In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life

I picked up this audiobook with only very basic knowledge of Amy Schneider. All I knew was she was a trans woman who had a 40-game winning streak on Jeopardy! I mistakenly thought she was Canadian (not sure where I got that info from) but I was interested to learn more about her. 

In this series of essays, which Amy narrates herself, she begins by candidly sharing her experiences in childhood, describing what it's like to live with ADD (one of my favourite parts of the book), her experience as a trans woman, drug use and polyamory. 

But as the book progressed, I grew tired of the rambling way she told her story. I wanted to know more about her experiences on Jeopardy! but was disappointed that despite the title (which now feels like a tease), she only touches on her time on Jeopardy! in the last 20 minutes of the audiobook. Instead, we get odd chapters dedicated to tarot card reading and the animated TV show Daria. To add to the disjointed vibe, the trivia champ admits to not fact checking some of her statements (the book can't be THAT rushed to print) and there are a few awkward boasts about her publisher paying her heaps of money to write this book.  

While I'm glad Amy shared her personal life, particularly her experience as a trans woman with ADD, I can't say I enjoyed listening to this book. It was a disjointed stream of consciousness with a lot of footnotes that didn't translate well into audio. I appreciate her candor and humour, but I was hoping for a more cohesive and interesting look at this woman's journey and her rise to fame as one of the best Jeopardy! champions of all time. 

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Amy Schneider

Genre: Memoir

Type and Source: eAudiobook from public library via Libby app

Narrator: Amy Schneider

Run Time: 6 hours, 47 min

Publisher:

First Published: Oct 3, 2023

Book Description from Audible.ca: An inspirational and bold memoir from the most successful woman ever to compete on Jeopardy!—and an exploration of what it means to ask questions of the world and of yourself.

In eighth grade, Amy was voted “Most likely to appear on Jeopardy!” by her classmates. Decades later, this trailblazer finally got her chance. Not only did she walk away with $1.3 million while captivating the world with her impressive forty-game winning streak, but she made history and won an even greater prize—the joy of being herself on national television and blazing a trail for openly queer and transgender people around the world. Now, she shares her singular journey that led to becoming an unlikely icon and hero to millions. Her super power: Boundless curiosity and fearless questioning.

In the Form of a Question explores some of the innumerable topics that have fascinated Amy throughout her life—books and music, Tarot and astrology, popular culture and computers, sex and relationships—but they all share the same purpose: to illustrate, and celebrate, the results of a lifetime spent asking, why?