Amanda Penn, Author at Shortform Books

Complex Problems: How to Solve Them, the Simple Way

Brenda Zimmerman and Sholom Glouberman, who study complexity, defined three kinds of problems: simple, complicated, and complex. What’s the difference? Particularly, what’s the difference between complicated problems and complex problems? A complex problem is a problem that has many variables and for which the outcome is uncertain. An example of a complex problem is raising a child. You learn from raising one child, but the next child may require a different approach. We’ll look at the nature of complex problems, how they differ from complicated problems, and how to solve complex problems in the workplace.

The Things They Carried—”Love” Chapter Summary

What happens in the The Things They Carried “Love” chapter? How does the “Love” chapter set the tone for the rest of the novel? We’ll look at the basic elements of The Things They Carried‘s “Love” chapter and look at how love ties in to both hope and shame on the battlefield.

Hindsight Bias: Definition, Examples—You Can’t Predict History

What is hindsight bias? How does it influence how we think about not only the past, but also the present and the future? Hindsight bias is the human tendency to believe that events that have already happened were more predictable than they actually were. Looking back, we think we could have predicted how history would unfold—it seems obvious in hindsight. But while today we can describe how history has unfolded so far, we can’t say why it’s turned out the way it has. We’ll go in depth into the hindsight bias definition above and cover hindsight bias examples.

“Field Trip”—The Things They Carried: Complete Chapter Guide

What happens in the chapter “Field Trip” in The Things They Carried? How does “Field Trip” demonstrate how soldiers seek closure after the war is over? We’ll look at the basic elements of the chapter “Field Trip” (The Things They Carried) and look at how the narrator attempts to bring the Vietnam War to life for his young daughter.

Truth in Fiction: Why Stories Are Often Truer Than Facts

Is there truth in fiction? How do we identify the truth of fiction? In what ways is fiction actually truer than nonfiction? We’ll look at Tim O’Brien’s treatment of the theme of truth in fiction in his classic The Things They Carried to see how in war depictions, what’s true may not be best represented by a series of facts.

The Things They Carried—”Church”: The Complete Chapter Guide

What happens in the chapter in The Things They Carried called “Church”? How does “Church” demonstrate how soldiers often view the role of luck in their lives? We’ll look at the basic elements of this chapter of The Things They Carried, “Church,” and look at how two soldiers approach religion during battle.

Social Context: Others Sway Your Actions More Than You Think

How does your social context, the people around you, affect your behavior? Could your social context be influencing you without you even knowing it? The social context is the immediate setting of a person and the people in that setting. Your social context is made up of the people you interact with. We tend to think of ourselves as products of nature and nurture, meaning the greatest influences on who we are and how we behave are our genetics and our upbringings. However, social context is so powerful that certain situations can eclipse our natural dispositions. Learn how.

The Power of Storytelling to Resurrect the Dead (Things They Carried)

How is the power of storytelling depicted in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried? How can the power of storytelling help assuage the wounds of war? We’ll cover how Tim O’Brien uses semi-fictional stories of the Vietnam War to demonstrate how powerful storytelling can be in conveying the brutality of war and reviving those long gone.

Nonverbal Cues: Do They Change How You Vote and What You Buy?

What are nonverbal cues? How impactful are they on the decisions you make? Nonverbal cues are signals between people that aren’t verbal. Nonverbal cues may include body language, tone of voice, dress, or facial expressions. We’ll cover the power of nonverbal cues to sway your decisions, affect what you buy…and possibly make you adopt the biases of others.

“Good Form”—The Things They Carried: Complete Chapter Summary

What happens in the chapter “Good Form” in The Things They Carried? How does “Good Form” demonstrate the power of storytelling? We’ll look at the basic elements of the chapter “Good Form” (The Things They Carried) and discuss why the novel is “true,” even though it’s a work of fiction.