My Life as an Experiment

One Man's Humble Quest to Improve Himself by Living as a Woman, Becoming George Washington, Telling No Lies, and Other Radical Tests

By: A. J. Jacobs

Narrated by: A. J. Jacobs

A collection of A.J. Jacobs’s hilarious adventures as a human guinea pig, including “My Outsourced Life,” “The Truth About Nakedness,” and a never-before-published essay.

One man. Ten extraordinary quests.

Bestselling author and human guinea pig A.J. Jacobs puts his life to the test and reports on the surprising and entertaining results. He goes undercover as a woman, lives by George Washington’s moral code, and impersonates a movie star. He practices "radical honesty," brushes his teeth with the world’s most rational toothpaste, and outsources every part of his life to India—including reading bedtime stories to his kids.

And in a new adventure, Jacobs undergoes scientific testing to determine how he can put his wife through these and other life-altering experiments—one of which involves public nudity.

Filled with humor and wisdom, My Life as an Experiment will immerse you in eye-opening situations and change the way you think about the big issues of our time—from love and work to national politics and breakfast cereal.

Well done! You taught an extrovert new tricks.

I would not have drawn the same conclusions and I wouldn’t have realized the same revelations that AJ Jacobs has. I think he and I would not prefer each other’s company as we are quite different. All that stated, what a wonderful book! Insightful and understanding abound from not only your experiments but also from your perspective as an introvert. In my extroverted driven life, it was akin to two books at once. I’d give it ten stars if allowable. Thanks, AJ!

Made the Miles Slide By

I listened to this book as I ran through a chilly autumn, and I was laughing practically from the very first few paragraphs. Jacobs is funny, yet also a bit thought-provoking. It never dragged, and it kept me absorbed so much that I often wished I didn't have to quit running so I could hear a little more.

If James Thurber and Dorothy Parker had hooked up

The result would be A. J. Jacobs. Definitely the funniest man in the room. His earlier book, The Know-It-All, hit such a high water mark for wit and wisdom that I feared that book's level of sassy insightfulness would be hard to surpass. His latest entry, My Life As An Experiment, nevertheless, floods the mind with wave upon wave of comic brilliance. Behind all the hilarity, however, there are some 'deep thoughts' ~ but I imagine Jacobs would be the last to admit it. Five-star listen.

A.J. Jacobs Fan

Any additional comments?

I had read his previous books and was looking forward to listening to this one. Did not find this as humorous as his previous works but still enjoyable. Looking forward to his next book.

cute

This book was light- hearted and enjoyable, with bits and pieces of valuable information. The reading, especially his wife's "coda", was entertaining.