A.J. Jacobs undergoes a hilarious, heartfelt quest to understand what constitutes family—where it begins and how far it goes—and attempts to untangle the true meaning of the "Family of Humankind”.
A.J. Jacobs is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Know-It-All, The Year of Living Biblically, and The Guinea Pig Diaries. He is the editor at large of Esquire magazine, a contributor to NPR, and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Entertainment Weekly. He lives in New York City with his wife and kids. Visit him at AJJacobs.com.
'The Sower", the Simon & Schuster logo, is perfect opening icon for
this story about human seed sown by our common ancestors out of
Africa and how you and I are related to the Jacobs clan. Like
AJ's previous hilarious books, this one involves way-over-the-top
performance art -- this time the mother of all family reunions, at
which I sang "We are family" (and the rest of you 7.5 billion were
expected to sing along). Genealogy is now, deservedly, tied
for the top hobby, along with other ancient biotechnologies,
gardening and sex. You could have no better guide than ace
jovialist and awesome jester, AJ. Now, more than ever, we
celebrate our connections, we read, we smile.'
*George Church, author of Regenesis*
‘[An] enjoyable…light-hearted blend of popular science and
sociology.’
*Irish Times*
‘[A] reminder that family history bonkers and magnificent in equal
measure.’
*Who Do You Think You Are?*
'Over the years, many authors have weighed in on the mixed bag that
is family, but few have done so with the keen eye, sharp tongue and
big heart of A.J. Jacobs.'
*Washington Post*
'It’s A.J. Jacobs’s best book yet!'
*Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired and author of The
Inevitable*
'It's All Relative is the funniest, most thoughtful, most
original and entertaining book about family that you will
ever read and wish you'd written.'
*Mary Roach*
'An incredibly moving, funny and inspirational read, exploring the
utopian dream that the endeavours of family historians across the
planet can reunite us as one happy family.'
*Nick Barratt, consultant genealogist on Who Do You Think You
Are*
'A hilarious read from beginning to end.'
*Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give
and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl
Sandberg*
'A terrific read and A.J. is a terrific writer…funny and
super-interesting.'
*Michael Ian Black*
'Esquire contributing editor Jacobs (The Year of Living Biblically)
muses on the nature of family and the interconnectedness of
humanity in this entertaining introduction to the world of
genealogy...With short, lively chapters and an easygoing voice,
Jacobs keeps the story flowing.'
*Publishers Weekly*
'Whimsical but also full of solid journalism and eye-opening
revelations about the history of humanity, the book is a real
treat.'
*Booklist, Starred Review*
'The astonishing discoveries he makes... remind us of the common
bonds that unite us as a single global family. As Jacobs’s (however
distant) cousin, I admit I may be biased in singing his praises,
but as It’s All Relative proves, who isn’t?'
*Henry Louis Gates, Jr.*
'Consistently thought-provoking...and his natural gift for humor
lightens the mood of even the most serious discussions. A
delightful, easy-to-read, informative book.'
*Kirkus*
'A.J. Jacobs... takes us on another unique adventure that pits
idealism vs. practicality: Bringing about world peace and harmony
by finding “cousin” connections among people throughout the globe
and then hosting a “Global Family Reunion.”'
*Scott Fisher, host of Extreme Genes*
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