If you regularly listen to the Good Job, Brain! podcast, then you might have already heard Karen, Chris, Dana, and Colin mention their brand new Good Job, Brain! book. But if you’re not familiar with the podcast, then I’m thrilled to be the person to introduce it to you. In fact, I may have tried to convince you to listen to it once or twice.
This fun cast of trivia geeks provides a high-quality, family-friendly show featuring trivia, quizzes, puzzles, and stories that will probably blow your random-fact-gathering mind. I listen to the podcast while driving, whether I’m alone or have my two young kids along—they enjoy it as much as I do. We’ve even been known to play old episodes at home when we have out-of-town family or friends visit so we don’t have to chat every minute of their visit… I mean, we love hanging out with them, but you know how it is when you’re trying to entertain visitors over multiple days! In any case, it’s always a hit.
As for the book itself, we’re really enjoying it so far. As avid listeners, my husband and I recognize content pulled from the show archive—then the game becomes do we actually remember the answer?—but it also includes a lot of new material. For example, visual puzzles—like rebus puzzle, flag recognition, and a crossword puzzle—make for a fun addition that the audio format never allowed for.
The book is divided into sections covering pop culture, science, weird animals, fascinating “people, places, and things,” food, and word nerdery. Basically, there’s a little bit of everything to satisfy everyone. The GJB cast is awesome at creating hilariously unique quizzes that don’t feel old and stuffy. Some favorites include:
- Brad Pitt or Lasers? Given two items, can you correctly guess wish one came first? Go on, Brad Pitt or lasers, which one came first?
- Belgium or Not Belgium? Given an assortment of “facts” about Belgium, can you guess which are true and which are not?
- William Shake-Yo’-Booty-Speare: Popular songs lyrics have been translated into Elizabethan English. Can you figure out what the song is from these lyrics?
- I Forgot What I Was Supposed to Remember: Given popular childhood mnemonics, can you remember what they were supposed to help you remember?
So whether or not you can find the time to listen to the Good Job, Brain! podcast, the new Good Job, Brain! book delivers the same fun experience in a different medium. It’s the perfect book to kill time during long car rides, entertain family and friends over the holidays, or learn interesting party fodder for your next event.
