Cover image for Brainiac : adventures in the curious, competitive, compulsive world of trivia buffsBrainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings

Reviewed by: Sylvia Shults, Circulation

Genre: Nonfiction

Suggested Age: Adults

What is the book about?: A look at trivia through the eyes of Ken Jennings, whose 75-game run on Jeopardy! gained him $2.5 million in winnings.

My Review: You’d expect a book on trivia, written by the Jeopardy! champion, to be kind of … well, snooty. But this book is chatty and filled with interesting facts — a trivia book on trivia. Jennings isn’t all like “Hey, I won 75 games in a row on Jeopardy!, look at how smart I am.” He’s just as astonished at his run as everyone else was, and he comes across as an everyday guy who just happened to win $2.5 million on a game show. Jennings also gives his readers a history of trivia, from 16th-century collections to last Tuesday night’s bar competition. Plus, there’s an entire chapter on the annual trivia contest in Stevens Point, WI, which made me smile with nostalgia, as I went up there for several years in a row. This is a fun read, and not too mentally strenuous — you don’t have to stand there with YOUR hand on a buzzer to enjoy this book.

Rating: 4.5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL ReadsWelcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.  Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available.  If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently.  We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!