Cipolla’s writing is so elegant and clear, his argument so straightforward and intellectually deep, as well as amusing, it’s tempting to blow off this gem as mere satire. Beware—it’s so sharp, you might cut yourself.

“Let me point out… this little book is neither a product of cynicism nor an exercise in defeatism—no more than a book on microbiology is. The following pages are in fact the result of a constructive effort to detect, know, and thus possibly neutralize one of the most powerful dark forces that hinder the growth of human welfare and happiness.”  (from the Introduction)

What is that dark force? Stupidity.