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

Airbnb: Racism in the Booking Process?

In what ways was the Airbnb booking process allowing for racial discrimination? What actions did the executives take to fight Airbnb racism? In Biased by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, she discusses the issues Airbnb had with racism on their website. Black users had a difficult time booking stays due to rejection and black hosts were forced to lower their prices otherwise guests chose to book with their white counterparts. Learn what steps Airbnb took to fight back against racial discrimination.

Segregated Housing: Is It Still a Problem?

Was segregated housing a thing of the past or is it still present today? How can physical spaces be used as tools for bias? Is technology hurting or helping the problem? In her book Biased, Jennifer Eberhardt revealed that although it’s now illegal, de facto segregated housing still persists today. This happens because if a neighborhood is even 30% black, people assume it has high crime rates and low property value and opts not to live in it. Thus, housing segregation still persists. Continue below to read the sad truth about modern segregated housing.

The 3 Rules of Improv Every Salesman Should Know

Why is the ability to improvise so important for a salesperson? What are some tips and rules for improv that you should know? Improvisation isn’t normally associated with sales, but it’s a very important skill to have. If you are unable to improvise during a sale, then you won’t be able to attune to your client’s needs and ultimately, close the sale. Here are the three rules of improv and two helpful tips for practicing.

Oliver Sacks: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

What is Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat about? What does his psychological research reveal about how the brain works? In his book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks discusses some of the most extreme cases of neurological impairment he has witnessed throughout his work. Sacks examines these case studies in hopes of learning how the brain makes up for impairments in one area by overcompensating in another. Continue below for a brief overview of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.

How to Deal With Cravings and Discomfort on a Diet

Are you on the Never Binge Again food plan? Do you want to know how to deal with cravings and discomfort that come with limiting your food intake? In his book Never Binge Again, Dr. Glenn Livingston discusses how to deal with the cravings that arise when you suddenly switch to a food plan. Additionally, if you stick to the food plan then your cravings will subside over time, and eating healthy will become easier. Here are Dr. Glenn Livingston’s tips on how to deal with cravings and discomfort.

How Nextdoor Tried to Fight Racism on Their App

How did racism develop on the Nextdoor app? What did the executives do to combat it? Did their efforts succeed or were they just an empty gesture? The Nextdoor app is basically a digital neighborhood bulletin board designed to keep neighborhoods safe and share local news. However, racism on Nextdoor was unchecked and many blacks were being wrongfully flagged as suspicious. Learn how the Nextdoor executives tackled the racism problem and whether it saved their app.

Sales Pitching Techniques: 6 Pitches for Success

Why is the elevator pitch no longer useful in the modern day? What are the best, modern sales pitching techniques? In his book To Sell Is Human, Daniel Pink explains that the elevator pitch is obsolete in today’s world of hierarchies and ease of information. Luckily, there are six sales pitch techniques that are perfect for today which Pink describes in detail. Here are Pink’s six pitches for success along with some extra pitch tips and tricks.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: Dr. P’s Case

Who was Dr. P from The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat? What did Dr. P’s case teach author Oliver Sacks about left-hemisphere damage? In the book of psychological case studies, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Dr. P was a patient who suffered from left-hemisphere damage and had trouble identifying what he was seeing. In fact, the book is named after Dr. P because he did, literally, mistake his wife’s head for a floating hat. Continue on for more information about the case study of Dr. P. in The Man Who Mistook His Wife

Dr. Glenn Livingston: How to Stop Sabotaging Your Diet

Are you trying to eat healthily but keep running into obstacles? Do you want advice on how to stop sabotaging your diet? In his book Never Binge Again, Dr. Glenn Livingston discusses the most common reasons why food plans fail and how to overcome them. There are so many ways we sabotage our diets: from cravings to social pressure to trauma. But Dr. Livingston goes over all of them and how to fight back. Continue reading to learn how to stop sabotaging your diet.

The Long-Term Impacts of Systemic Racism in Schools

Is there still systemic racism in schools? How does systemic racism occur? What are the possible long-term impacts of the situation? Although schools are no longer legally segregated, that does not mean that school systems unbiased. Systemic racism in schools is very real and the repercussions affect the students long after they graduate. Learn how and why systemic racism in schools occurs and the long-term impacts on society and individuals.