New book: Reading the OED, about a guy who spends a year reading that big-ass dictionary. I've added it to My Year As..., my (probably not definitive but still long) list of books about people doing something for one year. Nicholson Baker reviews it in NYTBR.
Here's another one. I kind of hate this genre.
posted by Matt at 5:50 PM on August 1, 2008 
Thanx, added!
posted by Rex at 5:54 PM on August 1, 2008
it's probably worth noting that two of them -- living biblically and the britannica one -- are written by the same guy, AJ Jacobs, who writes those uncomfortable articles for Esquire, like how his nanny was magically hot and he wanted to screw her but instead helped her with a personals ad.
also, i'm sending you two more books for your list.
posted by ADM at 6:36 PM on August 1, 2008
Ha. Kind of a cheeky to sneak "A Year of Magical Thinking" in there, but we'll let it slide this time....
posted by boredwithit at 11:47 PM on August 1, 2008
Nick Baker is my favorite living writer - thanks for the link!
posted by Nick at 10:15 AM on August 2, 2008
This list is great; thanks! I'm not even going to admit to how many I've read. Not Shopping was my favorite. I don't know why these are so enticing; something to do with the double appeal of I Can Radically Change My Life, followed by I Can Totally Change It Back If The New Life Sucks?
I was actually really inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Probably not enough that I'm going to start raising poultry... but still, highly recommended for anyone who liked Fast Food Nation or any of Michael Pollan's work on food.
posted by Michelle at 6:51 PM on August 4, 2008
Thanx, Kingsolver added.
posted by Rex at 7:00 PM on August 4, 2008
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