Shortform Books

Trevor Noah and Teddy: Shoplifting Best Friends

Who is Teddy in Trevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime? And what can the story of Trevor Noah, Teddy, and the shoplifting bust tell us about the judgments we make based on skin color? Teddy was one of Trevor Noah’s childhood best friends. The construct of black versus white blinds people to anyone who doesn’t fit those molds. If you don’t identify as black or white, others’ failure to see you can leave you feeling invisible and inconsequential. But occasionally, this can work to your advantage. Learn how Trevor Noah let his invisibility work for him.

How Trevor Noah Learned 8 Languages: The Polyglot

How many languages does Trevor Noah speak? How have Noah’s amazing language skills helped him in life? Trevor Noah reportedly speaks eight languages: English, Xhosa, Zulu, Tsonga, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Afrikaans, and German. Learn how they helped him understand his place in a divided post-apartheid South Africa.

Homeopathy Doesn’t Work: Stories From Tara Westover

When you’re sick or injured, can homeopathy cure or heal you? Although some people swear by homeopathic remedies, many people say homeopathy doesn’t work. One person suggesting homeopathy doesn’t work is Tara Westover. In her memoir Educated, Westover writes about her family’s anti-medicine stance and her parents’ dependence on homeopathy rather than hospital visits. Below, read about how homeopathic remedies were used in her childhood home.

3 China Study Criticisms: Are They Accurate?

What is The China Study? Why is it controversial, and how do the authors respond to The China Study criticism? The China Study refers to both a study and a book based, in part, on that study. In the book The China Study, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., and his son Thomas M. Campbell II, MD offer evidence that suggests that we should be avoiding animal-based foods. This is a controversial position and many people have critiqued both the study and the book. Are these critiques merited? What do the authors have to say in response? Learn how the authors responded

Trevor Noah’s Apartheid Birth: Why It Was a Crime

What was apartheid? Was Trevor Noah alive during apartheid in South Africa? And what was Trevor Noah’s apartheid experience? How did it shape who he is today? Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racism in South Africa. It began in 1948 and lasted for 46 years. The laws delineated different rights to citizens based on race, with the white race reigning supreme. Trevor Noah spent the first five years of his life in apartheid-era South Africa. Learn what apartheid was, how it shaped Noah’s life particularly, and the impact it’s had on post-apartheid South Africa.

Trevor Noah’s Father Robert: Once Estranged, Reunited

Who is Trevor Noah’s father? How did they lose touch? And what impact did he have on the comedian’s life? Trevor Noah’s father is Robert Noah, a Swiss-German who opened one of the first integrated restaurants in Johannesburg during apartheid. Learn how Trevor Noah’s parents met, how Trevor lost touch with his father, and how they reunited through Trevor’s valiant efforts.

Tara Westover at Cambridge: How It Changed Her

What’s it like to study at the University of Cambridge? What’s it like to study there when you’ve had little formal schooling and you hadn’t heard of the university until you applied? This was Tara Westover’s Cambridge experience. Tara Westover’s Cambridge experience is entirely unique, but it also conveys the culture shock many people experience when they go to a new place. Learn how Tara Westover’s experience in Cambridge changed her life, as depicted in her memoir Educated.

Trevor Noah and Babiki: A Hilarious First Date

Who is Babiki in Noah’s memoir Born a Crime? What can the story of Trevor Noah, Babiki, and the big dance teach us about the sometimes negative consequences of a country with 11 official languages? And how bad can a first date get? Babiki was Trevor Noah’s first date, whom he took the big matric dance, which is the equivalent of a high school prom in America. First dates are typically awkward, and love can be a language all its own, and a hard one to learn. Let’s look at how learning the language of romance is complicated by South

Trevor Noah’s Mom: The Life of Patricia Noah

Who is Trevor Noah’s mom? In what ways did push the boundaries of apartheid and post-apartheid era South Africa? And how did she shape the comedian into the success he is today? Trevor Noah’s mom is Patricia Noah. She chose to give birth to Noah as an act of protest during apartheid and raised Noah primarily on her own. Trevor Noah’s mom taught him to be assertive, creative, and independent. Learn how Patricia Noah’s early life turned her into the woman she became, and how her relationship with Trevor developed over the years.

Tara Westover’s Life in a Mormon Survivalist Family

Perhaps one of the best-known Mormon survivalist families is the Westovers, made famous in daughter Tara Westover’s memoir Educated. What was it like to be a child in the Westover family? We’ll cover the parts of the book that best demonstrate what growing up in a Mormon survivalist family was like for Tara.