Answer
(a) no
(b) yes
Work Step by Step
(a) Using $x=-1$, we get:
Left side:
$2(-1)^{1/3}-3=2(-1)-3=-2-3=-5$
Right side:
$1$
The sides do not match, so $x=-1$ is not a solution.
(b) Using $x=8$, we get:
Left side:
$2(8)^{1/3}-3=2(2)-3=4-3=1$
Right side:
$1$
The sides match, so $x=8$ is a solution.