Weird
The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World
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Narrated by:
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Renata Friedman
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By:
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Olga Khazan
About this listen
Learn why the concept of "weird" is being reclaimed and turned into a badge of honor, used to show how being different—culturally, socially, physically, or mentally—can be a person's greatest strength.
Most of us have at some point in our lives felt like an outsider, sometimes considering ourselves "too weird" to fit in. Growing up as a Russian immigrant in West Texas, Olga Khazan always felt there was something different about her. This feeling has permeated her life, and as she embarked on a science writing career, she realized there were psychological connections between this feeling of being an outsider and both her struggles and successes later in life. She decided to reach out to other people who were unique in their environments to see if they had experienced similar feelings of alienation, and if so, to learn how they overcame them. Weird is based on in-person interviews with many of these individuals, such as a woman who is professionally surrounded by men, a liberal in a conservative area, and a Muslim in a predominantly Christian town. In addition, it provides actionable insights based on interviews with dozens of experts and a review of hundreds of scientific studies.
Weird explores why it is that we crave conformity, how that affects people who are different, and what they can do about it. First, the book dives into the history of social norms and why some people hew to them more strictly than others. Next, Khazan explores the causes behind—and the consequences of—social rejection. She then reveals the hidden upsides to being "weird," as well as the strategies that people who are different might use in order to achieve success in a society that values normalcy. Finally, the book follows the trajectories of unique individuals who either decided to be among others just like them; to stay weird; or to dwell somewhere in between.
Combining Khazan's own story with those of others and with fascinating takeaways from cutting-edge psychology research, Weird reveals how successful individuals learned to embrace their weirdness, using it to their advantage.
©2020 Olga Khazan (P)2020 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Olga Khazan takes any topic she writes about and infuses it with so much humor and personality that you immediately want to read about it. With Weird, she weaves together fascinating profiles and research with her own experience to reveal the secret strength of being different."—Susan Cain, author of Quiet
"[A]nimating, specific, rich, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny.... For readers who love a well written, thoroughly researched social science book, Weird hits the spot. And for those who grew up like Khazan or see themselves in her story, it may be a balm for the soul."—Washington City Paper
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The Black Friend
- On Being a Better White Person
- By: Frederick Joseph
- Narrated by: Miebaka Yohannes
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Writing from the perspective of a friend, Frederick Joseph offers candid reflections on his own experiences with racism and conversations with prominent artists and activists about theirs - creating an essential listen for white people who are committed anti-racists and those newly come to the cause of racial justice.
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Not really a friend and not friendly
- By emax on 06-01-21
By: Frederick Joseph
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How to Be Black
- By: Baratunde Thurston
- Narrated by: Baratunde Thurston
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Beyond memoir, this guidebook offers practical advice on everything from "How to Be the Black Friend" to "How to Be the (Next) Black President" to "How to Celebrate Black History Month". This is a humorous, intelligent, and audacious guide that challenges and satirizes the so-called experts, purists, and racists who purport to speak for all Black people. With honest storytelling and biting wit, Baratunde plots a path not just to blackness, but one open to anyone interested in simply "how to be".
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Funny yet insightful!
- By Theodore on 02-15-12
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Generation Me
- Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled - and More Miserable Than Ever Before
- By: Jean M. Twenge PhD
- Narrated by: Randye Kaye
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In this provocative new book, psychologist and social commentator Dr. Jean Twenge documents the self-focus of what she calls "Generation Me" - people born in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Dr. Twenge explores why her generation is tolerant, confident, open-minded, and ambitious but also cynical, depressed, lonely, and anxious. Dr. Twenge reveals how profoundly different today's young adults are - and makes controversial predictions about what the future holds for them and society as a whole.
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I mostly agree
- By David Hill on 05-25-20
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How to Be Sad
- Everything I’ve Learned About Getting Happier by Being Sad
- By: Helen Russell
- Narrated by: Helen Russell
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Helen Russell has researched sadness from the inside out for her entire life. Her earliest memory is of the day her sister died. Her parents divorced soon after, and her mother didn’t receive the help she needed to grieve. Coping with her own emotional turmoil — including struggles with body image and infertility — she’s endured professional and personal setbacks as well as relationships that have imploded in truly spectacular ways. Even the things that brought her the greatest joy — like eventually becoming a parent — are fraught with challenges.
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More an self biography
- By Jaime Murillo on 04-27-24
By: Helen Russell
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Girl Gurl Grrrl
- On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic
- By: Kenya Hunt
- Narrated by: Kenya Hunt, Ebele Okobi, Jessica Horn, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Black women have never been more visible or more publicly celebrated. But for every milestone, every magazine cover, every new face elected to public office, the reality of everyday life for black women remains a complex, conflicted, contradiction-laden experience. An American journalist who has been living in London for a decade, Kenya Hunt has made a career of distilling moments, movements, and cultural moods into words. Her work takes the difficult and the indefinable and makes it accessible; it is razor sharp cultural observation threaded through evocative and relatable stories.
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Inspired
- By Amazon Customer on 01-29-21
By: Kenya Hunt
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The Power of Strangers
- The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World
- By: Joe Keohane
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Power of Strangers, Joe Keohane sets out on a journey to discover what happens when we bridge the distance between us and people we don’t know. He learns that while we’re wired to sometimes fear, distrust, and even hate strangers, people and societies that have learned to connect with strangers benefit immensely.
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Not worth a credit
- By Eringatang on 07-24-21
By: Joe Keohane
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America 3:16
- By: Graham Allen
- Narrated by: Graham Allen
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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What’s the biggest threat to America today? Why are gun rights human rights? And why do so many Christians behave in such un-Christian ways? Graham Allen has the answers. With over two billion views online, the social media star has given a voice to those who feel silenced by the mainstream media and pop culture. Now, with America 3:16, Graham shares a deeper look at the life events that shaped his philosophy on Christianity, politics, family, and country.
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Well written and read
- By Sterling Silver Magnolia on 01-02-21
By: Graham Allen
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Unhooked
- How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love, and Lose at Both
- By: Laura Sessions Stepp
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Here's an eye-opening examination of the "hookup" culture, seen through the experiences of high-school- and college-age women who confront the hard lessons of dating, love, and sex. Stepp follows three groups of young women and comes away with some disturbing insights. Relationships and romance are seen as messy and time-consuming, and love is postponed or, worse, seen as impossible. Many young women can't handle this, and they're being battered physically and emotionally by the new dating landscape.
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Essential Reading for Parents
- By Elton on 04-19-07
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Transition
- The Story of How I Became a Man
- By: Chaz Bono
- Narrated by: Chaz Bono
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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At first, America knew the only child of Sonny and Cher as Chastity, the cherubic little girl who appeared on her parents' TV show. In later years, she became famous for coming out on a national stage, working with two major organizations toward LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) rights and publishing two books. And just within the past 18 months, Chaz Bono has entered the public consciousness as the most high-profile transgender person ever.
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Great book
- By Lisa M. W. on 10-26-19
By: Chaz Bono
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My Two Moms
- Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family
- By: Zach Wahls, Bruce Littlefield
- Narrated by: Kris Koscheski
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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On January 31, 2011, Zach Wahls addressed the Iowa House Judiciary Committee in a public forum regarding civil unions. The 19-year-old son of a same-sex couple, Wahls proudly proclaimed, "The sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character." Hours later, his speech was posted on YouTube, where it went viral, quickly receiving more than two million views. By the end of the week, everyone knew his name and wanted to hear more from the boy with two moms.
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You will not regret listening to this.
- By V. Brown on 06-07-12
By: Zach Wahls, and others
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Sweet Tea
- Black Gay Men of the South
- By: E. Patrick Johnson
- Narrated by: E. Patrick Johnson
- Length: 26 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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A pioneer of LGBTQ studies dares to suggest that gayness is a way of being that gay men must learn from one another to become who they are. The genius of gay culture resides in some of its most despised stereotypes - aestheticism, snobbery, melodrama, glamour, caricatures of women, and obsession with mothers - and in the social meaning of style.
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Very insightful book.
- By Greg on 11-18-18
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Pregnant Girl
- A Story of Teen Motherhood, College, and Creating a Better Future for Young Families
- By: Nicole Lynn Lewis
- Narrated by: Nicky Sunshine
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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An activist calls for better support of young families so they can thrive and reflects on her experiences as a Black mother and college student fighting for opportunities for herself and her child. Pregnant Girl presents the possibility of a different future for young mothers - one of success and stability - in the midst of the dismal statistics that dominate the national conversation.
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Political
- By Amazon Customer on 01-16-23
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Oddly Normal
- One Family's Struggle to Help Their Teenage Son Come to Terms with His Sexuality
- By: John Schwartz
- Narrated by: John Schwartz, Joseph Schwartz
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Three years ago, John Schwartz, a national correspondent for the New York Times, got the call that every parent hopes never to receive: His 13-year-old son, Joe, was in the hospital following a suicide attempt. Mustering the courage to come out to his classmates, Joe had delivered a tirade about homophobic and sexist attitudes that was greeted with unease and confusion by his fellow students. Hours later, he took an overdose of pills.
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The Effect of Parental Caring
- By Wiliam on 01-16-13
By: John Schwartz
What listeners say about Weird
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- chris boutte
- 06-28-21
Awesome book if you feel weird
This was my first introduction to Olga Khazan, and this was a really good book. I know most of us felt “weird” growing up, or we’ve felt out of place in new environments. This was super true for me growing up, and as an introvert with social anxiety, I’ve spent a lot of my life stuck in my head feeling different. Olga starts the book sharing her personal experience moving from Russia to the United States as a child and trying to adapt, and throughout the book she shares more stories from others who have felt weird. The book has an incredible blend of stories and scientific research, so it keeps your attention throughout the book, which explains why I couldn’t stop reading it for hours on end. While reading, you’ll feel less alone, but more importantly, you’ll start to feel empowered. Khazan shares some great stories and studies about how your weirdness can be a massive advantage in this world, and she also dedicates some time to discussing how therapy can help us cope and rewrite our narrative. So, if you can relate to being “weird” or have ever felt alone, this is a must-read book, and I can definitely see myself reading it again in the future.
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- David
- 01-27-21
weird
I thought it was a book that basically helping u out going through life thinking your weird & it was cool to be weird, a critical thinker, you know stuff like that,but no, it was her going on on about people, she was all over the place with it, she seems nice. but it went no where & I was bored & had to give up. its like someone said just talk.
this just my opinion/ just not for me.
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4 people found this helpful
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- C.F.
- 03-02-21
It's entertaining, but...
The author does a good job capturing the emotions of people who have been labeled weird (trangender, a plus sized model, etc), but the book would have been better if the author didn't spend so much time on her autobiography and spent more time on examples of famous people or historical figures who have also been labeled.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Mary T. Peters
- 08-06-20
Weird is An Appropriate Title
Could've been much shorter. I think the author took too much time to establish the fact that some people, a good number of people, are weird (I prefer the word "different"). I would've liked for her to spend much more time on what you do to survive when you are different. what she did provide was excellent. Narrator not appealing.
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33 people found this helpful
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- S. Truman
- 06-18-20
okay. but not earth-shattering
she weaves together a decent narrative combining social science research that is easily available along with some interesting personal insights. fine, but not great.
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19 people found this helpful
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- Robie
- 02-13-21
Feel the name - read the book
Whatever your weird is - you will find yourself. The author is weird and so am I. She nails my stuff from poor me to f**k your attitude.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lehman
- 09-22-21
Interesting read - Not what I expect
This was an interesting book that I almost turned off plenty of times. I made it through the end and have a better understanding of myself maybe, but did not end up with the concrete action plan I had expected. The stores we interesting, and I really admired the strength of those who took charge in their lives.
I have a hard time with subject matter broken down along race, gender, and LGBTQ areas. Not that I don't understand some of the social issues around the area, but sometimes I feel like it hurts the analysis to use that as the main starting point. I am not saying there are no issues in this area, but as a weird straight old white guy, I had to use a lot of identification skills to convert stories and ideas into my own life.
This was possible, though as I said not what I had expected. I did tell my boss - who always looks at me like I am strange, I now understand why I communicate the way I do and why conversations end awkwardly. He said why is that, I said because I am not very practiced in that area. I am sure this makes me seem a little strange. he said, "oh". After a brief silence, I walked away wondering why I felt the need to even share that fact.
These types of things are what allowed me to find common ground.
I still do not have the step-by-step guide I sought, but I have stories of people who preserved.
worth the read.
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- Torstein Skarra
- 01-10-24
Good points, great storytelling but a bit long
Many great points are made throughout the book but the overall impression is that the book could have been half the length
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-10-21
everyone 's weird especially me!
a learning experience from different points of view! I would recommend for all to see perspective.
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2 people found this helpful
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- A M W
- 05-28-21
Weird/different meaning immigrant/ethnicity
The authors personal story is about being an immigrant. And much of what she talks to relates to ethnicity differences. I only made it a third of the way through. Maybe it gets better. But I was hoping for a broader use of the word “weird,” not just ethnicity/immigrant differences. Nevertheless, I think it is well written and read just too... well, focused on ethnicity as the focus for what she considers weird. If that’s something that you can relate to then I think you will enjoy this book. If you looking for a different definition of weird, then not so much.
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1 person found this helpful