Mania is a relentless satire on the drift towards a rejection of intelligence and the implications of a world, where, if someone wants to become a brain surgeon, they can regardless of their actual abilities. It begins in an alternative 2011 and takes the laudable move from abusive and hurtful language used to describe people of lower IQ to extremes -in effect, the denial that there are differences in IQ. IQ itself becomes a proscribed concept. In this world, the idiots really will take over as it will be discriminatory not to appoint them. Language will be devised to the extent that not only can people not be described as bright, but neither can a concept such as light. The main protagonist is Pearson, a college instructor trying to get by as a teacher of English. She is scathing of the aims of the Mental Parity party but seems not quite to grasp the consequences of her actions for herself and her family. ( although in this world, I would not be allowed to say that) As with all good satire, it is not too far from what seems to be happening in our own reality. However, I became distracted by the look back to Pearson’s childhood as a member of a particularly strict branch of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and her relationship with childhood friend Emory. The more pragmatic memory will have fewer problems in promoting the MP cause, and may even eventually become to believe in it. It’s a fascinating book, showing the consequences of taking worthwhile campaigns to the limit and beyond, and the conclusion of the novel should probably be no surprise. I would’ve liked to give the book 5 stars, but in fact in some ways the author just doesn’t know where to stop and continues to bombard us with examples of MP stupidity that we have all long grasped.