Susan Pinker

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Born	1957
Occupation	Psychologist, Journalist
URL	susanpinker.com

Susan Pinker (born 1957) is a Canadian psychologist who writes about social science for the daily press. Her column, The Business Brain, on the neuroscience and behavioral economics of the business world, appears weekly in Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail^[wp]. Susan also writes opinions and feature articles on psychology, public policy, education and business for the international press.

Her book about the roots of sex differences in the classroom and the workplace, The Sexual Paradox^[wp]: Men, Women and the Real Gender Gap, has been published in 17 countries. Susan’s ideas have been featured in the New York Times, The Times, The Economist, The Financial Times, The Today Show, Oprah Magazine, and Der Spiegel, among other publications. She lives in Montreal, where she is currently working on a book on the science of social bonds.

Education

Pinker was educated at McGill University^[wp] and the University of Waterloo^[wp], after which she spent 25 years in clinical practice and teaching psychology, first at Dawson College, then at McGill University.

Awards

Her 2008 book, The Sexual Paradox^[wp], was awarded The William James Book Award by the American Psychological Association^[wp] in 2009.

Her writing has been recognized in awards from the Canadian Medical Association^[wp] (2000), the Periodical Writing Association of Canada (2002, 2010), and she has been nominated for the John Alexander Media Award (2000), the Aventis Pasteur Medal for Excellence in Health Research Journalism (1999), the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award (2007), and the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction (2009).

The Business Brain

The Business Brain column applies the latest evidence from the fields of neuroscience, behavioral economics and social psychology to the world of business. It appears every Monday in the Globe and Mail.

The Sexual Paradox

Susan Pinker's book, The Sexual Paradox^[wp]: Men, Women and the Real Gender Gap, takes a hard look at how fundamental sex differences play out in the workplace. By comparing fragile boys who later succeed, with high achieving women who opt out, Pinker turns several assumptions upside down: that the sexes are biologically equivalent, that smarts are all it takes to succeed and that men and women have identical interests and goals. After decades of women's educational coups and rising through the ranks, men still outnumber women in business, physical science, law, engineering and politics. In explaining this ratio, Pinker’s stance is that discrimination plays just a bit part. If the majority of children with school and behavioral problems are boys, then why do so many overcome early obstacles, while rafts of high achieving women choose jobs that pay less or opt out at pivotal moments in their careers?

New Book: Stand By Me

Susan Pinker's next book, Stand By Me, explores how our social bonds and networks affect our thinking and survival. It will be published in 2012 by Random House in Canada, Spiegel and Grau in the US, Atlantic Books in the UK, and Book21 in Korea.

Reviews: The Sexual Paradox

1. The Economist, April 17, 2008. 'Vanilla Is Not the Only Flavour'.
2. Washington Post, April 13, 2008. 'Women's Work'.
3. The New York Post, March 30, 2008. 'Women's Liberation - Equality Means Choosing the Job You Really Want'.
4. The New York Times Book Review, March 9, 2008. 'Hormones, Genes and the Corner Office'.
5. The Times, April 28, 2008. 'The Glass Ceiling in Women's Heads'.

Personal life

Pinker is married and has three children. She lives in Montreal. She is the sister of evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker^[wp].

External links

• Website: susanpinker.com