Showing results by author "A. J. Jacobs" in All Categories

Our fearless author, A. J. Jacobs, tackles a new intellectual adventure, an exploration of the most influential book in the world: the Bible. He determined that the best way to explore the Bible was to live it, as literally as possible. For one year.

Author A.J. Jacobs discovers that his coffee - and every other item in our lives - would not be possible without hundreds of people we usually take for granted: farmers, chemists, artists, presidents, truckers, mechanics, biologists, miners, smugglers, and goatherds. By thanking these people face-to-face, Jacobs finds some much-needed brightness in his life. Gratitude does not come naturally to Jacobs, but he sets off on the journey on a dare from his son. And by the end, it’s clear to him that scientific research on gratitude is true. Gratitude’s benefits are legion.

A. J. Jacobs tackles his most challenging experiment yet: a yearlong mission to radically improve every element of his body and mind - from his brain to his fingertips to his abs. First, he had to tackle a complicated web of diet and exercise advice, most which is nonsensical, unproven, and contradictory. Second, he had to consult a team of medical advisers. And finally, he had to subject himself, over the course of two years, to a grueling regimen of exercises and a range of diets and nutritional plans.

After years of learning how to manage her bipolar disorder, Emily Firestone finally has it under control. Even better, her life is coming together: she's got a great job, her own place, and a boyfriend, Paolo, who adores her. So when Paolo suggests a weekend sailing trip, Emily agrees - wine, water, and the man she loves? What could be better? But when Emily wakes the morning after they set sail, the boat is still adrift ... and Paolo is gone. 

We all have a part of us that wants to control people - to make them do stuff for us, the stuff that we want, to stop being difficult, to follow a certain way of life, and much more. And this book will show you exactly how to make that a reality. Many of the famous and successful people you know already use these techniques at different times to get their way in literally anything. They may not put a name to the strategies they use but they all center around the dark psychology strategies.

Early in his career, A.J. Jacobs put his Ivy League education to work at Entertainment Weekly. He emerged five years later knowing which stars have fake boobs, which stars have toupees, which have both, and not much else. This realization led Jacobs on a life-changing quest: to read the entire contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica, all 33,000 pages, all 44 million words.

Over 24 of the best humorous stories ever written, including: "The Inconsiderate Waiter", by J. M. Barrie; "Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger", by Saki; "Curried Cow", by Ambrose Bierce; "Cannibalism in the Cars", by Mark Twain; "A Love Knot", by W. W. Jacobs; "A Bottomless Grave", by Ambrose Bierce; "Biffin on the Bassoon", by Harry Graham; "Esme", by Saki; "Germans at Meat", by Katherine Mansfield; and "Adrian", by Saki.

Join best-selling author A. J. Jacobs as he discusses his recent book, The Year of Living Biblically, in which he recounts his fascinating, enlightening and delightfully strange year trying to follow all 613 commandments in the Bible. This lecture is an eye-opening lesson in the wisdom of rabbis, religion in America today, Bible history, and the dangers of literal interpretation. Thou shalt not miss it!

J. Jacob Potashnik's collection of short stories about Montreal and other places is in the tradition of Saul Bellow, Mordechai Richler, and reminiscent of the work of Isaac Bashevis Singer and Sholom Aleichem, among others.

A delightful collection of humorous classic tales by some of the world's greatest racconteurs.

Water, is the fourth in a series of four horror anthologies based on the elements. Within this book, you will find a variety of stories from some of the best independent horror writers on the scene today. Immerse yourself in tales of shipwrecks, evil spirits, terrifying aquatic creatures, and much more.

Air, book two of Elements of Horror, is the second in a series of four horror anthologies based on the elements. In this audiobook, you will find a variety of stories from some of the best independent horror writers on the scene today. Breathe deeply, as you experience the horrors of twisted serial killers, apocalyptic outbreaks, evil spirits, and much more.

Earth, book one in Elements of Horror is the first in a series of four horror anthologies based on the elements. In this audiobook, you will find a variety of stories from some of the best independent horror writers on the scene today, including Theresa Jacobs, R.C. Rumple, David F. Gray, and many more. Fall into sinkholes, brave the tales of witchcraft, grotesque creatures, and demons, and feel the terror of explorations gone wrong.

Can you neutralize all the resistance and just ‘get through’ to anyone without all the begging or threatening? Simple; you influence, manipulate, hypnotize and use all manner of dark psychology techniques to get them to do things without them even realizing that you are actually using such techniques! And this book will show you exactly how to make that a reality. Many of the famous and successful people you know already use these techniques at different times to get their way in literally anything. 

Enjoy this collection of origin folktales, also known as pourquoi stories, that explain why things are the way they are. In "Why Alligator Hates Dog", everyone respects M'su Cocodrie, the king of the swamp, except the dogs, who taunt him and make lots of noise. 

Passive Income Blueprint is your stepping-stone towards a financial change for the better. In this book, we’ll take an in-depth look into how you can begin building wealth and a six-figure income through several passive income measures and more.

A mysterious suicide. An airbus A380 heads over the Colorado mountains, before crashing through the snow clouds. The only bridge over the River Styx is taken out. No phones, no internet, no communication with the outside world. Then things start to get strange. Welcome to a town called Hell. This collaborative collection of short stories takes place over the last seven days in Hell. Poisonous green slime, murderous rampages, talking trees, rogue wolf-packs - the residents of Hell are having a bad week.

Maverick environmental writers William J. Kelly and Chip Jacobs follow up their acclaimed Smogtown with a provocative examination of China’s ecological calamity already imperiling a warming planet. Toxic smog most people figured was obsolete needlessly kills as many there as the 9/11 attacks every day, while sometimes Grand Canyon-sized drifts of industrial particles aloft on the winds rain down ozone and waterway-poisoning mercury in America. Vivid, gonzo prose blends first-person reportage with exhaustive research and a sense of karma, describing the horror of "Cancer Villages", spellbinding "peasant revolts" against cancer-spreading plants, and much more....

A fast-paced and varied collection of captivating short stories ranging from action thrillers to poignant tear-jerkers to the downright weird, including: "Jerry Bundler" by W. W. Jacobs, "The Umbrella Mender" by Beatrice Harraden, "Green Ink" by J. S. Fletcher, "Why Herbert Killed His Mother" by Winifred Holtby, "The Red Mark" by Israel Zangwill, "The White Kid Glove" by J. S. Fletcher, "Sophy Mason Comes Back" by E. M. Delafield, plus many more.

An enthralling collection of strange stories where characters are challenged to do something completely out of the ordinary. The Earl, the Warder and the Wayward Heiress by J. S. Fletcher, The Giraffe Problem by Barry Pain, The Man who Stole a Meeting House by John Townsend Trowbridge, The Box Tunnel by Charles Reade, A Lucky Number by S. B. Hale, The Brown Wallet by Stacy Aumonier, The Bet by Anton Jacobs