NYTimes Book Review August 20 or how to as smart as the smarty-smarts

This summer you have learned through the practice of reading NYT book reviews how to appear smart even if you haven't read all the books.  Then, in the level above the smart people, we find the smarty smart people who write intellectually snarky letters to the NYTimes or Atlantic Monthly.  

In this week's collection, some smarties manage to make arguments out of the latest Dr. Seuss book.  Others argue earnestly on the subject of whether it was anachronistic to believe in witchcraft in the 17th century or whether Malthus thought the poor should die.  Look up the stuff you don't know on wikipedia.  

Knowledge is power.  And kind of cool.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/books/review/letters-the-rediscovered-manuscript.html?ribbon-ad-idx=133&rref=todayspaper&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Today%E2%80%99s%20Paper&pgtype=article