A.J. Jacobs Books in Order

Where to Start Reading A.J. Jacobs

Because A.J. Jacobs writes immersion journalism memoirs rather than serialized fiction, there is no single narrative arc that you are required to follow. However, choosing the right entry point can help you appreciate his unique style of self-experimentation, humor, and deep research. We recommend starting with one of these three paths depending on your personal interests:

• The Bestselling Classic (Recommended Start): The Year of Living Biblically (2007). This is Jacobs' most famous and widely discussed work. It perfectly balances his lighthearted humor with genuine philosophical and spiritual questions, making it the ideal introduction to his style.
• The Intellectual Quest: The Know-It-All (2004). If you love trivia, facts, and intellectual curiosity, start here. It chronicles his journey reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z and establishes the format for all his subsequent works.
• The Recent Favorites: The Puzzler (2022) or The Year of Living Constitutionally (2024). These books showcase a matured writing style, blending historical context with modern, quirky relevance. They are excellent entry points for readers who prefer puzzles or legal and constitutional history.

Publication Order of Non-Fiction & Major Works

If you prefer to follow the progression of Jacobs' life and career, reading in publication order is the most logical path. Although his early books in the 1990s were more satirical pop-culture guides, his main body of work consists of immersive experiments beginning in 2004.

1. The Two Kings: Jesus & Elvis (1994) — A humorous pop-culture analysis comparing the lifestyles, followers, and legacies of Jesus Christ and Elvis Presley.
2. Fractured Fairy Tales (1997) — A collection of satirical, modern retellings of classic fairy tales, inspired by the animated segments from The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
3. The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World (2004) — The memoir of his 18-month journey reading all 32 volumes of the Encyclopædia Britannica.
4. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (2007) — A chronicle of his year spent attempting to follow every rule in the Old and New Testaments.
5. The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment (2009) — A collection of shorter-term lifestyle experiments, including outsourcing his life to India, practicing radical honesty, and unitasking.
6. Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection (2012) — An investigation into human health, fitness, and nutrition as Jacobs attempts to achieve the peak of physical well-being.
7. Unscrolled: 54 Writers and Artists Wrestle with the Torah (2013) — An anthology edited by Roger Bennett to which Jacobs contributed a creative retelling of a biblical portion.
8. It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree (2017) — A journey into genealogy and DNA database mapping, culminating in Jacobs hosting the largest family reunion in history.
9. Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey (2018) — A compact book detailing his quest to personally thank every single person responsible for producing his morning cup of coffee.
10. The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life (2022) — A deep dive into the history, psychology, and science of puzzles, featuring interactive challenges.
11. The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning (2024) — An immersive attempt to live strictly by the original text and tools of the 1789 U.S. Constitution.

Understanding the "Guinea Pig" Life Progression

While each book operates perfectly as a standalone, reading them chronologically reveals a subtle, heartwarming biographical thread. A.J. Jacobs does not shield his family from his experiments; instead, they are active participants (and sometimes long-suffering victims) of his quests. By following the publication order, you will watch him go from a newlywed looking to cure his intellectual stagnation in The Know-It-All, to a new father raising his first son in The Year of Living Biblically (during which his twin sons are born), to a middle-aged parent dealing with health scares in Drop Dead Healthy, and finally to a father of teenagers navigating musket-carrying and parchment-writing in The Year of Living Constitutionally.

Deep Dive: The Major Experiments

The Know-It-All (2004)

Worried that his brain was turning to "oatmeal" after years of working in pop-culture journalism, Jacobs decided to read all 44 million words of the Encyclopædia Britannica. Organized alphabetically, the book blends bizarre trivia with personal reflections on intelligence, family life, and his father, who once held the world record for the most footnotes in a law review article.

The Year of Living Biblically (2007)

Raised in a secular Jewish household, Jacobs embarked on a quest to explore religion by taking the Bible literally. For one year, he adhered to over 700 rules, including growing a massive beard, stoning adulterers (with small pebbles), and wearing only white, single-fiber clothing. This book is widely praised for treating the subject of faith with respect while maintaining a humorous tone.

The Guinea Pig Diaries (2009)

Unlike his year-long deep dives, this book gathers several short-term behavioral experiments. Jacobs outsourced his daily interactions and emails to a team of assistants in Bangalore, practiced radical honesty with everyone he met, and spent weeks attempting to follow the instructions of his wife's lifestyle advice, showing the limits of extreme behavior.

Drop Dead Healthy (2012)

In this health-focused experiment, Jacobs spends two years trying to master every aspect of physical well-being. He consults doctors, nutritionists, and trainers, testing extreme diets, specialized exercise regimens, and sleeping schedules. The book acts as a lighthearted critique of the modern wellness industry.

It's All Relative (2017)

After learning that he is related to millions of people worldwide through collaborative online family trees, Jacobs attempts to map out his connection to famous figures like Albert Einstein and Barack Obama. The book culminates in the Global Family Reunion, a massive event celebrating human connection and genetic similarity.

Thanks a Thousand (2018)

In this short, reflective project, Jacobs decides to thank every person who played a role in making his morning cup of coffee. This includes the barista, the coffee roaster, the truck driver who transported the beans, the people who designed the paper cup, and the water reservoir workers, highlighting the complex web of global cooperation.

The Puzzler (2022)

Jacobs explores the world of puzzles, traveling to championships, interviewing puzzle creators, and attempting to solve some of the most difficult puzzles in history. The book includes logic grids, crosswords, and mazes, exploring why the human brain is so drawn to problem-solving.

The Year of Living Constitutionally (2024)

His latest major experiment involves living by the original meaning of the United States Constitution. To do this, Jacobs carries a musket in public, writes with a quill, avoids modern communication tools, and attempts to understand the worldview of the Founding Fathers, offering a unique perspective on originalism and modern politics.

Collaborations and Adaptations

In 2013, Jacobs contributed to the book Unscrolled: 54 Writers and Artists Wrestle with the Torah. While the anthology was edited by Roger Bennett, Jacobs' contribution fits perfectly with his interest in religious texts. Additionally, The Year of Living Biblically was adapted into a CBS television sitcom titled Living Biblically in 2018, executive produced by Johnny Galecki. While the show was short-lived, it brought Jacobs' unique brand of immersion journalism to a broader television audience.

Practical Reading Advice

If you are planning to read A.J. Jacobs' books, keep these helpful tips in mind:

• Skip Around Freely: Because the books are thematic, you do not need to read them in order. Pick the topic that interests you most—whether that is religion, health, gratitude, puzzles, or history.
• Try the Audiobooks: With the exception of The Know-It-All (which is read by Geoffrey Cantor), Jacobs narrates his own audiobooks. His self-deprecating humor and conversational tone translate exceptionally well to audio, making them a fantastic listening experience.
• Watch His TED Talks: As a companion to his books, Jacobs has delivered several highly popular TED Talks outlining his experiments, which serve as great visual summaries of his written work.