AJ Jacobs on the Enduring Power of Puzzles and Memento Mori

About this episode

<p>Ryan talks to A.J. Jacobs about his new book <a href='https://geni.us/aBA8'>The Puzzler: One Man&apos;s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life</a>, the enduring power of puzzles, the Stoic concept of Memento Mori, and more.</p><p>A.J. Jacobs is an American journalist, author, and lecturer best known for writing about his lifestyle experiments. He is a self-proclaimed “human guinea pig” and avid nightly crossworder. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor and a dash of self-help. AJ is also editor at large at Esquire magazine, a commentator on NPR and a columnist for Mental Floss magazine. His first book is called The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World (Simon &amp; Schuster, 2004). The memoir — which spent two months on the New York Times bestseller list — chronicles the 18 months Jacobs spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in a quest to learn everything in the world. </p><p><a href='https://mudwtr.com/STOIC'>MUD WTR</a> is a coffee alternative with 4 adaptogenic mushrooms and ayurvedic herbs with 1/7th the caffeine of a cup of coffee. Go to <a href='https://mudwtr.com/STOIC'>mudwtr.com/STOIC</a> and use code <a href='https://mudwtr.com/STOIC'>STOIC</a> to get 15% off your first purchase.</p><p><a href='https://insidetracker.com/STOIC'>InsideTracker</a> provides you with a personalized plan to improve your metabolism, reduce stress, improve sleep, and optimize your health for the long haul. For a limited time, get 20% off the entire <a href='https://insidetracker.com/STOIC'>InsideTracker</a> store. Just go to <a href='https://insidetracker.com/STOIC'>insidetracker.com/STOIC</a> to claim this deal.</p><p><a href='https://stamps.com'>Stamps.com</a> makes it easy to mail and ship right from your computer. Use our promo code <a href='https://stamps.com'>STOIC</a> to get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage and a digital scale. Go to <a href='https://stamps.com'>Stamps.com</a>, click on the microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in <a href='https://stamps.com'>STOIC</a>.</p><p><a href='https://givewell.org/'>GiveWell</a> is the best site for figuring out how and where to donate your money to have the greatest impact. Go to <a href='https://givewell.org/'>Givewell.Org</a> and enter Daily Stoic at checkout so they know we sent you.</p><p>Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: <a href='http://dailystoic.com/dailyemail'>https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail</a></p><p>Check out the <a href='https://store.dailystoic.com/'>Daily Stoic Store</a> for Stoic inspired products, signed books, and more.</p><p>Follow us: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/'>Instagram</a>, <a href='https://twitter.com/dailystoic'>Twitter</a>, <a href='https://www.youtube.com/dailystoic'>YouTube</a>, <a href='https://www.tiktok.com/@daily_stoic'>TikTok</a>, <a href='https://www.facebook.com/dailystoic'>Facebook</a></p><p><br/></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>