The World's Best Book Summaries
How is the system of education in Appalachia? How is education in Appalachia portrayed in JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy? In Vance’s book on life in Appalachian Ohio, education in Appalachia is in a sad state. Learn how he views the education system in his home community and why he thinks that the culture puts such little emphasis on education.
How did Educated author Tara Westover go from a dubious homeschool education to Harvard? What was Tara Westover’s Harvard life like? Educated is the autobiographical story of Tara’s Westover’s journey from being the child of extreme anti-government, anti-science, and religious fundamentalist Mormon parents to becoming a Cambridge- and Harvard-educated PhD. As you’ll see, Tara Westover’s Harvard life wasn’t all about academics. It was while Westover was at Harvard that her family life fell apart and depression almost prevented her from finishing her Ph.D.
Is academic freedom in decline? How are health researchers and educators affected, and how does that affect the public? We’ll cover how T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, felt his own academic freedom as a researcher and professor at Cornell was endangered, and how we all lose when researchers aren’t able to pursue their research projects free of influence from the government, industries, and their own administrations.
Comedian Trevor Noah writes about many misunderstandings in his memoir Born a Crime, but perhaps none are as cringeworthy as the story about his friend Hitler’s dance performance at a Jewish community center. Even as they leave the center, Trevor Noah, Hitler, and their dance troupe fail to understand the gravity of the misunderstanding. Learn how their education in South Africa completely failed to impress upon them the extent of the historical Hitler’s crimes and his impact on the Jewish community, and see how this resulted in a humorous, though disastrous, misunderstanding.
What was Trevor Noah’s educational experience like? Did he go to private school? Public school? Was he popular? Nerdy? Trevor Noah attended a variety of schools and had a variety of educational experiences, not all of them academic. Learn how getting along with diverse groups of people, getting expelled from his Catholic grade school, and starting his own business as the “tuck-shop guy” contributed to his success as a comedian today.
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.
What is the Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect? And how does it affect me? The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect is the theory that we compare ourselves to the students around us. When you’re a high-achieving student in a low-achieving school (a big fish in a little pond), you’re likely to have more confidence in your intelligence and academic ability than a student with the same IQ in a high-achieving school (a big pond). Learn why it’s so important to understand the Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect, especially if you’re a student (or the parent of one!).
What is the relative deprivation theory? How does it affect the choices I make, in school, at work, and in life in general? The relative deprivation theory is a theory that says we compare ourselves to the people around us. Our feelings of happiness or deprivation, success or failure, are not absolute, but rather relative to how happy and successful our neighbors are. Learn why it’s critical to understand the relative deprivation theory when making decisions and assessing your successes and failures.
Every parent knows the benefits of smaller class sizes: more attention, higher achievement, and a sense of community, among other benefits. With so much to love, what could be bad about smaller class sizes? The benefits of smaller class sizes are valuable, but smaller isn’t always better. We’ll look at examples from around the world that demonstrate that it’s possible for a class to be too small.
A surprisingly high percentage (one study says ⅓) of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders are dyslexic. Are they successful in their careers despite their dyslexia or, perhaps, because of it? Is it possible that there are some dyslexia benefits? We’ll look at unexpected dyslexia benefits and examples of real-life entrepreneurs who have used their dyslexia to their advantage.