A Nation of Experts

摘要

There are many things in short supply in America, but experts are not among them. We are awash in experts: experts on politics, management, divorce, personal finance, terrorism, software and much more. There are more experts today than yesterday, and there will be more tomorrow than today. If you are not yet a certified expert in something, you probably soon will be, and if you aren't, then you will qualify as a protected minority or endangered species. In America, not everyone can grow up to be president; but almost everyone can grow up to be an expert. I had long suspected that this was true, but not until I stumbled across "The 1995 Yearbook of Experts, Authorities fir Spokespersons" did I realize how true. The Yearbook amasses more than 900 pages of experts on everything from "Addictions/Boredom" (The Boring Institute) to "Bird Baths" (The National Bird Feeding Society) to "Health Fraud/Quackery" (The American Preventive Medical Association) to "Legal Issues/Hypnosis" (The American Council of Hypnotist Examiners) to "Relationships/Couples" (The Institute for Creative Solutions).