{{short description|American journalist and author}} {{For|the South African rugby union referee|AJ Jacobs (rugby union)}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox person | image = A j Jacobs 5187774.jpg | name = A. J. Jacobs | caption = Jacobs reading at the 2024 [[Gaithersburg Book Festival]] | alt = Jacobs reading at 2024 Gaithersburg Book Festival. Jacobs is wearing a tricorn hat. | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|03|20}} | birth_place = [[New York City, New York]], U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | education = [[Brown University]] | occupation = | other_names = | disappeared_status = | title = Editor at Large, ''Esquire'' magazine | family = | spouse = Julie Schoenberg | children = 3 | credits = ''[[The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World|The Know-It-All]]'',<br>''[[The Year of Living Biblically]]'' | agent = | website = {{URL|https://ajjacobs.com/}} }}
'''Arnold Stephen Jacobs Jr.''', commonly called '''A.J. Jacobs''' (born March 20, 1968), is an American [[Media of the United States|journalist]], author, and lecturer best known for writing about his lifestyle experiments. He is an editor at large for ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' and has worked for the ''[[Antioch Daily Ledger]]'' and ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''.
==Early life and education== Jacobs was born in [[New York City]] to secular [[Jewish]] parents,<ref name=YLB>{{cite web|last=Jacobs|first=A J|title=The Year of Living Biblically|url=http://ajjacobs.com/books/the-year-of-living-biblically/|access-date=27 April 2014}}</ref> Arnold Jacobs Sr., a lawyer, and Ellen Kheel. He has one sister, Beryl Jacobs. He was educated at the [[Dalton School]] and [[Brown University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brown.edu/academics/english/nonfiction-writing-program/nonfiction-writing-world-our-sources-inspiration-and-nonfiction-beyond-br|title=Nonfiction Writing in the World: Our Sources of Inspiration and Nonfiction Beyond Brown {{!}} English Department|website=www.brown.edu|access-date=2019-04-12|archive-date=2019-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412063732/https://www.brown.edu/academics/english/nonfiction-writing-program/nonfiction-writing-world-our-sources-inspiration-and-nonfiction-beyond-br|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Queenan |first=Joe |date=2004-10-03 |title='The Know-It-All': A Little Learning Is a Dangerous Thing |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/03/books/review/the-knowitall-a-little-learning-is-a-dangerous-thing.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=2019-04-12|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==Career== Jacobs has said that he sees his life as a series of experiments in which he immerses himself in a project or lifestyle, for better or worse, then writes about what he learned.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/a_j_jacobs_my_year_of_living_biblically |title=My year of living biblically |date=2008-07-17 |last=Jacobs |first=A. J. |language=en |access-date=2025-05-26 |via=www.ted.com}}</ref> The genre is often called [[immersion journalism]] or "stunt journalism".<ref name=honan>[https://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/07/pl_print_jacobs/ "Print: One Man's Journey Into Stunt Books"], Mathew Honan, ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'', July 28, 2010.</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/books/review/Rosin-t.html By the Book], By HANNA ROSIN, Published: October 14, 2007</ref>
In one of these "stunts", Jacobs read all 32 volumes of the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', which he wrote about in his book, ''[[The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World]]'' (2004). In the book, he also chronicles his personal life along with various endeavors like joining [[Mensa International|Mensa]]. The book spent eight weeks on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/books/bestseller/1211bestpapernonfiction.html?_r=0|title=The New York Times > Books > Best-Seller Lists > Paperback Nonfiction|website=[[The New York Times]] |date=2014-04-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410185205/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/books/bestseller/1211bestpapernonfiction.html?_r=0|archive-date=2014-04-10|access-date=2018-03-19}}</ref>'' [[NPR's Weekend Edition]]'' ran a series of segments featuring the unusual facts Jacobs learned.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/search/index.php?searchinput=a.j.+jacobs+encyclopedia+man&dateId=0&programId=0|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=NPR|title=NPR Search}}</ref> Jacobs also wrote a column for ''[[mental floss|Mental Floss]]'' magazine describing the highlights of each volume.<ref>{{cite news|last=AJ|first=Jacobs|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/17216/guest-blog-star-aj-jacobs|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=mental_floss|date=23 October 2007|title=Guest Blog-star: AJ Jacobs!}}</ref> The book received positive reviews in ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |date=20 September 2004 |title=BOOKS OF THE TIMES; A Walking, Wisecracking Encyclopedia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/20/books/a-walking-wisecracking-encyclopedia.html|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=[[The New York Times]] }}</ref> ''[[Time magazine]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Stein|first=Joel|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995283,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127154710/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995283,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 27, 2008|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=Time Magazine|date=4 October 2004|title=The Know-Everything Party}}</ref> and ''[[USA Today]].''<ref>{{cite news|last=Blais|first=Jacqueline|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2004-12-01-xmasbooks-know-it-all_x.htm|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=1 December 2004|title=If you really must know, these smart reads are for you}}</ref> However, [[Joe Queenan (author)|Joe Queenan]] panned it in the ''[[New York Times Book Review]]''. Queenan called the book "corny, juvenile, smug, tired" and "interminable" and characterized Jacobs as "a prime example of that curiously modern innovation: the pedigreed simpleton."<ref>{{cite news|last=Queenan|first=Joe|title=A Little Learning Is a Dangerous Thing|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/03/books/review/the-knowitall-a-little-learning-is-a-dangerous-thing.html|access-date=26 June 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times Book Review|date=3 October 2004}}</ref> Four months later, Jacobs responded in an essay entitled "I Am Not a Jackass".<ref>{{cite news |last=Jacobs |first=AJ |date=13 February 2005 |title=I am not a Jackass |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/books/review/13JACOBSL.html?_r=0|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
In 2005 Jacobs out-sourced his life to [[India]] such that [[personal assistant]]s would do everything for him from answering his e-mails, reading his children good-night stories, and arguing with his wife. Jacobs wrote about it in an ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' article called "My Outsourced Life" (2005).<ref>[http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0905OUTSOURCING_214?click=main_sr "My Outsourced Life"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618121237/http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0905OUTSOURCING_214?click=main_sr |date=June 18, 2014 }}, ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'', September 1, 2005</ref> The article was excerpted in ''[[The 4-Hour Workweek]]'' by [[Timothy Ferriss]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Ferris|first=Timothy|title=Outsourcing Life|url=http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/outsourcing-life/|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref> Jacobs also talked about his [[outsourcing]] experiences on a [[The Moth|Moth]] storytelling [[podcast]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=The Moth Presents AJ Jacobs: My Outsourced Life|date=30 June 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU5gIPge_NM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/EU5gIPge_NM |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|publisher=[[The Moth]]|access-date=26 June 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
In another experiment Jacobs wrote an article for ''Esquire'' called "I Think You're Fat" (2007)<ref>[http://www.esquire.com/features/honesty0707 "I Think You're Fat"], ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'', July 24, 2007</ref> about the experiment he conducted with [[Radical Honesty]], a lifestyle of total truth-telling promoted by Virginia therapist Brad Blanton, whom Jacobs interviewed for the article.
Jacobs' book ''[[The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible]]'' (2007) chronicles his experiment to live for one year according to all the moral codes expressed in the [[Bible]], including [[List of capital crimes in the Torah|stoning adulterers]], blowing a [[shofar]] at the beginning of every month, and refraining from trimming the corners of his facial hair (which he followed by not trimming his facial hair at all). The book spent 11 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list,<ref>{{cite news|title=Paperback Best Sellers: Nonfiction|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E3D81F3AF932A25752C0A96F9C8B63|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=The New York Times |date=11 January 2009}}</ref> and Jacobs gave a [[TED talk]] about what he learned during the project.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=AJ Jacobs: My Year of Living Biblically|date=17 July 2008 |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/a_j_jacobs_my_year_of_living_biblically|publisher=TED|access-date=31 January 2023}}</ref> In May 2017, [[CBS|CBS Television]] picked up a TV series based on the book.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2017/05/living-biblically-comedy-picked-seriescbs-by-the-book-johnny-galecki-1202092380/|title='Living Biblically' Comedy Picked Up To Series By CBS, Renamed As 'By The Book'|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=2017-05-12|work=Deadline|access-date=2017-05-22|language=en-US}}</ref> It was originally renamed ''By the Book'' for television, but later changed to ''[[Living Biblically]]''.
''[[The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment]]'' (2009) is a series of first-person essays about his experiences with various guides for human behavior.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Clayton |first1=Liz |date=2018-11-21|title=A.J. Jacobs On Being Thankful – Blog|url=https://joecoffeecompany.com/a-j-jacobs-on-being-thankful/|access-date=2020-09-10|website=Joe Coffee Company|language=en-US}}</ref>
Jacobs is the author of ''[[The Two Kings: Elvis and Jesus]]'' (1994), an irreverent comedic comparison of [[Elvis Presley]] and [[Jesus]]; and ''America Off-Line'' (1996).
In his book ''Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection'' (2012), he explores different ways humans can bring their bodies to peak health, from diet to exercise.<ref name=honan/> He wrote the book while walking on a treadmill.<ref>{{cite news|last=Minzesheimer|first=Bob|title=Author takes on his body in quest to be 'Drop Dead Healthy'|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/books/news/story/2012-04-09/aj-jacobs-drop-dead-healthy/54135534/1|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628035123/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/books/news/story/2012-04-09/aj-jacobs-drop-dead-healthy/54135534/1|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 June 2013|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=9 April 2012}}</ref> Jacobs gave a related TED talk about this health quest entitled "How Healthy Living Nearly Killed Me".<ref>{{cite web|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=How healthy living nearly killed me|date=3 January 2012 |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/a_j_jacobs_how_healthy_living_nearly_killed_me|publisher=TED|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref>
From 2011 to 2012, Jacobs wrote the "Extreme Health" column for ''Esquire'' magazine, covering such topics as [[high-intensity interval training]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=The Case Against Jogging|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/extreme-health/high-intensity-interval-training-workout-1111|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=Esquire}}</ref> and the [[quantified self]]. Since 2012, he has written the "Modern Problems" advice column for ''[[mental floss]]'' magazine. The column compares modern day life to the horrors of the past.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=AJ Jacobs Can Solve all Your Modern Problems|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/51273/aj-jacobs-can-solve-all-your-modern-problems|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=mental_floss}}</ref>
As of May 2013, Jacobs writes a weekly advice column for [[Esquire.com]] called "My Huddled Masses".<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=My Huddled Masses: Crowdsourced Life Guidance|url=http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/my-huddled-masses|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=Esquire}}</ref> The column is [[crowdsourced]] to Jacobs's 100,000 Facebook followers, who give etiquette and love advice.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=Crowdsourced Advice with Author A.J. Jacobs|date=23 May 2013 |url=http://boingboing.net/2013/05/23/crowdsourced-advice-with-autho.html|publisher=Boing Boing|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Chaey|first=Christina|title=Dear Abbys: A New Esquire Column Sources Life Advice From 100,000 People |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3010160/creative-conversations/dear-abbys-a-new-esquire-column-sources-life-advice-from-100000-peopl|access-date=26 June 2013|work=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]}}</ref> He also writes the regular feature "Obituaries" for ''Esquire,'' which consists of satirical death notices for cultural trends, such as [[American hegemony]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Esquire Search|url=http://www.esquire.com/search/?q=obits|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=Esquire}}</ref>
On June 6, 2015, Jacobs hosted the Global Family Reunion at the [[New York Hall of Science]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://globalfamilyreunion.com |title=Global Family Reunion}}</ref> Satellite events were held in [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]] (in partnership with [[FamilySearch]];<ref>{{Cite news |first= Wendy |last=Leonard |date=2015-06-06 |title=Salt Lake City joins Global Family Reunion, celebrating family history |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/34966454/salt-lake-city-joins-global-family-reunion-celebrating-family-history |website=[[KSL-TV|KSL]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sorenson |first1=Yvonne |title=The Global Family Reunion Block Party at the Family History Library |url=https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/the-global-family-reunion-block-party-at-the-family-history-library |website=[[FamilySearch|FamilySearch Blog]] |access-date=2023-08-13 |date=2015-05-15}}</ref> [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]] (at the [[Western Reserve Historical Society]];<ref>{{cite web |title=Global Family Reunion |url=https://www.wrhs.org/events/global-family-reunion/ |publisher=[[Western Reserve Historical Society]]}}</ref> [[Zionsville, Indiana]];<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ambrogi |first1=Mark |title=Visitors research roots during Global Family Reunion |url=https://youarecurrent.com/2015/06/10/visitors-research-roots-global-family-reunion/ |access-date=2023-08-13 |work=Current |date=2015-06-10 |location=Zionsville, Indiana}}</ref> and Independence, Missouri (at the [[Midwest Genealogy Center]]).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Newill |first1=Cody |title=Midwest Genealogy Center Promotes Family History At Global Family Reunion Event |url=https://www.kcur.org/community/2015-06-08/midwest-genealogy-center-promotes-family-history-at-global-family-reunion-event |access-date=2023-08-14 |work=[[KCUR-FM|KCUR]] |date=2015-06-08}}</ref> His project aimed to connect as many people as possible to the global family tree at [[Geni.com]] and [[WikiTree]], and the event was planned to be the largest family reunion in history. His experience planning and hosting the event is documented in his 2017 book ''It's All Relative.''
On December 5, 2016, [[Gimlet Media]] announced Jacobs as the host of ''Twice Removed'', a podcast focused on [[genealogy]]. In June 2016, Gimlet announced that the podcast would not be renewed for a second season.
Jacobs' April 2022 book ''The Puzzler'' reframes global issues as puzzles.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AJ Jacobs on following the whole Bible, a life of self-experimentation, and reframing global problems as puzzles |url=https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/aj-jacobs-on-writing-reframing-problems-as-puzzles/|access-date=2020-09-10|website=[[80,000 Hours]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Triola |first1=Cate |title=The Puzzler: One Man's Quest To Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life |url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/the-puzzler-one-mans-quest-to-solve-the-most-baffling-puzzles-ever-from-crosswords-to-jigsaws-to-the-meaning-of-life-2135494 |website=Library Journal |url-access=subscription |date=2022-03-01}}</ref> In the fall of 2023, the daily podcast ''The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs'' was launched.<ref>Cite web |title=Introducing the Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-the-puzzler-with-a-j-jacobs/id1709071922?i=1000629176010 |date=2023-09-26</ref><ref>Cite web |last1=Piña |first1=Christy |title=iHeartMedia, A.J. Jacobs Team for Daily Puzzle Podcast |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/iheartmedia-daily-puzzle-podcast-1235531692/, |date=2023-07-09</ref>
In September 2022, ''The New York Times'' published a story by Jacobs detailing a 1988 kayaking excursion in which he and his sister were lost overnight in the waterways of [[Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve|Glacier Bay National Park]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jacobs |first=A. J. |date=2022-09-18 |title=Sending Out an S.O.S. |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/18/style/sending-out-an-sos.html |access-date=2022-09-18 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> They were eventually saved by an unknown group of campers on Kidney Island and a search seaplane rented by their father.
==Personal life== Jacobs is married to Julie Schoenberg and has three sons.<ref>Jacobs, A.J. ''The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World.'' (2004) Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. p. 371.</ref><ref>Jacobs, A.J. ''The Year of Living Bibically'' (2007) Simon & Schuster. p. 314-316.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Jacobs|first1=A.J.|title=The Maximum Good: One Man's Quest to Master the Art of Donating|url=http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/money/a44028/where-to-donate-your-money/|website=Esquire|date=28 April 2016 |access-date=19 May 2016}}</ref>
Jacobs is a first cousin once removed of the legal scholar [[Cass Sunstein]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=Cass Sunstein and Samantha Power: Fun Couple of the 21st Century |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/fun-couple-21st-century-1008|access-date=27 June 2013|newspaper=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]}}</ref>
Jacobs is a member of [[Giving What We Can]]; he has pledged to give 10% of his lifetime earnings to charity. He donates to the [[Against Malaria Foundation]] and other [[effective altruism]] organizations.
==Bibliography==
===Books=== *{{cite book |last=Jacobs |first=A. J. |title=The Two Kings: Jesus & Elvis |url=https://archive.org/details/twokings00jacobs |url-access=registration |year=1994 <!--isbn=978-0553373752--> |publisher=Bantam Books |isbn=9780553373752}} *1996. ''America Off-Line: The Complete Outernet Starter Kit'' {{ISBN|978-0836224337}} *2003. ''Esquire Presents: What It Feels Like'' {{ISBN|978-1416599081}}. Edited by Jacobs. *2005. ''[[The Know-It-All|The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World]]'' {{ISBN|978-0743250627}} *2007. ''[[The Year of Living Biblically|The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible]]'' (2007) {{ISBN|978-0743291477}} *2010. ''[[The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment]]'' {{ISBN|1439104999}} *2012. ''Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection'' {{ISBN|978-1416599081}} *2017. ''It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree'' {{ISBN|978-1476734491}} *2018. ''Thanks A Thousand: A Gratitude Journey'' {{ISBN|978-1501119927}} *2022. ''The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life'' {{ISBN|978-0593136713}} *2024. ''The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickerson |first=John |date=2024-05-05 |title=A.J. Jacobs on "The Year of Living Constitutionally" - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-j-jacobs-on-the-year-of-living-constitutionally/ |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Essays and reporting=== *2005. "My Outsourced Life", ''Esquire''<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs |first=AJ |title=My Outsourced Life |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0905OUTSOURCING_214 |access-date=27 June 2013 |newspaper=Esquire |date=1 September 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703105529/http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0905OUTSOURCING_214 |archive-date=3 July 2013 }}</ref> *2007. "I Think You're Fat", ''Esquire''<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=I Think You're Fat|url=http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a26792/honesty0707/|newspaper=Esquire|date=24 July 2007}}</ref> *2008. "My Life as a Hot Woman"', ''Esquire''<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=My Life as a Hot Woman|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/hotwoman0507|access-date=27 June 2013|newspaper=Esquire}}</ref> *2009. "The 9:10 to Crazyland", ''Esquire''<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=The 9:10 to Crazyland|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/george-clooney-0408|access-date=27 June 2013|newspaper=Esquire}}</ref> *2012. "How to Blurb and Blurb and Blurb", ''The New York Times''<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=How to Blurb and Blurb and Blurb|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/books/review/a-j-jacobs-on-his-blurbing-problem.html?pagewanted=all|access-date=27 June 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=27 July 2012 }}</ref> *2012. "Overly Documented Life", ''Esquire''<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=Overly Documented Life|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/overly-documented-life-0113|access-date=27 June 2013|newspaper=Esquire}}</ref> *{{cite journal |last=Jacobs |first=A. J. |date=January 2013 |title=Highly achievable resolutions : this year, don't make it so easy to disappoint yourself |department=Man at His Best |journal=Esquire |volume=159 |issue=1 |pages=24 |url=http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/g1367/new-years-resolutions-2013/ <!--accessdate=2018-01-23-->}} *2013. "Grading the MOOC University", ''The New York Times''<ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=AJ|title=Grading the MOOC Universe|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/opinion/sunday/grading-the-mooc-university.html?pagewanted=all|access-date=27 June 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=20 April 2013 }}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{official website|http://www.ajjacobs.com}} * {{C-SPAN|1011988}} * [https://www.ted.com/talks/a_j_jacobs_my_year_of_living_biblically My Year of Living Biblically (TED Talk) ] * [http://99u.com/videos/16744/aj-jacobs-the-importance-of-self-delusion-in-the-creative-process The Importance of Self-Delusion in the Creative Process Talk] * [https://www.ted.com/talks/a_j_jacobs_how_healthy_living_nearly_killed_me How Healthy Living Nearly Killed Me (TED Talk)] * [http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/250352/september-23-2009/aj-jacobs A.J. Jacobs on The Colbert Report (2009)] * [http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/health-apps-work-pt-1 A.J. Jacobs on The Dr. Oz Show (2012)] * [http://www.asjamonthly.org/2013/06/on-boldness/ American Society of Journalists and Authors 2013 Keynote Address by A.J. Jacobs] * [https://www.npr.org/2013/05/03/180621926/a-j-jacobs-the-quest-to-do-everything A.J. Jacobs on NPR: Ask Me Another (2013)] * [https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/aj-jacobs-on-writing-reframing-problems-as-puzzles/ A.J. Jacobs on the 80,000 Hours podcast (2020)] * [https://mattasher.com/2020/10/02/ep-20-a-j-jacobs-on-humility-omniscience-and-the-perils-of-polygamy/ A.J Jacobs on his year-long attempt to become a know-it-all on The Filter (2020)]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, A.J.}} [[Category:1968 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century American memoirists]] [[Category:American atheists]] [[Category:American humorists]] [[Category:American male journalists]] [[Category:American male non-fiction writers]] [[Category:American magazine editors]] [[Category:Memoirists from New York (state)]] [[Category:Brown University alumni]] [[Category:Esquire (magazine) people]] [[Category:Jewish American journalists]] [[Category:Jewish American memoirists]] [[Category:American memoirists]] [[Category:Jewish American non-fiction writers]] [[Category:Writers from New York City]] [[Category:Journalists from New York City]] [[Category:Mensans]]