Synopses & Reviews
From an award-winning senior writer atand#160;Time, an eye-opening exploration of narcissism, how to recognize it, and how to handle it.and#160;
The odds are good that you know a narcissistand#151;probably a lot of them. The odds are also good that they are intelligent, confident, and articulateand#151;the center of attention. They make you laugh and they make you think. The odds are also that this spell didnand#8217;t last.
Narcissists are everywhere. There are millions of them in the United States alone: entertainers, politicians, business people, your neighbors. Recognizing and understanding them is crucial to your not being overtaken by them, says Jeffrey Kluger, in his provocative new book about this insidious disorder.
With insight and wit, Kluger frames the surprising new research on narcissism and explains the complex, exasperating personality disorder. He reveals how narcissism and narcissists affect our lives at work and at home, on the road, and in the halls of government; what to do when we encounter narcissism; and how to neutralize its effects before itand#8217;s too late.
As aand#160;Time writer and science editor, Kluger knows how to take scienceand#8217;s new ideas and transform them into smart, accessible insights. Highly readable and deeply engaging, this book helps us understand narcissism and narcissists more fully.and#160;
Review
Praise for The Sibling Effect
“Like Malcolm Gladwell . . . [Kluger] can fashion something addictively readable out of even the densest list of statistics without dumbing it down.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“We—or I, anyway—learn a lot . . . [Klugers] own sibling history is movingly recounted.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“[Klugers] writing about his family is both frank and lyrical, and its tough not to fall for his spunky tales of brotherly hijinks.”
—Slate
“Honest and vulnerable and caring.”
—The Washington Post
Review
and#8220;Narcissists can be captivating people, and
The Narcissist Next Door is a captivating book: meticulously researched, written with verve, and spiced with irresistible examples from the headlines and everyday life.and#8221;
and#8212;Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and the author of How the Mind Works and The Sense of Style
and#8220;We are surrounded by narcissists and from afar, they are often easy to like. They are famous entertainers, successful business people and politicians. The charm wears off quickly, though, if they get too closeand#8212;your neighbors, friends or your own family. The brilliant Jeffrey Kluger, one of our countryand#8217;s most admired science writers, has written a book that taught me a great deal, made me laugh out loud on a quiet airplane ride, and forced me to be introspective about myself and the people I love. Kluger gives a lot of himself in this book, deftly weaving cutting-edge science with poignant personal stories that are astonishingly candid, and at times very familiar. At the risk of soundingand#8230;well, narcissistic, I of course wondered if I fit any of the criteria. Chances are you are wondering the same thing. So open the book and find out.and#8221;
and#8212;Dr. Sanjay Guptaand#160;
and#8220;[This] well-researched and entertaining study of the syndrome du jour pulls in figures as varied as Lance Armstrong, Kim Kardashian, Jayson Blair, and Steve Jobs. It also names 'exploitativeness' and and#8220;entitlementand#8221; as two of the narcissistand#8217;s calling cards.and#8221;
and#8212;Slate
and#8220;This thoroughly engrossing book contains a plethora of informationand#8230;anyone interested in psychology will find it an invaluable resource.and#8221;
and#8212;Library Journal (starred review)
and#8220;Informative and engaging, Klugerand#8217;s account provides some effective tools for dealing with potential narcissists.and#8221;
and#8212;Publishers Weekly
Praise forand#160;The Sibling Effect
and#8220;Like Malcolm Gladwell . . . [Kluger] can fashion something addictively readable out of even the densest list of statistics without dumbing it down.and#8221;
and#8212;Entertainment Weekly
and#8220;Weand#8212;or I, anywayand#8212;learn a lot . . . [Klugerand#8217;s] own sibling history is movingly recounted.and#8221;
and#8212;The New York Times Book Review
and#8220;[Klugerand#8217;s] writing about his family is both frank and lyrical, and itand#8217;s tough not to fall for his spunky tales of brotherly hijinks.and#8221;
and#8212;Slate
and#8220;Honest and vulnerable and caring.and#8221;
and#8212;Theand#160;Washington Post
Review
"This book had a profound impact on me that I never could have anticipated. . . . It's a compelling and beautifully written story, interwoven with fascinating, cutting-edge research. What I didn't expect was what I'd learn about myself. In our culture we spend so much time examining the ways our parents influence us that we miss a force that's at least as significant. While immersed in The Sibling Effect, I went back in time, reexamined my own life, this time looking through a new lens. It was a revelation."
-David Sheff, author of Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction
"Jeffrey Kluger integrates the latest research and brings his own fresh thinking to an ancient topic: sibling relationships. He weaves his own sibling experiences into his rich, insightful text. As with all good storytellers, Kluger's stories are sad/happy and heartbreaking/glorious. The Sibling Effect is for anyone who has ever wondered, 'Why can't I get along with my siblings?' or 'Why are we so different?' or 'How did my relationships with my siblings shape my personality?' I suspect that is most of us."
-Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia
Synopsis
A senior writer at Time magazine explores what scientists and researchers are discovering about sibling bonds, the longest- lasting relationships we have in our lives.
Nobody affects us as deeply as our brothers and sisters-not parents, not children, not friends. From the time we-and they-are born, our siblings are our collaborators and co-conspirators, our role models and cautionary tales. They teach us how to resolve conflicts and how not to, how to conduct friendships and when to walk away. Our siblings are the only people we know who truly qualify as partners for life.
In this groundbreaking book, renowned science writer Jeffrey Kluger explores the complex world of siblings in a way that is equal parts science, psychology, sociology, and memoir. Based heavily on new and emerging research, The Sibling Effect examines birth order, twin studies, genetic encoding of behavioral traits, emotional disorders and their effects on-and effects from-sibling relationships, and much more.
With his signature insight and humor, Kluger takes big ideas about siblings and turns them into smart, accessible writing that will help anyone understand the importance of siblings in our lives.
About the Author
Jeffrey Klugerand#160;is a senior editor and writer atand#160;Time. He is a coauthor of the bestsellerand#160;Apollo 13and#160;and the author ofand#160;The Sibling Effect, Simplexity, Splendid Solution,and#160;Moon Hunters, and two novels for young adults. Kluger lives in New York City with his wife and daughters.