A.: This is the story of a working-class guy from Ohio with little real knowledge of Ambidextrous Presidents, Things Made from Rubber, and hundreds of other categories, but who nonetheless plunges so far into cramming for Jeopardy! that it changes his relationships, bends his worldview, and literally leads him to the ends of the earth, trying to understand it all. Q.: What is Prisoner of Trebekistan? Welcome to a world where obscure information is crucial to survival, vast sums of cash are at stake, and milliseconds can change not just a game but the course of your entire life. (Plus, you could win two Camaros and enough Bon Ami cleanser to scrub a small nation.) Prisoner of Trebekistan is Bob Harris’s hilarious, insightful account of one man’s unlikely epic journey through Jeopardy! , gleefully exploring triumph and failure, the nature of memory, and how knowledge itself can transform you in unpredictable ways—all against the backdrop of the most popular quiz show in history. In Prisoner of Trebekistan , Bob chronicles his transformation from a struggling stand-up comic who repeatedly fails the Jeopardy! audition test into an elite player competing against the show’s most powerful brains. To get there, he embarks on a series of intense study sessions, using his sense of humor to transform conventional memory skills into a refreshingly playful approach to learning that’s as amusing as it is powerful. What follows is not only a captivating series of high-stakes wins and losses on Jeopardy! , but also a growing appreciation of a borderless world that Bob calls Trebekistan, where a love of learning reigns and the smarter you get the more you realize how much you don’t yet know. Filled with secrets that only a veteran contestant could share—from counterintuitive game strategies to Jedi-like tactics with the Jeopardy! signaling device— Prisoner of Trebekistan also gives you the chance to play along with the actual clues that led to victory or defeat in high-level tournaments, plus candid, moving reflections on how the games affected Bob’s offstage life—and vice versa. Not only an irresistible treat for Jeopardy! fans, Prisoner of Trebekistan is a delight for anyone who loves a rollicking tale that celebrates the unpredictability of life and the sneaky way it has of teaching us the things that really matter. Although reality shows and other mindless drivel seem to dominate the TV landscape, it's reassuring that Jeopardy! still remains as a last vestige of academic pursuit in a sea of pop culture. This book provides a behind-the-scenes look at this holy grail of trivia contests. Harris, who won five games in a row (the limit in 1998), was invited back several more times to participate in Tournament of Champions competitions. Far from being a scholar, Harris recounts how he used whimsical mnemonics and his Eightfold Path of Enlightened Jeopardy to win over seemingly superior competition. Harris' account is a personal story and manages to cram in enough fun facts to keep any trivia nut happy. David Siegfried Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Harris has been, among other things, a stand-up comic, and it shows...lively phrases and an ear for the incongruous...a skilled storeyteller...pulls you in like a good sports stroy." – The New Yotk Times Book Review "A rollicking ride of intellectual discovery and emotional growth. He provokes much laughter- unlike his buzzer skills, his comic timing never fails him- and a few unexpected tears...it's a pleasure to tage along." – The Wall Street Journal "Endearingly frank...a jubilant Mexican jumping bean of digressions and asides...Everything in Harris's memoir is lighthearted and fast-paced." – New York Newsday "Down to earth and entertaining, even for non- Jeopardy! fans." – The New York Daily News "A surprisingly touching memoir." – Entertainment Weekly "Eccentric, energetic, and engaging...charming." – Publishers Weekly "Cleverly executed...solid entertainment." – Kirkus Reviews "I haven't seen Jeopardy! since I was a kid, and yet I was charmed and amused by Bob Harris's fascinating and surprisingly suspenseful book. Through sheer force of personality, he takes this brainy TV show and makes it funny and easy to relate to." – Ira Glass, creator and host, This American Life "Wise, honest, and very funny...I wish I'd written it. Then again, I wish I'd won $127,000 and his & her Camaros, on Jeopardy!, too." – Jeff Greenstein, writer/producer, Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace, Friends “Answer: A hilarious, engaging and highly entertaining book. Question is: What is Prisoner of Trebekistan? (All right ... that was sort of a lame Jeopardy! joke. But what can I say? It's a great book.)" —Paul Feig, creator of Freaks and Geeks and author of Superstud and Kick Me “ Prisoner of Trebekistan is funny, enlightening—and just might help you win a million bucks on Jeopardy! ” —A.J. Jacobs