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Loading... Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy!by Bob Harris
Ah, the kind of non-fiction I can get squarely behind. This book is ostensibly the memoir of the author's appearences on Jeopardy! and various tournaments of champions. However, what I wasn't expecting is that it's also partly a guide to memorization and study skills (largely involving mental cartoons that are as crude as possible... and I can now rattle off all of E.M. Forester's major works without trouble and with substantiative giggling) and partly a memoir about his non-game-show life, his family, loves, travels, and insights into the joy of learning and the business of being human. I laughed quite a lot, which I was expecting, and got sniffly more than once, which I was not. The writing style is kind of frenetic, but not difficult to follow, and very engaging in its various threads. This book is obviously going to appeal most to fans of the show (even those, like me, who don't specifically remember many of the games or contestants that get mentioned), or hopeful contestants, but I think non-fans would find it funny and insightful as well. 1   fyrefly98 | Feb 25, 2007 | 
The slowest part of this book is when the author stops to try and teach some memory techniques. Fortunately that represents no more than 10% of the overall book. The rest is a memoir of what it's like to be on Jeopardy, what it's like to win, and what it's like to lose. The other 90% is very entertaining and frequently quite funny. (  ) JohnMunsch | Apr 10, 2009 | I highly recommend this book. Harris takes a normally mundane topic and what seems to be a fairly mundane life and turns it into something interesting and readable through an innovative and humorous style. Prisoner of Trebekistan is a celebration of the connections of life. (Full review at my blog) (  ) KingRat | Jun 17, 2008 | 1 debra_hamel | Apr 6, 2007 | Ah, the kind of non-fiction I can get squarely behind. This book is ostensibly the memoir of the author's appearences on Jeopardy! and various tournaments of champions. However, what I wasn't expecting is that it's also partly a guide to memorization and study skills (largely involving mental cartoons that are as crude as possible... and I can now rattle off all of E.M. Forester's major works without trouble and with substantiative giggling) and partly a memoir about his non-game-show life, his family, loves, travels, and insights into the joy of learning and the business of being human. I laughed quite a lot, which I was expecting, and got sniffly more than once, which I was not. The writing style is kind of frenetic, but not difficult to follow, and very engaging in its various threads. This book is obviously going to appeal most to fans of the show (even those, like me, who don't specifically remember many of the games or contestants that get mentioned), or hopeful contestants, but I think non-fans would find it funny and insightful as well. (  )1 fyrefly98 | Feb 25, 2007 | A great read for anyone who is a fan of the show, or a hopeful contestant. Bob captures the experiences of a Jeopardy contestant perfectly, with plenty of humor--and some tear-jerking moments--mixed in. Highly recommended! ( ) collsers | Jan 4, 2007 | Bob Harris has written a funny and interesting look behind the scenes of Jeopardy. While his level of preparation seems slightly insane, his tips for getting on the show are actually useful. I'll remember several of his trivia facts for years after reading this. (  ) verbafacio | Dec 29, 2006 | Simply the most engrossing index of any book I have ever read. Kept me busy for several minutes (which is, admit it, pretty good for an index). I read this on a plane going from Hartford to the west coast and it was the perfect fit, even in turbulence. (  ) edub23 | Oct 11, 2006 | |
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