Steven Johnson’s new book, Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter, is creating a lot of buzz. I’ve not had a chance to read it, so I must in good faith refrain from commenting in detail. But his basic thesis is that popular culture (video games and reality TV for example) is actually making us smarter. For an example of his thesis, compare an episode of 24 or Deadwood to a rerun of Green Acres or the Beverly Hillbillies.

But what I find most interesting is Steven is actually reviewing the reviewers on this blog. He is taking their analysis and highlighting where they are accurate, off base, or just missing his point entirely. With a free publishing tool like Typepad, he is putting all reviewers on notice that if they analyze his written words, he’ll do the same to them.

Now Steven isn’t your average blogger. He writes for a number of publications, has published multiple books, speaks at industry events, and has a PR machine behind him. But you have to give the guy credit. He is using a popular cultural icon, the blog, to make us (and maybe a few reviewers) smarter. So he is practicing what he preaches. Got to give the guy some props for that.