This article is literally an advertisement for a book.
From the fine article:
"This piece was adapted from James Geary’s new book, Wit’s End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It."
Seen under that light, the article works perfectly. It contains a headline with seemingly simple question, meanders along with some anecdotes, and then at the end -- if you're still reading -- it tells you that you can go buy the book if you want to know the answer.
From the fine article:
"This piece was adapted from James Geary’s new book, Wit’s End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It."
Seen under that light, the article works perfectly. It contains a headline with seemingly simple question, meanders along with some anecdotes, and then at the end -- if you're still reading -- it tells you that you can go buy the book if you want to know the answer.