
comfort and health in
comfort from verifiable megagenius on
in conflict of authorities
cross-reference tolerance in
crossword failure not attributed to
encyclopedia-as-Bible theory of
equipment for
fainting envied in
falling asleep in
false trumpets sounded in
Flaubert and Buddhists opposed to
games for self-amusement in
hazards in
head slappers in
Iraq crisis and
“Ironic Facts” file in
joy of learning in
learning to see silver lining in
in light of evolving brain
as lonely mission
mind toys provided by
most common reading sites for
nobility seen in
organizing influence of
philosophical justifications for
power of editing pondered in
proper stance for
psychoanalytic view of
relationship with Julie affected by
relationship with world altered by
retention issue in
scatological puns resisted in
skimming in,
specialization fought in
speed reading attempted in
as starter accomplishment
as surrogate Hebrew school
three Halifaxes in
time logged in
trivia score aided by
useful applications of
what to read after
wisdom gained from
“Zywiec” as end of road in
Oscars, AJ’s firsthand knowledge of
Ostrogoths, ill-advised complaint about
overcomers, stories of
Paine, Thomas, history’s kindness to
Panelas, Tom:
in AJ’s visit to EB HQ
other “faithful readers” found by
Pappas, Theodore
paradoxes, liar
parenthood:
avoidance of
catalog of fears faced in
learn-as-you-go
theories on
parents, Marxian views on
past, present as recap of
past posting:
instructions for
with TiVo
Paul (friend), earth explained to
pedophilia:
literary fame and
in Self-Taught Man
penis rituals, mushrooming and
penthouses, special theory of
“peon,” misguided definition of
Peru, New Year’s undies in
Peter and Sharon
Petrarch, Francesco, visit to Dr. Phil advised for
Philbin, Regis
philosophy:
French, role of crossed eyes in
of human
ideal forms vs. change in
Picard, Captain, baldness of
pigeons, AJ blown away by
Plato, philosophy of
poetry:
depressing
disheartening vs. wisely humbling
polar wandering
pop culture:
AJ’s promise to
EB coverage of
EB light on
holes opening in AJ’s knowledge of
jokes in
pornography:
in Carry Nation’s day
cross-eyed women in
in domain name swipe
at reproduction clinic
positive side:
of Attila the Hun
of Black Death
of frequent illnesses
of Krakatoa
of Max Schmeling
of natural world
of Sepoy Mutiny
pregnancy:
of Julie’s friends
quest for; see also Jacobs, Jasper; Jacobs, Julie Schoenberg
preliterate societies, ethical relativism as guide to
presidents:
log cabin spotlight on
speed reading ascribed to
White House habits and
see also specific presidents
pretention, five steps to
pronunciation:
of Goethe
of “motor”
overcoming defects in
public relations:
in naming Greenland
Seven Wonders concept in
Puccini, Giacomo, operatic personal life of
pulmonary diseases, noble deaths from
puns:
Mensan love of
scatological
Pythagoras
quarters, serrated edges on
quizzes:
Mensan trivia
at New-York Historical Society Museum
pop
in quiz show auditions,
rabbinical
rabbit(s):
Fibonacci increases in
Oswald, the Disney road not taken
stuffed
radio, ritualistic turning off of
rap, purveyors of
rap stars, Upper East Side boys dressing like
Rasputin, murder of
Raster Master, speed reading with Les and
rational humanism, Sartre’s rejection of
rats, flying, pigeons as
reading:
to AJ’s gestating boy
processing vs.
of telephone book, name after name
worries about value of
real estate, probable worst deal in
relativity:
general theory of
longevity and
special theory of
religious wars, fondue in
Renaissance Man, specialization vs.
reproductive strategies
of Acarina
of a group including blue-footed boobies and Scottish bundlers
of AJ
reptiles, crocs vs. alligators, how to distinguish
rhetorical devices
Rick and Ilene’s wedding
Rite of Spring, The (Stravinsky)
rituals:
body modifications in
fertility
halitza
life-affirming
private parts involved in
rice-boiling
romance and courtship:
breakup strategies in
in Civil War
duplicity in
Kama vs. Cupid in
Lapland kissing
platonic, unrequited, and required reading
short-lived
see also reproductive strategies; sexual activity
Romans, ancient
Greeks wonderful in comparison with
sex acts and executions staged by
triumphal marches of
Roosevelt, Theodore
Sahara Desert, “haboob” in
Salieri, Antonio, history’s unfair take on
Sampugnaro, Dave:
facts collected by
as Millionaire lifeline
SAT scores
schedules, overloaded
Schmeling, Max, history’s kinder view of
Schoenberg, Alexandra
Eric’s linguistic dispute with
Schoenberg, Barbara, as phone book reader
Schoenberg, Doug, AJ quizzed on As by
Schoenberg, Eric:
beaten with Boggle
character of
defeat not an option for
EB disputed by
“erythrocyte” not known by
intellectual competition from
after Millionaire fiasco
as Millionaire lifeline (as know-it-all’s know-it-all)
in mixed doubles
Nabokov comeback flung at
Schoenberg, Larry
“street smarts” advocated by
Schoenberg family
cute and sweet kids in
visit of
Scrabble
in braille
luck a factor in
screwups, famous
semicolon, bizarre parentage of
September 11 attack, historical context of
1726, Louis XV’s 276 hunting days in
sexual activity:
in fertility office
purposeful
in the Zeus variations