The Narcissist Next Door
Understanding the Monster in Your Family, in Your Office, in Your Bed-in Your World
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2.2 • 10 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A timely and provocative exploration of narcissism, from Donald Trump to Kanye West to Lance Armstrong, that shows us how to recognize and handle the narcissists we encounter every day.
Narcissists are everywhere. There are millions of them in the United States alone: politicians, entertainers, businesspeople, your neighbors. Recognizing and understanding them is crucial to your not being overtaken by them, says Jeffrey Kluger in his provocative book about this insidious disorder.
The odds are good that you know a narcissist—probably a lot of them. You see them in your office, on TV, maybe even in the mirror. The odds are also good that they are intelligent, confident, and articulate—the center of attention.
With intelligence, sight and wit, Kluger explains the startling new research into narcissism and the insights that research is yielding. He explains 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 narcissists; and how to neutralize narcissism’s effects before it’s too late.
As a writer and editor at Time, Kluger knows how to take science’s cutting-edge research and transform it into perceptive, accessible writing—which he does brilliantly in The Narcissist Next Door. Highly readable and deeply engaging, this book helps us understand narcissism and narcissists more fully.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Time magazine editor Kluger analyzes narcissistic personality disorder from a scientific and social perspective to help readers identify and understand narcissists in their lives. He outlines symptoms including an "unquenchable thirst for admiration," lack of empathy, and sense of entitlement and the condition's potential causes, whether hereditary or camouflage for secret self-loathing. In the workplace, the narcissist is described as an adept interviewer, "powerfully driven by the prospect of praise and recognition"; they rise quickly through company hierarchies even though they wreak havoc on subordinates, thanks to their charisma and skill at self-promotion. In relationships, they tend to cheat, find partners "expendable," and may always be on the lookout to "trade-up." A chapter on "tribal" narcissism explores the pitfalls of mob mentality, which can be seen in phenomena such as racism, war, and the slightly more benign arena of competitive sports. Kluger provides a wealth of (in)famous examples of the disorder, including Donald Trump's "insatiable hunger to be the largest, loudest, most honkingly conspicuous presence in any room"; Charlie Sheen's effusive confidence; and Sarah Palin's frenzied desperation. Compelling studies investigate the elevated use of first-person pronouns in popular entertainment, narcissistic habits on Facebook profile pages, and a ranking of 39 U.S. presidents on a narcisissm scale. In addition to being informative and engaging, Kluger's account provides some effective tools for dealing with potential narcissists.
Customer Reviews
No substance
Painted in very broad strokes, historical figures and current celebs are label narcissists. No real analysis and nuanced understanding given. A very thin thesis if there is one at all.
Ridiculous
Unbelievable how poorly this book was written. It seems as though the author has now legitimate knowledge of narcissists and labels them all as just overly egotistic people. Instead of using real facts, the author just rambles on and on about all the famous people who might be narcissistic. Don't buy this book unless you want to just read an incredibly ignorant and incompetent display of hatred towards narcissists.