Shortform Books

Appalachian Culture: As Dysfunctional as in Hillbilly Elegy?

What are the hallmarks of Appalachian culture? Are these hallmarks actually stereotypes? JD Vance says they’re not. Hillbilly Elegy sets out to explore the struggles of Appalachian life in 21st-century America through the personal story of its author, JD Vance. Part autobiography, part sociological text, and part political manifesto, the book tells a story of dysfunctional families; substance abuse; the material, spiritual, and moral decline of Appalachian culture; and the struggles to achieve true economic and social mobility in the United States.

Culture of Honor: Why Hillbillies Get Into so Many Fights

What is a culture of honor? What role does it play in JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy? A culture of honor is a culture that encourages its members to defend their honor through retribution and violence. It’s characterized by an extreme unwillingness to tolerate personal insults and a high propensity, particularly on the part of males, to defend one’s reputation. Learn more about the culture of violence and how it characterizes life in Appalachian Ohio.

Middletown, Ohio History: Once Prosperous, Now a Wasteland (Hillbilly Elegy)

What is Middletown, Ohio’s history known for? What role did the Armco steel mill play? We’ll cover Middletown, Ohio’s history through the eyes of Hillbilly Elegy‘s JD Vance and explore how Armco impacted Middletown’s economy…and led to Middletown’s decline.

Doctors Make Mistakes; Checklists May Be the Solution

Doctors make mistakes. How can those in the medical community avoid the avoidable errors that sometimes cost patients their lives? The answer is the checklist. We’ll cover studies that show how a simple checklist can help doctors avoid making avoidable mistakes.

Aircraft Checklist: How It Works + How to Harness Its Power

How do aircraft checklists keep us safe? The field of aviation was one of the first to adopt the use of checklists, and we can learn a lot from how the rigor of these checklists (and the professionals who use them) keep passengers safe. We’ll cover aviation checklists at Boeing and discuss how checklists can benefit the rest of us.

The Things They Carried—”On the Rainy River”: Chapter Summary

What happens in the The Things They Carried “On the Rainy River” chapter? How does this chapter set the tone for the rest of the novel? We’ll look at the basic elements of The Things They Carried‘s “On the Rainy River” chapter and look at how it conveys the pressures facing young men at the start of the Vietnam War.

Curt Lemon—The Things They Carried: A Macho Soldier Faints

Who is Curt Lemon in The Things They Carried? What are the defining moments for his character? Curt Lemon is a soldier in the Vietnam War in The Things They Carried. Curt Lemon feels like his masculinity is on the line in Vietnam, and he’ll go to great lengths to prove what a man he is. We’ll cover the most important scenes involving Curt Lemon in The Things They Carried.

Boeing Checklist: How It Saves Lives, What It Can Teach You

In 1935, before the use of the “Boeing checklist,” the Army Air Corps asked airplane manufacturers for a new long-range bomber. Boeing’s Model 299, which exceeded specifications, was favored over models by Martin and Douglas. However, during a flight competition held by the Army in Dayton, Ohio, the Boeing model stalled at 300 feet and crashed, killing two of five crew members. We’ll cover how the Boeing checklist was developed, how it has saved the lives of crew and passengers, and how you can make your own effective checklist.

How to Avoid Mistakes at Work & Get More Done—1 Simple Tool

Highly trained, experienced, and capable people regularly make avoidable mistakes. Some can be fatal. After experiencing his own mistakes and observing those of colleagues, Boston surgeon Atul Gawande set out to learn why smart people make avoidable errors and how to prevent them. This is how to avoid mistakes at work. We’ll cover why people make mistakes at work, especially in certain professions, and how to avoid mistakes at work.

Appalachia’s Poverty—Welfare Can’t Save these Hillbilly Towns

Why is the Appalachia poverty level so high? What can we learn about poverty in Appalachia from JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy? Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis examines the spiritual and social decline of the Appalachian white working class through the life story of its author, JD Vance. Growing up in a post-industrial Ohio town, Vance encountered the symptoms of Appalachia’s poverty and at a young age started analyzing the source of Appalachia’s poverty.