Elizabeth Whitworth

Senior SEO Writer

Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books—and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.

Expertise

History, Theology, Government

Awards

Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI), Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA), Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA), Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)

Richard Feynman, The Manhattan Project, and a New World

What was Richard Feynman’s contribution to the Manhattan Project? How did he look back on the experience? In the early 1940s, Richard Feynman was working on his doctorate at Princeton. An army general arrived on campus to recruit physicists. Feynman signed up, having no idea how his decision would change his life and put him at the center of a project that would change the world. Read more to learn about Richard Feynman, the Manhattan Project, and the dawning of a new era.

How & Why America’s Media Elite Stole Power From the People

How did the emergence of radio and television affect the political scene in America? Is the internet a solution to the problem—or just more of the problem? Over time, the American people have lost political power. C. Wright Mills identifies the media as one of the three institutions that control the relationship between the people and their political circumstances. He explains how and why the media elite gradually took power away from the people. Continue reading to understand the connection between the media and political power.

Six Thinking Hats: Exercises to Help You Put Your Thinking Caps On

Would you like to make decisions faster? Is your internal critic way too loud? In Six Thinking Hats, Edward de Bono takes the phrase “put your thinking cap on” to a new level. Our normal thinking process is a hopeless tangle of six types of thinking. We can improve the quality and efficiency of our decisions by untangling these six types and deploying them more consciously. Continue reading for Six Thinking Hats exercises that will help you implement the ideas in the book.

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

Are we individual beings, or is that a false sense of identity? Is everything relative? What’s wrong with reductive science? Many Westerners internalize the idea that each of us is an individual—separate from others and our surroundings. However, in The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, British philosopher Alan Watts argues that the concept of humans as separate beings is an illusion: the ego trick. Read more for an overview of this thought-provoking book.

Richard Feynman at Caltech & the Path to His Academic Home

What did Richard Feynman do before he taught at Caltech? Why was Caltech such a good fit for him? For Richard Feynman, Caltech was home—academically speaking. His career took a few turns before he settled in at Caltech. And, he grew in his understanding of what it meant—for him—to be a teacher. He tells the story in his memoir Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! Continue reading to learn a bit about Feynman’s time at Caltech and the path he took to get there.

How Liberal Intellectuals Conspire With the Power Elite

How did the role of American intellectuals change after World War II? What impact has this had on political power? In The Power Elite, American sociologist C. Wright Mills argues that, traditionally, intellectuals in America helped Americans understand what was going on in their society, how it affected their lives, and what they could do about it. However, he claims that this changed after World War II. Keep reading to learn how liberal intellectuals contribute to the influence of the power elite in America.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Study Guide

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others? Do you want to change the world? To do anything meaningful, you’re going to have to work with people. And, if you’re working with people, you need to know how to lead them. Leadership guru John C. Maxwell shares 21 laws that you should follow if you want to be a leader of true influence and impact. Continue reading for The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership study guide we’ve put together to help you apply the laws to your leadership.

Does Western Science Create an Illusion?

What’s scientific reductionism? Does it mess with our true sense of self? Philosopher Alan Watts defines the ego illusion as the false sense of being an individual who exists as an entity separate from other people and the environment. He points the finger at Western science as one of the ways we perpetuate the ego illusion. Read more to learn the argument that Watts makes in The Book.

Richard Feynman: Teaching Is Good for the Teacher & the Student

The Importance of Studying Mythology and Folklore

What teaching practice horrified Richard Feynman? What shocked him about textbooks? While Richard Feynman injected his lifelong learning with a casual sense of fun and exploration, one thing he took very seriously was his role as a teacher. In his memoir Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! he writes about his trials and triumphs in teaching. Keep reading to learn about Richard Feynman’s teaching experience and what it taught him.

How American Conservative Intellectuals Harm Instead of Help

What tactics do conservative intellectuals use to combat their ideological opponents? What’s their relationship with America’s power elite? C. Wright Mills suggests that the majority of American intellectuals fail to acknowledge, question, or challenge the rule of the power elite. This has taken power away from the American people by depriving them of their ability to understand what’s going on in government. Let’s take a look at what Mills has to say about conservative intellectuals in particular.