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    Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome
    Unavailable
    Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome
    Unavailable
    Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome
    Ebook356 pages5 hours

    Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome

    By Ty Tashiro

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    In the vein of Quiet and The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth comes this illuminating look at what it means to be awkward—and how the same traits that make us socially anxious and cause embarrassing faux pas also provide the seeds for extraordinary success.

    As humans, we all need to belong. While modern social life can make even the best of us feel gawky, for roughly one in five of us, navigating its challenges is consistently overwhelming—an ongoing maze without an exit. Often unable to grasp social cues or master the skills and grace necessary for smooth interaction, we feel out of sync with those around us. Though individuals may recognize their awkward disposition, they rarely understand why they are like this—which makes it hard for them to know how to adjust their behavior.

    Psychologist and interpersonal relationship expert Ty Tashiro knows what it’s like to be awkward. Growing up, he could do math in his head and memorize the earned run averages of every National League starting pitcher. But he couldn’t pour liquids without spilling and habitually forgot to bring his glove to Little League games. In Awkward, he unpacks decades of research into human intelligence, neuroscience, personality, and sociology to help us better understand this widely shared trait. He explores its nature vs. nurture origins, considers how the awkward view the world, and delivers a welcome counterintuitive message: the same characteristics that make people socially clumsy can be harnessed to produce remarkable achievements.

    Interweaving the latest research with personal tales and real world examples, Awkward offers reassurance and provides valuable insights into how we can embrace our personal quirks and unique talents to harness our awesome potential—and more comfortably navigate our complex world.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 25, 2017
    ISBN9780062429179
    Author

    Ty Tashiro

    Ty Tashiro, PhD, is the author of The Science of Happily Ever After. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time.com, TheAtlantic.com, and on NPR and SiriusXM Stars radio. He received his doctorate in psychology from the University of Minnesota, has been an award-winning professor at the University of Maryland and University of Colorado, and has addressed TED@NYC, Harvard Business School, MIT’s Media Lab, and the American Psychological Association. He lives in New York City.

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    Reviews for Awkward

    4/5

    26 ratings5 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Loved it, very eye opening
    • 4/5
      A helpful book. It helps normal people to understand more-awkward people, and helps for awkward people to figure out normal social interactions.
    • 4/5
      A psychologist looks at some data about awkwardness and draws some conclusions. Confession: I listened to the audiobook version of this work, and sometimes my mind wandered. I don’t often listen to audiobook nonfiction, as I’m more of a visual learner, but this book’s intriguing subject and conversational tone made for a generally positive listening experience, even if I may have missed some details. This is definitely intended as a popular, rather than scholarly, work. I’m not sure if did everything promised in the subtitle, but it gave me some thoughts to chew on.I was supposed to get this book from the Early Reviewers program, but it never arrived. I saw that it was available as an e-audiobook through one of my library’s ebook platforms, so I borrowed it there.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      For awkward people like myself, this books is great. However it is so dense and academically packed that I'd need to reread it a few times to get the most of it. I did take some strategies away that I can utilize now with my interactions with others and I'll draw on this book as a resource should I need to review. I think I'll be doing lots of review. :) One step at a time, right?
    • 3/5
      I won this book through Early Reviewers and I was looking forward to getting it. Except I didn't. But it looks like no one else got it either. So when it showed up at the library after it was published I thought I would read it because the subject matter seemed interesting to me.Many of us feel awkward to some degree in life situations or for some maybe chronically. Mr. Tashiro walks us through many of these challenges from his perspective when he was an awkward youth and gradually but probably not completely shed the condition. Many of the topics covered come across as obvious things that are not that hard to explain or diagnose. Aside from all the discussion however he does not offer much in the way of help other than understanding.Finally at the conclusion he delves into a bit of why the awkward person has advantages that can be applied primarily in vocational or work scenarios. Socially however one is still on his own and will not find much here to serve much purpose.

      1 person found this helpful