How has a simple mathematical misunderstanding caused innocent people to be jailed? Why do the strange myths of history persist? What connection does sign language have to the theory of relativity? Might computer algorithms help us decode films? Is there a Super Bowl "nudge"? How do near-death experiences give us our modern-day myths? Has grade inflation really led to an irreversible decline in the quality of students? Do the movies of Alfred Hitchcock offer us another way to live? Can bullying ever be stopped? Whence did paper computers originate? And if a wedding goes off without a hitch, is that a good thing-or a bad thing? A wide-ranging collection of provocative essays, criticism, and narrative, "Affront to Meritocracy" is a gripping intellectual tour de force that just might leave you breathless in its wake.