What Is the Banality of Evil? Eichmann’s 3 Pathetic Motives

a silhouette of a Nazi officer watches as a train pulls away as the sun sets

What is the banality of evil? How can ordinary people commit extraordinary atrocities? What were Adolf Eichmann’s last words before he was hanged? In her book Eichmann in Jerusalem, Hannah Arendt explores the motivations behind Adolf Eichmann’s crimes in the Holocaust. She argues that his actions were driven by mundane factors rather than inherent wickedness. Discover how a desire for success, a sense of duty, and social conformity led an unremarkable man to participate in one of history’s greatest horrors.

Adolf Eichmann’s Trial, Verdict, & Execution (Hannah Arendt)

a balding man, seen from behind, sitting in a courtroom in the early 1960s and facing four men across the room

What exactly was Adolf Eichmann on trial for? What was the outcome, and was justice served? In her book Eichmann in Jerusalem, Hannah Arendt discusses Adolf Eichmann’s trial. She shares her reasons for thinking that the trial—although it delivered the correct verdict—was in many respects illegitimate. She also offers an assessment of Eichmann’s final words. Continue reading to learn about Adolf Eichmann’s trial, verdict, and execution.

Starbucks in 2007: How the Franchise Fell From the Top

A Starbucks store in 2007

What happened to Starbucks in 2007? Why did Starbucks suffer from opening new stores? By 2007, Starbucks had become a bastion of coffeehouse culture, but it wasn’t performing as well as former CEO Howard Schultz thought it should. In his book Onward, Schultz discusses how Starbucks rose to the top but fell to the bottom during the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Keep reading to learn about the rise and fall of Starbucks.

The History of “Asperger’s Syndrome”: Hans Asperger’s Research

A black and white photo of a man in a lab jacket standing at a wooden desk with paperwork

Who was Hans Asperger? Why was his research on autism so important? Hans Asperger was an Austrian physician who famously studied autistic individuals in the early 1900s. While some of his research has since been disproven and Asperger’s syndrome has been removed as a diagnosis, his research was important at the time. Continue reading for a history of Asperger’s syndrome and Hans Asperger’s research.

Eugenics and Autism in the Post World War I Era

A black and white photo of a man in a lab coat outside of a brick building

How were autistic people viewed in the early 1900s? What were Hans Asperger’s views on the extermination of disabled people? Between World War I and World War II, the eugenics movement began growing in popularity. Among the groups of disabled people that eugenicists believe in exterminating were those with autism. Keep reading to learn about the views on eugenics and autism in the early 1900s.

How Asperger’s Autism Research Created “Aspie Supremacy”

An old fashioned image of research papers on a wooden desk

What were the problems with Hans Asperger’s autism research? How did it mislead future autism researchers? In his book NeuroTribes, Steve Silberman writes that the history of autism research began with the work of Austrian physician Hans Asperger in the 1930s and 1940s. Asperger was an influential figure and thus, his flawed research had long-lasting consequences. Continue reading for a look at the flaws in Asperger’s research.

History of Oral Hygiene: Why Ancient Humans Had Better Oral Health

An ancient caveman smiling with great oral hygiene and straight teeth

How did ancient humans, with no toothbrushes, have better oral hygiene? How are we hindering our jaw development with modern diets? In the book Jaws, Sandra Kahn and Paul R. Ehrlich explain that our ancestors tended to have healthier mouths than we have now, even though they didn’t have dentists or toothbrushes. This is due to a number of factors, including our modern diet. Here’s a look at the history of oral hygiene, including how ancient humans maintained their oral health by simply using their jaws as they were meant to be used.

Kanner and Asperger’s Autism Research: The 4 Major Differences

Two boxing mitts with names on them that read Kanner and Asperger

What were the differences between Kanner and Asperger’s autism research? Whose research came out on top? In the post World War I era, there were two famous doctors studying autism: Leo Kanner in the US and Hans Asperger in Austria. In his book NeuroTribes, Steve Silberman compares the two men’s approaches and points out the differences. Here’s a look at the differences in the autism research.

Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic (Book Overview)

A woman with braces reading a book while sitting on a dentist chair in a dental office

Did you know that ancient humans had better oral health than we do today? Why are jaw problems so common around the world? What can you do to prevent jaw deformities? Jaws discusses how our modern lifestyle has created an epidemic of jaw deformities, leading to widespread health problems. Orthodontist Sandra Kahn and ecologist Paul R. Ehrlich say that a decrease in average jaw size is contributing to health issues. Keep reading for an overview of Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic.