Author Guide · Participatory Nonfiction
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A.J. Jacobs once read the whole Encyclopaedia Britannica, all thirty-two volumes, from start to finish. Later he spent a year following every rule in the Bible he could find, grew a beard he was not allowed to trim, and carried a small stool so as not to sit where a menstruating woman had sat. For his most recent book he lived for a year by the original meaning of the US Constitution, writing with a quill pen and carrying a musket around Manhattan. This guide covers all eight of his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 8 books · Participatory nonfiction · 2004–2024 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
A.J. Jacobs has published eight books since 2004, almost all of them built on a year-long experiment on himself: reading the encyclopedia, living by the Bible, chasing perfect health, gathering his family tree, thanking everyone behind his morning coffee, solving puzzles and living by the Constitution. The Year of Living Biblically (2007) is the famous one, but the newest experiment says the most about where he is now.
Where to Start with A.J. Jacobs
If you want the famous one
→ The Year of Living Biblically (2007).
If you want the most recent
→ The Year of Living Constitutionally (2024).
If you want to start where he started
→ The Know-It-All (2004).
If you want something warm
→ Thanks a Thousand (2018).
All 8 A.J. Jacobs Books, in Order
The Know-It-All
Jacobs, then an editor at Esquire, read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z, and wrote about what he learned and what it did to his marriage and his ego.
The Year of Living Biblically
A secular Jew, Jacobs spent a year trying to obey every rule in the Bible as literally as he could, from not trimming his beard to blowing a shofar at the start of each month, and consulted rabbis, priests and believers along the way. It became the CBS series Living Biblically in 2018.
My Life as an Experiment
A collection of shorter experiments on himself, from outsourcing his life to assistants in India to practising radical honesty, first published as The Guinea Pig Diaries.
Drop Dead Healthy
Jacobs set out to become the healthiest man alive, trying every diet, exercise regime and health theory he could find, and wrote much of the book while walking on a treadmill.
It's All Relative
Jacobs tried to organise the largest family reunion in history, reaching out to distant relatives through genealogy websites, and wrote about what family really means.
Thanks a Thousand
A short book in which Jacobs set out to thank, in person, everyone involved in making his morning cup of coffee, from the barista to the farmers, around a thousand people.
The Puzzler
Jacobs throws himself into crosswords, jigsaws, Rubik's Cubes, mazes and riddles, and argues that the puzzle mindset can help with bigger problems.
The Year of Living Constitutionally
A year of living by the original meaning of the US Constitution, with a quill pen and a musket, to test what it would mean to take originalism literally.
How Many Books Did A.J. Jacobs Write?
Eight books between 2004 and 2024, almost all of them built on a year-long experiment.
- The "humble quest" books — The Know-It-All, The Year of Living Biblically, Drop Dead Healthy and The Year of Living Constitutionally. Read the entries →
- Other experiments — My Life as an Experiment, It's All Relative, Thanks a Thousand and The Puzzler. Read the entries →
In What Order to Read A.J. Jacobs
His books are not a series, and each experiment stands on its own. The Year of Living Biblically and The Year of Living Constitutionally make a natural pair, seventeen years apart.
A reading path
1. The Year of Living Biblically (2007)
2. The Know-It-All (2004)
3. The Year of Living Constitutionally (2024)
4. Thanks a Thousand (2018)
Quick facts about A.J. Jacobs
- Born
- New York City
- Education
- Brown University
- Career
- Editor at Entertainment Weekly and editor-at-large at Esquire
- Known for
- Year-long experiments on himself
- TV
- Living Biblically (CBS, 2018), based on his book
- Books
- 8, from The Know-It-All (2004) to The Year of Living Constitutionally (2024)
How A.J. Jacobs Writes: The Experiment as Story
Every Jacobs book has the same engine: a rule he sets for himself, followed for a year or as near as he can manage, and written up as a diary of the attempt. The absurdity of the rule supplies the comedy.
Underneath the jokes the books are serious about their subjects. He reads widely and consults experts, from rabbis and constitutional scholars to doctors and genealogists, so that each experiment also works as an introduction to the field.
Frequently asked questions about A.J. Jacobs's books
How many books has A.J. Jacobs written?
A.J. Jacobs has published eight books, from The Know-It-All (2004) to The Year of Living Constitutionally (2024).
What is The Year of Living Biblically about?
The Year of Living Biblically (2007) describes the year Jacobs spent trying to follow every rule in the Bible as literally as possible. It was adapted into the CBS series Living Biblically.
Did A.J. Jacobs really read the whole encyclopedia?
Yes. For The Know-It-All (2004) he read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica, all thirty-two volumes.
What is A.J. Jacobs's newest book?
His most recent book is The Year of Living Constitutionally (2024), about a year spent following the original meaning of the US Constitution.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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