The Cult of Smart

“There’s a mystery at the heart of American life: Why has education—the great liberal equalizer—failed to deliver equality? In deBoer’s searing indictment of our modern meritocracy, he rightly observes that the usual explanations don’t add up—and that they crucially shift blame from a society that makes lesser intelligence a veritable death sentence onto schools, teachers, and families.”—Elizabeth Bruenig, New York Times Opinion Writer

“George Orwell once wrote that among his gifts was ‘a power of facing unpleasant facts.’ Fredrik deBoer also has that power, in spades. The first unpleasant fact he forces us to confront is: We do not all have the same level of academic ability. And the second is: Such differences do not reduce our responsibility to address the profound inequities of our educational system. This is a cogent, beautifully written, and radically challenging book. It has made me profoundly uncomfortable.”—Alan Jacobs, author of Breaking Bread with the Dead

“In a moment where intellectual 'independence' often functions as a personal-branding nostrum or cover for reactionary impieties, Freddie deBoer stands out as the genuine article—deliberate, wide-ranging, lionhearted, and invariably worth reading. This book is not only an important contribution to our educational debates, but an altogether discomfiting look at our fetish for meritocracy.”—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, author of A Sense of Direction

"Provocative . . . this passionate plea to reconsider 'what it means to be a worthwhile person' gives policymakers and educators much to think about."—Publishers Weekly