A.J. Jacobs decides that he is going to finish what his father started. Years ago his father decided to read the entire encyclopaedia britannica but got sidetracked somewhere around the J's. A.J. Decides to reach the goal his father couldn't and read from A-Ak all the way down to the last entry of the Z's. In the process he auditions for Jeopardy, compete's on who wants to Be a millionaire, desperately tries to get his wife pregnant, and writes many funny and charming commentarys on the weird and wonderful world of the encyclopaedia.