Shelfology Book Pairing

One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

by Elizabeth Gilbert

One of the most iconic, beloved, and bestselling books of our time. This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls “Anne Lamott’s hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister”) is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.

One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World

by A. J. Jacobs

Biography detailing the comic effects on Jacobs' life that occur when he attempts to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica volumes A to Z.