Books for Grownups - February 2012

LIFESTYLE

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
By Susan Cain
(Crown, $26)
They have good negotiating skills. They are disproportionately creative. But — because they work better alone in a culture dominated by extroverts — they are dismissed and disadvantaged by modern society. "They," of course, are introverts — the one-third to one-half of the population championed (and explained) by business expert Cain in this manifesto celebrating inwardness.

How We Love Now: Sex and the New Intimacy in Second Adulthood
By Suzanne Braun Levine
(Viking, $25.95)
The founding editor of Ms. magazine surveys the love lives of boomer women. The responses are as varied as the "Aging of Aquarius" respondents themselves, ranging from "never been better" to "searching for Mr. Right-Now in cyberspace."

The 7-Minute Solution: Creating a Life with Meaning, 7 Minutes at a Time
By Allyson Lewis
(Free Press, $23)
Motivational speaker and financial advisor Lewis broadens the lessons she taught in The 7-Minute Difference by showing how to focus your attention for seven minutes a day on your big-picture goals, broken down into small actions that will create meaning in your life. The ultimate aim of her regimen: to help you maximize your personal development.

The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things With Money
By Carl Richards
(Penguin/Portfolio, $24.95)
Through personal stories and simple ideas enlivened with a touch of imagery (often literally sketched on the back of a napkin), Richards explains why we so frequently continue to make bad financial choices. The key to success, he says, is to migrate our decision-making center from heart to brain.

Buy High, Sell Higher: Why Buy-and-Hold Is Dead and Other Investing Lessons From CNBC's "The Liquidator"
By Joe Terranova
(Grand Central, $26.99)
Blending case studies with solid advice, Terranova teaches readers the basics of the new investing: Keep an investment calendar; choose professionals for your team; avoid the temptations of day trading; invest in assets you believe are important.