Hannah Aster

SEO Team Lead

Hannah is a seasoned writer and editor who started her journey with Shortform nearly five years ago. She grew up reading mostly fiction books but transitioned to non-fiction writing when she started her travel website in 2018. When she's not writing or traveling, you can find Hannah working on home reno projects, crafting, or taking care of plants.

Expertise

Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and minors in professional and creative writing

History of the Telegraph: How It Eliminated Relevance

How did the invention of the electronic telegraph undermine print-based discourse? How did the inclusion of photography add to the telegraph’s assault on print culture? The electronic telegraph was invented to send messages over long distances and create the opportunity for a national conversation. But in the process, the relevance of information was undermined and newspapers started printing decontextualized information. Keep reading to learn about the history of the telegraph and how it paved the way for the entertainment era.

How Dopamine Highs Sabotage Your Willpower

What is a dopamine high? What is the biological purpose of dopamine? How can a dopamine high undermine your self-control? Dopamine is the brain neurotransmitter that is at the root of every craving and desire. Dopamine can be dangerous because it causes a form of arousal when you want something, but does not release any sort of satisfaction when you receive that item. This cycle of want and disappointment can lead to anxiety and addiction. Here’s everything you need to know about dopamine highs and how to use dopamine in your favor.

The Four Levels of Reading: Mortimer Adler’s Guide

What are the four levels of reading from Mortimer Adler’s How to Read a Book? Why are most adults still reading at an elementary level? How can you improve your reading level? The four levels of reading are elementary reading, inspectional reading, analytical reading, and syntopical reading. With Adler’s guide and some time and practice, you, too, could reach a syntopical reading level. Continue below to learn about each of the four levels of reading.

Print Culture vs. Modern Media: The Tides of Change

How did the print culture of previous centuries differ from the entertainment and media culture of today? How has our approach to media consumption changed over the years? The print-centered discourse of 18th and 19th century America was rational, substantive, and serious. In comparison, the entertainment culture of today is shallow, prioritizing entertainment over intelligence. Here’s how the age of print culture differed from our current-day society.

The What the Hell Effect: How Guilt Leads to Mistakes

What is the what-the-hell effect? Why does your brain tend to take one bad decision and amplify it? The what-the-hell effect is when you make one bad decision—such as eating a slice of pizza while on a diet—and makes it even worse—eating three more pieces because you already ate one. Rather than doing damage control and stopping at one, your brain says “what the hell” and keeps making it worse. Here is the psychological background to the what-the-hell effect and some tips for avoiding it.

Syntopical Reading: Analyzing Multiple Texts

Why is syntopical reading the most difficult form of reading? What are the seven major steps for syntopical reading? According to Mortimer Adler, syntopical reading is the most difficult level of reading because you must first read and analyze a multitude of books, compare them to one another, and understand and compare the opposing viewpoints. In essence, you go from being the student to the master. Here is everything you need to know about syntopical reading.

Is There Truth in the Media Anymore? Postman’s Take

Is there any truth in media? Is society so focused on entertainment that it’s removed epistemology? How has the form of culture’s media changed throughout history? As society moved from the print era to the television era, serious news has become drowned in trivial nonsense. This is worrisome because it is creating a society where the general public would rather be entertained than well-informed. Continue below for examples of truth in media from the past and an analysis of the effects of television on media.

The One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard: Book Overview

Managing people doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Ken Blanchard’s The One-Minute Manager proves that effective leadership can be simple, fast, and powerful. The book — and its updated version The New One-Minute Manager — introduce three core techniques that help managers bring out the best in their teams: goal setting, praising, and redirects. Each one takes just a minute but creates lasting impact. Keep reading to see how these strategies work and why they’re so effective.

Stop Putting Things Off: Your Future Self Is Still You

Why do we assume we’ll be more inclined to do something tomorrow that we didn’t want to do today? Why do we see our future selves as different people? Research shows that you see your future self as a completely different person. This makes you procrastinate on your goals because you assume that future-you will pick up the slack. Here are some tips on how to stop seeing your future self as another person.

Analytical Reading: Developing Your Own Views

What are the four components of analytical reading? What is the goal of reading a book analytically? Mortimer Adler’s How to Read a Book describes analytical reading as the third level of reading. At this level, the aim is to understand to book and its background as much as possible in an unlimited amount of time. Keep reading to learn about the four components of analytical reading.