academise

There are some academic type books where it's very clear you're reading that kind of book. They are verbose, and with all the words there is a lack of substance. The writer wants to get into the intricacies of their great ideas, and I could be wrong, but it seems like they're more intent on demonstrating their knowledge and intelligence than helping the reader to understand. It becomes so ethereal and sophisticated that it loses all bearing on the real world or any questions that are interesting. It's a performance mainly for the benefit of other academics. 

I have to confess though....the reason I recognize it and hate it so much is because I do it in my academic writing. I want to use language well and sound 'academic' but all that machinery actually obscures the point. It doesn't project the point.

When you read the really great scholars though, it's never like that. Like Harold Bloom for example. There is power and meaning behind his words. He conveys very complex ideas and uses language masterfully, but when you read Bloom, you're always getting something, whether it's just a joke or some new insight into the subject. His work is accessible whatever level you're at. If you're a beginner you will get something from it, and if you're advanced, you will still get something from it. 

That is true genius - that ability to communicate great ideas in a way that people get them. Think of Shakespeare. He wrote 400 years ago and we're still captivated by him, still studying him, reading him and watching his plays.