No. I’m saying it can be, though I hardly consider “dumbing down” as the best way to classify it.
I’m also not willing to blame them for changing that word considering it’s in the title–if they thought it likely the former name would lessen sales, I’m certainly not going to blame them for what amounts to an insignificant change.
My favorite niece noticed. So did my best friend’s oldest son.
How exactly did they “notice”? Unless they were told beforehand or read about it, I can’t see how they could possibly be aware of the change.
The only time I ever was confused by British English was reading the Wolfenden report in high school law, and not being able to figure out what the heck a ‘gaol’ was. 
But alas, apparently even the British use ‘jail’ now, so that’s a moot point. I read a version of Robinson Crusoe that was annotated for 18th century jargon the reader might not understand. An annotated “Lord of the Flies” I had attempted to decipher Piggy’s cockney accent (and also, pointed out to me that it was a cockney accent he was supposed to have, something that was lost on me). Could you not put endnotes in a British work released in the U.S.? That seems like a nice compromise without damaging artistic integrity.
Why was “Sorcerer” changed “Philosopher,” anyhow? Do Americans not know what a sorcerer is? :dubious: