Isaac Asimov is a polymath of awesome proportions. He is one of the most prolific writers of our time. His name is synonymous with all that is best in science fiction. He is a hilariously funny speaker, as I have had cause to find out first hand. In short, Mr. Asimov is a man to be reckoned with.

So how is it possible that his autobiography ["In Joy Still Felt"] is so boring? First of all, it's very long…. It reads like a very thorough bibliography, with snippets of personal life thrown in for color…. Most segments describe the book he is working on, the lecture he is about to give, or a little anecdote about his children…. Now this may be valuable information for a Ph.D. student, but it's sparse fodder indeed for connoisseurs of the genre.

Occasionally, its terse, non-committal style reminded me of the quirky laconicalness of Bertrand Russell's autobiography, but Russell's was shorter, funnier and avoided being simply a shopping list of his publications and lectures. I suppose the answer is that Mr. Asimov's life is mostly publications and lectures—a fine life, but not the stuff of literature.