Brainiac

May 29, 2006
Did you know that Trivia was a Roman name for the goddess Hecate or that Jeopardy!
tapes a week's worth of shows in a single afternoon? Jennings's record-setting 2004 six-month stint on the syndicated TV quiz show won him $2.5 million and instant fame as he landed on Letterman, Leno, Sesame Street
and Barbara Walters's "Ten Most Fascinating People" list. Sprinkling trivia questions throughout his first book, the former computer programmer is a charmingly self-deprecating guide to the subculture of esoterica as he relates how he answered his first trivia question about the Wright brothers at four and made his chops on the ego-driven college quiz bowl circuit; confides how he mastered the "tricky" Jeopardy!
buzzers; bonds with professional trivia writers; and describes being bested by the puzzler "Most of this firm's seven thousand seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year" (Jennings answered FedEx; H&R Block is correct). You don't have to be a couch potato to answer this: what's an eight-letter word for a highly entertaining, fast-paced read that demystifies "America's most popular and most difficult quiz show" while pondering how trivia is a cultural phenomenon that offers a tidy alternative to life's messiness as well as instant camaraderie between people from different walks of life?

September 15, 2006
"Jeopardy! "contestant Jennings broke the record for the largest cash prize won on a TV game show -a piece of trivia about a trivia champ. His new book chronicles the history of trivia from its humble days in newspaper queries to its rise into a television phenomenon. Each chapter combines trivia on trivia and Jennings -s own personal narrative revolving around his 2004 "Jeopardy!" appearance. In researching trivia, Jennings undertook interviews with the likes of Fred Worth, author of "The Complete Unabridged Super Trivia Encyclopedia", and the people of Steven -s Point, WI, where a trivia radio game show takes over the entire town every April. Jennings offers his own unique philosophy on trivia: in an era of specialization, trivia is not trivial; it allows us to know a little bit about a lot of things. Trivia questions are scattered throughout the text, which makes the book interactive and fun. With a time line of trivia and endnotes; recommended for all public libraries." -Jennifer Zarr, NYPL"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2006
Although reality shows and other mindless drivel seem to dominate the TV landscape, it's reassuring that " Jeopardy!" still remains as a last vestige of academic pursuit in a sea of pop culture. This book provides a behind-the-scenes look at this holy grail of trivia contests.Jennings, perhaps the most famous " Jeopardy!" winner of all, completed a record 74-game winning streak over a six-month period in 2004, shortly after the five-game limit was lifted. Steeped in the world of trivia, he offers an in-depth history of the young sport, with its roots in English pub contests, the quiz shows (and accompanying scandals) of the 1950s, and the collegiate quiz-bowl circuit, where nerds reign supreme. Jennings informs and astounds us and manages to cram in enough fun facts to keep any trivia nut happy. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)