Amanda Penn, Author at Shortform Books

Game Theory Example—Why Your Choices Have Unintended Effects

What is game theory? What’s a good game theory example? Game theory is the study of outcomes in negotiation and conflict that aren’t actually intended by the individuals involved in that negotiation or conflict. In these situations, the outcome is determined not by an individual’s choices, but by the way an individual’s choices interact with the choices of other “players.” We’ll look at a game theory example and explore other theories that explore the idea that we’re serving cultures, not the other way around.

Heart Attack Checklist—This Simple Tool Could Save Your Life

In trying to do the right things, the challenge of the 21st century is ineptitude, rather than ignorance. It used to be the reverse. Can a simple checklist, say, a heart attack checklist, help prevent avoidable mistakes in medicine? We’ll cover how more knowledge, in medicine particularly, has led to more ineptitude, and we’ll discuss how doctors adopting a simple list like a heart attack checklist can save lives.

Rat Kiley—The Things They Carried: Character Summary

Who is Rat Kiley in The Things They Carried? What are the defining moments for his character? Rat Kiley is a soldier in Alpha Company, a unit of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War, in The Things They Carried. Rat Kiley is the company’s first medic, who shoots himself in the foot to get out of active combat duty. We’ll cover the most important scenes involving Rat Kiley in The Things They Carried.

Linda—The Things They Carried: O’Brien’s Childhood Love

Who is Linda in The Things They Carried? What are the defining moments for her character? Linda is the childhood girlfriend of the narrator of The Things They Carried. Linda died of a brain tumor when they were both nine years old, and the narrator believes this loss influences his belief in the power of storytelling. We’ll cover the most important scenes involving Linda in The Things They Carried.

Norman Bowker—The Things They Carried: His Story + Tragic End

Who is Norman Bowker in The Things They Carried? What are the defining moments for his character? Norman Bowker is a soldier in Alpha Company, a unit of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War, in The Things They Carried. Bowker blames himself for the death of a fellow soldier and hangs himself after the war. We’ll cover the most important scenes involving Norman Bowker in The Things They Carried.

Empowerment in the Workplace: How It Makes People More Productive

Is it important that your employees feel empowered? What are the benefits of enacting empowerment in the workplace? We’ll look at examples of empowerment in the workplace and explore why empowered employees can make your company more successful.

Postmodernism on Culture: Is Your Culture Destroying You?

What is postmodernism’s view on culture? How does postmodernism on culture affect the way we view history? Postmodernism on culture says that humans exist to serve culture, and not the other way around. In a sense, according to the postmodernist view, cultures are plagues of society, not entities that serve us. We’ll cover postmodernism on culture and look at other ways scholars view our relationship with culture.

Medical Checklists: Why More Doctors Should Use Them

In medicine, the four vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, temperature, and respiration) have become an important regular check on how a patient is doing. Missing one can be dangerous. Would a medical checklist help make sure that each step was completed? We’ll cover the benefits of medical checklists in a variety of medical fields and look at how they can significantly reduce complications and save lives.

Lee Strunk—The Things They Carried: From Enemy to Friend

Who is Lee Strunk in The Things They Carried? What are the defining moments for his character? Lee Strunk is a soldier in Alpha Company, a unit of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War, in The Things They Carried. Strunk makes a pact with Dave Jensen to mercy-kill each other if either gets seriously injured in combat. We’ll cover the most important scenes involving Lee Strunk in The Things They Carried.

The Things They Carried—”The Man I Killed”: Chapter Guide

What happens in The Things They Carried “The Man I Killed” chapter? How does the chapter “The Man I Killed” change the tone of the novel? We’ll look at the basic elements of The Things They Carried‘s “The Man I Killed” chapter and look at how the shame and horror of war present themselves after the war is over.