“The fact that A. J. Jacobs wrote this in 20 minutes, hung over in bed and dressed in his rubber-ducky pajamas, bespeaks of his superior talent.”
- Gary Shteyngart's blurb on Jacobs' New York Times essay on giving out too many blurbs. My blurb on this piece would read, "I loved it and hope he comes out of retirement by the time I have something for him to blurb."

NYC: WORD's Holiday Open House

Booksellers everywhere will be nervously watching the till this December to end the retail fiscal year on a high note. WORD in Greenpoint has one of the most original ideas I've seen so far: They're having local authors come in today and tomorrow to sign their books for your giftee. Today, pick up and personalize A.J. Jacobs' THE GUINEA PIG DIARIES or Amy Braunschweiger's TAXI CONFIDENTIAL (1-3PM); tomorrow, conspicuously show your copy of INFINITE JEST to Lev Grossman (3-5PM), whose book THE MAGICIANS I still haven't read but I hear is just great.

What's a book you got signed that you treasure?