quirkyalone (kwur.kee.uh.lohn) n. adj. A person who enjoys being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than date for the sake of being in a couple. With unique traits and an optimistic spirit; a sensibility that transcends relationship status. Also adj. Of, relating to, or embodying quirkyalones. See also: romantic, idealist, independent. Are you a quirkyalone? Do you know someone who is? Do you believe life can be prosperous and great with or without a mate? Do you value your friendships as much as your romantic relationships? Do gut instincts guide your most important decisions? Are you often among the first on the dance floor? Coupled or single, man or woman, social butterfly or shrinking violet, quirkyalones have walked among us, invisible until now. Through the coining of a new word, this tribe has been given a voice. Meet the quirkyalones. Read about: The quirkyalone nation: where we live, what we do Quirkytogethers (quirkyalones who have entered long–term relationships) Sex and the single quirkyalone Romantic obsession: the dark side of the quirkyalone's romantic personality Quirkyalones throughout history (profiles in courage)

People who are single are changing the face of America. Did you know that: * More than 40 percent of the nation's adults---over 87 million people---are divorced, widowed, or have always been single. * There are more households comprised of single people living alone than of married parents and their children. * Americans now spend more of their adult years single than married. Many of today's single people have engaging jobs, homes that they own, and a network of friends. This is not the 1950s---singles can have sex without marrying, and they can raise smart, successful, and happy children. It should be a great time to be single. Yet too often single people are still asked to defend their single status by an onslaught of judgmental peers and fretful relatives. Prominent people in politics, the popular press, and the intelligentsia have all taken turns peddling myths about marriage and singlehood. Marry, they promise, and you will live a long, happy, and healthy life, and you will never be lonely again. Drawing from decades of scientific research and stacks of stories from the front lines of singlehood, Bella DePaulo debunks the myths of singledom---and shows that just about everything you've heard about the benefits of getting married and the perils of staying single are grossly exaggerated or just plain wrong. Although singles are singled out for unfair treatment by the workplace, the marketplace, and the federal tax structure, they are not simply victims of this singlism. Single people really are living happily ever after. Filled with bracing bursts of truth and dazzling dashes of humor, Singled Out is a spirited and provocative read for the single, the married, and everyone in between. You will never think about singlehood or marriage the same way again. Singled Out debunks the Ten Myths of Singlehood, including: Myth #1: The Wonder of Couples: Marrieds know best. Myth #3: The Dark Aura of Singlehood: You are miserable and lonely and your life is tragic. Myth #5: Attention, Single Women: Your work won't love you back and your eggs will dry up. Also, you don't get any and you're promiscuous. Myth #6: Attention, Single Men: You are horny, slovenly, and irresponsible, and you are the scary criminals. Or you are sexy, fastidious, frivolous, and gay. Myth #7: Attention, Single Parents: Your kids are doomed. Myth #9: Poor Soul: You will grow old alone and you will die in a room by yourself where no one will find you for weeks. Myth #10: Family Values: Let's give all of the perks, benefits, gifts, and cash to couples and call it family values. "With elegant analysis, wonderfully detailed examples, and clear and witty prose, DePaulo lays out the many, often subtle denigrations and discriminations faced by single adults in the U.S. She addresses, too, the resilience of single women and men in the face of such singlism. A must-read for all single adults, their friends and families, as well as social scientists and policy advocates." ---E. Kay Trimberger, author of The New Single Woman

A close-up examination and exploration, How We Live Now challenges our old concepts of what it means to be a family and have a home, opening the door to the many diverse and thriving experiments of living in twenty-first century America. Across America and around the world, in cities and suburbs and small towns, people from all walks of life are redefining our “lifespaces”—the way we live and who we live with. The traditional nuclear family in their single-family home on a suburban lot has lost its place of prominence in contemporary life. Today, Americans have more choices than ever before in creating new ways to live and meet their personal needs and desires. Social scientist, researcher, and writer Bella DePaulo has traveled across America to interview people experimenting with the paradigm of how we live. In How We Live Now, she explores everything from multi-generational homes to cohousing communities where one’s “family” is made up of friends and neighbors to couples “living apart together” to single-living, and ultimately uncovers a pioneering landscape for living that throws the old blueprint out the window. Through personal interviews and stories, media accounts, and in-depth research, How We Live Now explores thriving lifespaces, and offers the reader choices that are freer, more diverse, and more attuned to our modern needs for the twenty-first century and beyond.

A social psychologist examines the widespread cultural bias against unmarried adults, debunks commonly held myths about singlehood, and challenges the financial, social, economic, and other discrimination that single adults confront.

Collection of more than 60 articles published in places such as Psychology Today, Psych Central, and the Washington Post.

Bella DePaulo (Ph.D, Harvard) has been writing about single life for well over a decade, beginning with her myth-shattering book, "Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After." This collection includes some of her most popular and empowering writings from her "Living Single" blog at Psychology Today as well as other articles readers have loved. The book includes 8 sections:1. Why Singles Are Thriving - Despite All You've Heard to the Contrary2. Single Life: We Chose It3. Mocking Those 'Why Are You Single' Lists4. The Good Life and the Successful Life5. Savoring Our Solitude: Choosing to Spend Time Alone6. Valuing Our Relationships: Choosing to Spend Time with Others7. Sex and the Single Person: Have It Your Way - or Just Skip It8. Are We Missing Out by Being Single - or Are They? Among the 65 articles in the book are:* 7 secrets of successful single people* Who wrote the book of love? Happy single people* Fear not: The advantages of people unafraid to be single* Are single people more resilient than everyone else?* Why aren't married people any happier than singles? A Nobel Prize winner's answer* Wedding porn doesn't turn us on: Age at first marriage has never been higher* The last 'why are you single' list you will ever need* Elements of the good life: Our list is too short* Sweet solitude: The benefits it brings and the special strengths of the people who enjoy it* The happy loner* Best things about living alone - for people who mean it* Single, no children: Who's your family?* If you are single, will you grow old alone? Results from 6 nations* Who keeps siblings together when they become adults? * Bigger, broader meanings of love and romance* Getting married and getting sex (or not)* Asexuals: Who are they and why are they important? * Are monogamous relationships really better?* 23 ways singles are better* What you miss by doing what everyone else does* Top 8 reasons not to marry* Keeping marriage alive with affairs, asexuality, polyamory, and living apart* How many married people wish they were single?* The end of marriage

'America's foremost thinker and writer on the single experience ' Atlantic 'Bella DePaulo isn't just a powerhouse, she's a lighthouse ... We need more luminaries like her' Catherine Gray, author of The Unexpected Joy of Being Single All too often, society issues dire warnings about the risks of single living. But is finding a romantic partner really a requirement for a full life? World-leading expert on single life Dr Bella DePaulo argues that a healthy, happy life is possible not in spite of being single - but because of it. DePaulo draws on her research expertise, as well as her own experience as a single woman, to demonstrate how choosing to be single can provide confidence, strength and deep fulfilment. With advice on topics including solitude, freedom, intimacy, children and societal pressure, Single at Heart addresses misconceptions about single life and gives you the tools and self-knowledge to stand up for what is right for you.