Louisville performed poorly on almost all measures: Book sales and college-degree rates were especially bad.
Among the criteria the Daily Beast used for their rankings were: residents with bachelor's and graduate degrees; nonfiction book sales; higher education institutions; and participaItion in elections.
Maybe this can at least partially be attributed to the blue collar population of Louisville.
While I'll agree that a good education is important, I have to admit that I personally do not buy into the premise that it's everything. I know people who have advanced degrees but absolutely no common sense.
And of course the smartest people in Louisville hang out at louisvillehotbytes.com.