Susan Pinker

Psychologist, Journalist, and Author of The Sexual Paradox

The Sexual Paradox; Teaching to Their Strengths; Working in 2020

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Psychologist, journalist and best-selling author Susan Pinker is one of the world's leading experts on the fundamental-- and biological -- differences between the sexes, and how these differences play out across a lifetime: in grade school, during university, and at the workplace. Her book, The Sexual Paradox, is an engrossing and important read for thought-leaders in business and education -- anyone who needs to understand the real differences between males and females: how they think, how they behave, what will sway them, and how each defines success. The book caused an international sensation, is available in 18 countries, and was awarded the prestigious William James Book Award in 2009, given by the American Psychological Association.

A seasoned observer who writes about the social sciences, and an expert on interpersonal communications at work, Susan Pinker is the author of Problem Solving, an empirically based advice column for The Globe and Mail's business section. She regularly writes opinions and feature articles on psychology, public policy, education, behavioral economics, and business for the international press. Her ideas have been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Times of London, and Oprah Magazine, among many other publications. Her blog, The Business Brain, is an endlessly useful examination of the underlying science of the working world and current events. She has spend over two decades in clinical practice, has seen thousands of clients, and is a former teacher at McGill University. She lives in Montreal with her husband and three children.

Susan Pinker Speech Topics

The Sexual Paradox

Why is there still a shortage of women in business, politics, engineering and science? Why do many male high school drop-outs earn more than the ambitious girls they sat beside in school? In this entertaining and accessible talk, Susan Pinker answers provocative questions deeply relevant to business leaders: Why do companies have a hard time retaining women at upper level positions? Why do many gifted girls opt out of successful careers as they near the top? Why do men and women make different career choices, how does each define success, and how can you leverage this knowledge -- this empirical data -- to your advantage? Pinker looks at the roots of sex differences, showing us how the genders solve problems, make decisions and prioritize differently. How are verbal skills, empathy, aggression and competition different in males and females? Drawing on neuroscience, genetics, economics and pop culture, Pinker gives an invaluable talk, showing you how to react to, anticipate and cater to the intrinsic traits of each gender.

Teaching to Their Strengths: How Gender Differences Can Drive Best Practices in Education

How can we improve current classroom practices to maximize success in both boys and girls? Empirical evidence shows that the two sexes have different approaches to learning, attention and motivation; how we use this information is the key to better learning for all. Four times as many boys as girls are dyslexic, three times as many have ADHD, and twice as many have severe behavioral problems. School dropouts are twice as likely to be male, while university graduates are 20 to 30 percent more likely to be female. How can we account for and correct these patterns? Diving into the science, we learn that girls' hearing perception is more acute in the primary school years; they are better attuned to teacher-centered learning. But their performance is more hampered by social conflict and winner-take-all types of competition. This is just a small smattering of new evidence on the subtle differences between boys and girls -- differences that affect how they learn. In an instructive talk, Pinker ably and accessibly takes all this into account, showing you how to apply the latest science to maximize your students' success.

Working in the Year 2020

A perfect talk for HR groups, managers, and anyone interested in how to understand, attract and retain the workforce of the future, which will look radically different than the workforce of today. How will work evolve over the next decade? In the last year, 80% of recession-related job losses were experienced by men. Compared to the retraction in finance, manufacturing, and agriculture, the education, medical and service sectors are expanding, and the higher percentage of female university graduates will bring more women to higher levels of management and the professions. Companies will need to adjust their cultures -- in work-life balance, autonomy and social responsibility -- if they want to survive the influx of women, younger workers, and offshore employees, all groups with differing views of loyalty and career-building. Pinker shows you what's relevant, and what's not, looking at how these trends affect your work environment today and how to prepare for the next wave of employees.

VIDEOS

LINKS

SusanPinker.com

The Business Brain

BOOKS

The Sexual Paradox: Extreme Men, Gifted Women and the Real Gender Gap

ARTICLES

Sex education is too important to be left to parents - The Globe and Mail

Do Women Make Better Bosses? - The New York Times

Someone to watch over me - The Globe and Mail

Are Girls Wired Not to Win? - Times Online

All Speakers > Susan Pinker

GAYLE LEMMON at TEDxWOMEN

"If you're going to talk about jobs, then you have to talk about entrepreneurs," says Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. "And if you're talking about entrepreneurs in conflict and post-conflict settings, then you must talk about women." Lemmon is the author of the New York Times bestselling book The Dressmaker of Khair Khana and a Contributing Editor-at-Large for Newsweek and The Daily Beast. She has devoted her life to shedding light on the resiliency of female entrepreneurs, and their remarkable power to reshape local economies. By recognizing and investing in these female breadwinners, Lemmon says, we can help grow economies of all development levels around the world.