About the Book

Intellectuals (or those who aspire to be) sometimes fall into the trap of embracing a tired old stereotype—a caricature, if you will, that results in the world at large thinking of “intellectual” as being roughly equivalent to “elitist,” “pompous,” and “pretentious.”

But there is more to being an intellectual than writing obfuscatory articles for obscure journals and calling one’s detractors inflammatory names. Via 100 maxims, How to Become an Intellectual explores many of the best ways to cultivate a first-class mind, including:

Maxim 1: Carry an intellectual book (at all times)
Maxim 16: Quote Shakespeare sparingly
Maxim 20: Follow museums like others follow sports teams
Maxim 74: Cultivate rivalries with other intellectuals
Maxim 88: Familiarize yourself with the ancient Greeks

How to Become an Intellectual is at once a how-to manual and a glib walk through several thousand years of science and culture, complete with cameo appearances by everyone from Plato and Socrates to Freud and Marie Curie.

Available in bookstores, as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.