A. J. Jacobs
A journalist who turns himself into a human guinea pig, using immersive experiments to explore the quirks and truths of modern life with self-deprecating humor.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American journalist and author·Birthday: March 20·Generation X
Biography
A.J. Jacobs made a career out of taking ideas to their literal, often absurd, conclusions. As an editor at Esquire, he began pitching first-person experiments that would become bestselling books. He spent a year following every rule in the Bible, tried to become the smartest person by reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z, and outsourced his entire life to a team in India. His approach is less that of a rigorous scientist and more of a curious, slightly neurotic everyman, documenting the friction between lofty ideals and messy reality. His work taps into a deep cultural curiosity about self-improvement, ethics, and the impact of technology, making philosophical questions accessible and wildly entertaining. Through TED Talks and lectures, he has turned personal obsession into a lens for examining how we live now.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
A. was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When A. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
A.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Wrote the bestselling book 'The Year of Living Biblically', documenting his attempt to follow all Biblical rules literally.
- Authored 'The Know-It-All', a chronicle of his experience reading the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- Served as Editor at Large for Esquire magazine, where many of his experimental essays originated.
- Delivered a popular TED Talk titled 'The Year I Lived Biblically', which has been viewed millions of times.
Did You Know?
He is the son of attorney Stephen Jacobs and the grandson of theatrical agent and producer Bernard Jacobs.
His wife, Julie, often features as a long-suffering and humorous character in his books.
He is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
He once attempted a project called 'The Guinea Pig Diaries', a series of smaller life experiments.
“I think we should all be amateur experts. Find something you're interested in and dive in headfirst.”
