A recent article in the New York Times pondered that constant buzzing question, are Americans willfully stupid? Though it may seem asking this question is a favorite pastime of the popular rag, a recent profile on a bevy of books on the subject argues Americans are less willfully stupid than they are openly hostile towards the smarty-pantses of the nation.

Author Susan Jacoby, whose book The Age of Unreason came out last week, says she was inspired to write the book after hearing two businessmen allude to the attacks on Pearl Harbor as an act by the Vietnamese to trigger the Vietnam War.

Maybe Dr. Jacoby didn't get in on the joke that misinformation is hilarious, as in the case of this Brookline native's awesome book. Besides, Forbes ranks Cambridge as one of the smartest cities in America, so as long as we're in the top ten we can assume Jacoby's new book is not about us, right?

Post contributed by Brian Foley.