Most readers may recognize A.J. Jacobs as the man who has shared his quest for self-improvement over the course of several books. First, he reported on an attempt to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in The Know-It-All. Next, he chose to follow all of the Bible's rules, literally, which led to The Year of Living Biblically, followed by a series of diverse experiments chronicled in The Guinea Pig Diaries. Having conquered the mind and the spirit, Jacobs has turned his attention to the body in Drop Dead Healthy, a memoir of his efforts to become the healthiest man in the world.
Jacobs is refreshingly honest in assessing the status of his physical health (not everyone would readily admit in print that he has a "python-that-swallowed-a-goat type of body"). He is also nearly fearless in his attempts to improve it. He consults a team of medical advisors, reads extensively about health and wellness studies, experiments with an array of dietary manipulations and exercise regimens and analyzes all of his bodily systems. As he loses weight, gains muscle, maximizes his nutrition and improves his sex life, Jacobs shares his insights, successes, failures and ultimate outcomes. Drop Dead Healthy, like Jacobs's previous books, is often laugh-out-loud funny. For many enthusiastic readers, though, it might also be surprisingly informative and, hopefully, motivating. --Roni K. Devlin, owner of Literary Life Bookstore & More