Quitting: The Myth of Perseverance and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free

Description

Do you know when to persevere and when to quit? Simone Biles didn't compete in the Tokyo Olympics. Prince Harry and Princess Mako both left their royal families. The Great Resignation rages on and even the New York Times is telling us not to 'be a martyr to grit.' In Quitting, Pulitzer prize-winning writer Julia Keller dives deep into 'the neuroscience of nope,' as well as the social phenomena that drive our reluctance to throw in the towel, to dismantle the myth of perseverance once and for all. Combining reportage from the front lines of neuroscience, pop culture and concrete practical advice for not just why but when and how to quit, Keller gives readers permission to pull the plug, live with intention and shape their own lives without fear and pressure - at work, at home, in our relationships, and beyond. She has spoken to more than 150 experts for this book, from scientists to sociologists to business-psych guru Adam Grant.

Julia Keller PhD is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and journalist who lives in Ohio, US. She was awarded a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University and has been a contributor on CNN and NBC News and previously a chief book critic at The Chicago Tribune.

A compelling mix of science, social critique, and pragmatism, Quitting: A Life Strategy upends the dominant narratives about giving up. Sometimes stepping back really is the right way to move forward in life. * Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and A World Without Email * Julia Keller has flipped the script on one of the most aligned human acts: Quitting. Before you decide to stick with it, gut it out, or see it through, consider the stories and evidence inQuitting: A Life Strategy and give yourself permission to walk away. * Bruce Feiler, New York Times bestselling author of Life is in the Transitions * The world needs more quitters. In her fabulous new book, Julia Keller lays out the compelling case for quitting-explaining why we should quit sooner and more often, and also how to quit. Quitting: A Life Strategy is as entertaining as it is important. * Steven Levitt, New York Times bestselling author of Freakonomics * Julia Keller's Quitting: A Life Strategy offers a timely corrective in a world that's forever telling us to do (and endure) more. This book is a celebration of people learning their limits, standing by their boundaries, and forging new paths when old, back-breaking ways of being have failed them. * Dr. Devon Price, author of Laziness Does Not Exist * Quitting: A Life Strategy is a thoughtful book that challenges conventional wisdom about giving up, blending scientific research with stories of real-life decisions to show how quitting can actually be a powerful way to take control of your life. * Joseph T. Hallinan, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and bestselling author of Why We Make Mistakes * In her beguiling mix of uncanny insight, scientific evidence and human stories, Julia Keller debunks America's deeply ingrained faith in perseverance-in a book that's just unquittable. * Elizabeth Taylor, coauthor of American Pharoah: Richard J. Daley - His Battle for Chicago and the Nation * Julia Keller weaves science, pop culture, and scholarship into a forceful and often funny book that finally settles the argument: Winners DO quit. Keller's book proves that whether you're an impetuous Jerry Maguire type or react with the speed of a slime mold, quitting will be the launchpad into the liberating realm of 'what's next.' * Amy Dickinson, nationally syndicated advice columnist ("Ask Amy") and New York Times bestselling author *