A.J. Jacobs, Esquire Magazine: My Outsourced Life

Esquire writer A.J. Jacobs outsources the grottier parts of his reporting job, like, you know, researching articles before writing them, to India. And then he completely loses his mind and starts outsourcing tasks like his weekly telephone call to his parents, and apologetic notes to his wife...

Hilarious.

Excerpt:

Honey has completed her first project for me: research on the person Esquire has chosen as the Sexiest Woman Alive. (See page 232.) I've been assigned to write a profile of this woman, and I really don't want to have to slog through all the heavy-breathing fan Web sites about her. When I open Honey's file, I have this reaction: America is fucked. There are charts. There are section headers. There is a well-organized breakdown of her pets, measurements, and favorite foods (e.g., swordfish). If all Bangalorians are like Honey, I pity Americans about to graduate college. They're up against a hungry, polite, Excel-proficient Indian army. Put it this way: Honey ends her emails with 'Right time for right action, starts now!' Your average American assistant believes the 'right time for right action' starts after a Starbucks venti latte and a discussion of last night's Amazing Race 8.

Smartmoney.com: Esquire Magazine: My Outsourced Life