You're Smarter Than They Make You Feel: How the Experts Intimidate Us and What We Can Do about It

There is a certain anti-intellectualism inherent in this treatise by Canadian psychologist Caplan. She assumes the mantle of an ``authority,'' charging that experts in virtually every field--medicine, law, education, auto mechanics, plumbing, business--intimidate the nonspecialist by using jargon, complicating simple subjects, shirking responsibility and by their unwillingness to listen. Caplan's explanations for such attitudes range from insecurity to ineptitude, and she presents helpful recommendations on how to combat techniques of intimidation. But she does a disservice by not including sufficient disclaimers that she does not dismiss all experts. (Feb.)