Stuff

In the essay, "What you need to know about stuff," Backman uses the concept of "stuff" as a metaphor for materialism. He explains that people accumulate a huge amount of stuff because they are told that they need more stuff, and that stuff then requires the accessory stuff. This is especially true for parents who want the best of everything for their children and feel pressure to provide their children with more in life than they had. Backman stresses to his son not to become attached to the stuff he has in his life, and that he must not let material items become more important than the people he surrounds himself with.

Airports

Airports play an important role in Backman's explanation of the relationship between religion and war in the essay, "What you need to know about God and airports." The airport acts as the setting for...