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Oliver Sacks and the Extraordinary Savant Twins

What was so extraordinary about the savant twins Michael and John? What did the twins teach Oliver Sacks about the brain’s hidden abilities? In the book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, psychologist Oliver Sacks talks about his experience with savant twins Michael and John. These twins had some amazing abilities surrounding numbers and even seemed to communicate with each other using them. Here is the story of the savant twins, Michael and John, as told by Oliver Sacks.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Asha’s Charity Scams

How Beautiful Forevers Asha Embraced Charity Scams

What are charity scams? How did the character Asha get involved in charity scams in the book Behind the Beautiful Forevers? Charity scams are when a charity fundraiser diverts the majority of the money collected from donors for personal use. In Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Asha used her nonprofit as a vehicle for government officials to divert funds meant for a school education program. She planned to make money from her share of the stolen funds. Read on to discover how the desire to escape poverty drove Asha to participate in charity scams.

How Political Reforms in India Affected Annawadi

What triggered the demand for political reforms in India? How did the reforms affect the residents of Annawadi in the book Behind the Beautiful Forevers? The failure of the police to respond effectively to the terrorist attacks in 2008 triggered the demands for political reforms in India. The anticipated reforms and removal of the ruling political class did not happen. Plans to raze Mumbai’s slums including Annawadi continued. Read on to discover how the demand for political reforms in India affected the residents of Annawadi, as detailed in Behind the Beautiful Forevers.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Abdul’s Legal Limbo

Why the Beautiful Forevers' Abdul Is in Legal Limbo

Why is Abdul in legal limbo in the book Behind the Beautiful Forevers? How did Abdul get out of jail? Abdul got out of jail after a judge ruled that he was not a flight risk and could live at home until his trial. Abdul waited for months and never got any clarity on when his trial would begin. He has been condemned to the legal limbo of awaiting trial forever. Read on to discover why Abdul is stuck in legal limbo.

The Impact of India’s Economic Collapse on Annawadi

How did India’s economic collapse in 2008 affect the residents of Annawadi, according to the book Behind the Beautiful Forevers? What did the residents do to survive? India’s economic collapse heavily affected sectors like construction and hospitality which resulted in fewer jobs for Annawadi’s residents. Hungry residents started eating rats and frogs, while some like Sunil survived by stealing. Read on to learn more about the devastating impact of India’s economic collapse on Annawadi’s residents.

Why Annawadi Residents Tried to Marry into Money

Why were the residents of Annawadi trying to marry into money in the book Behind the Beautiful Forevers? What strategies did they use to find wealthy suitors? The residents of Annawadi wanted to marry into money so they could attain economic security and climb the social ladder. Residents like Manju tried to improve their appearance and build their social networks in hopes of expanding their marriage prospects. Read more to discover how Annawadi’s residents like Manju tried to marry into money.

How to Fix the Health Care System in the United States

How does the American health care system work? How does it differ from the systems in other developed countries? And why are so many Americans dissatisfied with the way it functions? Unlike most developed countries, the United States does not provide free health care to the population. Instead, American citizens are covered by either private or public health insurance, or a combination of both. This article takes a look at the main problems with the health care system in the United States and lists several ways it could be fixed.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Police Brutality in India

How Beautiful Forevers Exposes Police Brutality in India

How is police brutality in India relevant to the book Behind the Beautiful Forever? Is the use of excessive force by the police prohibited under Indian law? In the book, Abdul and his father were victims of police brutality. Abdul was arrested after a neighbor accused him of attempted murder, and he was tortured by the police who knew he was innocent. Police brutality in India is prevalent, despite its prohibition by the country’s Civil Rights Act. Read on to learn more about how Abdul in Behind the Beautiful Forevers became a victim of police brutality in India.

Roger Revelle’s Impact on the Climate Change Debate

What was Roger Revelle’s impact on the climate change debate? How did doubt-mongering threaten to discredit him? In their book Merchants of Doubt, Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway take on individuals or groups who seek to discredit science that they perceive to be a threat to their agenda. One of the targets of a doubt-mongering campaign was Al Gore’s mentor—Roger Revelle. Read more to learn about Roger Revelle and the merchants of doubt.

Economics Basics: What Are Negative Externalities?

What are negative externalities? What do governments do in an attempt to control them? Negative externalities are costs incurred by non-involved parties as a result of an economic transaction. To prevent negative externalities, governments may impose externality charges. This article takes a look at negative economic externalities and how governments determine how to levy them on the consumer.

The Charlottesville “Unite the Right” Rally

What happened during the 2017 Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally? How did this rally mark a cultural shift? In 2017, the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally marked a cultural shift because it was the largest public gathering of white supremacists in decades. Many believe this was partly inspired by the election of Donald Trump and was a prelude to the 2021 Capitol attack. Continue reading to learn what happened before, during, and after the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, and what it means for the resurgence of racial bias.

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