I think my IQ is going down exponentially each day...

I'm currently reading "The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World" by A.J. Jacobs and I am totally jealous of that man, for so many reasons. Jacobs decided to read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica, cover to cover (to cover to cover to cover), in a quest to accumulate as much knowledge as possible, and wrote a memoir about it.

First off, I would love to be able to afford the Encyclopaedia Britannica; unfortunately, I do not have $1200 available to purchase 33 volumes I'm not even sure I have enough space for. I don't even know where to put all the books I already have and the prospect of packing them up and moving them is panic-inducing enough as it is already without adding 140 lbs in one time.

Second, I wish I'd had that idea on my own. I love trivia and useless knowledge, but also learning about history, science or philosophy. I would say that about half of what I read is non-fiction, mostly history (I love American history, it is so rich, packed with action, perseverance and scandal) and true crime (am I living vicariously through these serial killers I'm reading about, or am I really only fascinated with forensics and excellent detective work - the reason I give people most of the times when I get asked about my growing interest in the subject). But I also spend a lot of time reading Wikipedia, clicking between articles and absorbing as much as possible. I love knowing and learning. It's not so much that I enjoy showing off, although a friend has taken to calling me Mini-wiki lately (<3), but I love feeling useful and relevant as a person every time I know the answer to question or problem.

And third, I also wish I'd had the idea to write a memoir about the experience. I used to write all the time. And unlike most people who go through a traumatic event in their lives and feel a surge of inspiration as a way to deal with their pain and anguish, I haven't been able to write something worth a damn since my mom passed away. I wish I still got ideas of topics to write about that are actually relevant and interesting. Or come up with a witty and funny story. His journey in the quest of becoming the smartest man in the world combined exactly that. Why couldn't I come up with it first?

I'm becoming dumber and dumber each day...