The Bottom Line
- Jennings provides an interesting behind-the-scenes glimpse of the life of a Jeopardy! contestant.
- The book is full of trivia questions (and answers), so you can test your knowledge.
- Jennings is self-deprecating about his achievement, and pokes fun at his own nerdy past.
- Jennings spends too much time on some areas of trivia history, and these passages read slowly.
Description
- A little luck and a lot of studying led to Ken Jennings’ 74-game winning streak on Jeopardy!
- Various incarnations of trivia have become popular fads throughout the 20th century.
- Jennings admits the silliness and nerdy-ness of trivia, but also asserts its cultural importance.
Guide Review - Brainiac by Ken Jennings - Book Review
Brainiac is very well-written and Jennings seamlessly transitions between the account of his Jeopardy! journey and more meandering explorations of the world of trivia. He takes a humble and self-deprecating approach to his own game show success, attributing it to luck and the advantage of experience over fresh challengers. He provides enough tidbits and trivia about the show itself to interest and amuse fans, but Brainiac is no shocking exposé. It’s also worth noting that the book is beautifully typeset and designed, though the fact that each chapter is titled in the form of a Jeopardy! question makes for slightly forced chapter titles.
Reading Brainiac won’t make you feel smart—the quiz bowl sample questions in particular are impossible—but you can keep yourself guessing with the trivia questions embedded throughout. (The answers are provided at the end of each chapter.) You will learn a lot, though, and find yourself entertained by this quick and lighthearted book.
