Why am I passionate about this?

The truth is, I’ve never fit in. I'm always asking questions like: Why do we do it that way? And, what if we tried this instead? These types of questions, however, though intriguing to me and other creatives, make the keepers of the status quo really nervous. As a professor and narrative inquiry researcher, I study the stories of people who've been silenced—extracting the characters, plot, and setting these narratives have in common. For workplace abuse survivors, a salient theme is they think big! To support this mission, I'm on the Executive Board and serve as the Education Director for the National Workplace Bullying Coalition and am a regular contributor to Psychology Today. 


I wrote

Workplace Bullying: Finding Your Way to Big Tent Belonging

By Dorothy Suskind,

Book cover of Workplace Bullying: Finding Your Way to Big Tent Belonging

What is my book about?

This is the story of workplace abuse. We begin by looking at the cast of characters who play roles in…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides

Dorothy Suskind Why did I love this book?

As a narrative inquiry researcher, I study stories of people who have experienced a shared phenomenon, such as workplace bullying, sexual assault, or a natural disaster. Almost without exception, the initial plotlines are ones of devastation.

Over the years, I have attempted to come to a deeper understanding of where the hurt resides. Cohen answers that question, documenting for the reader how our desire to be a contributing member of a community is at the center of our striving, and how the surest way to wound another is by pushing them outside the inner circle. The cruelest of all acts is to revoke someone’s belonging to their community, and more tragically, themselves.

In Cohen’s masterful book, he shares stories and details the research on why our need to belong is an essential ingredient of being human and offers the reader fruitful ways to form more meaningful connections. 

By Geoffrey L. Cohen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Belonging as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Stanford University psychology professor Geoffrey L. Cohen has used science to show that when people don't have a sense of belonging, negative consequences often follow: diminished performance at school and work, poorer health, increased levels of hostility and more divisive politics. This book offers concrete steps that we can all take to foster belonging.

Cohen is known for major studies revealing practical actions ("wise interventions") that creatively reduce conflict in all areas of life. Something as simple as affirming your core values before a test can markedly increase your score. Helping others in even small matters can improve health and…


Book cover of Shattered Assumptions

Dorothy Suskind Why did I love this book?

I am a voracious reader, digesting several books a week. Every once in a while, a book stops me in my tracks, charging me to yell to myself and anyone who will listen - “Yes, yes, that is it!” This is exactly how I felt when I read Janoff-Bulman’s explanation of how trauma sleeps not in the “what” of the story but in how that “what” shatters our assumptions of a benevolent world, making us question if the world is inherently good, if events are meaningful, and whether we are truly worthy.

As both a survivor and researcher of workplace abuse, bullying on the job shatters all of these assumptions - charging the target to doubt the benevolence of the workplace, the predictability of the work environment, and the innate belief that we are inherently worthy despite the workplace gossip that hijacked our narrative.

This seasoned but timeless book talks to the reader with gentleness and compassion, explaining how survivors of trauma often blame themselves for events and circumstances that are outside of their control, and how this self-incrimination eats away at the parts of us that are most beautiful. This book is both a roadmap in and out of trauma, offering an explanation of the shattering and a blueprint for rebirth. 

By Ronnie Janoff-Bulman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shattered Assumptions as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book investigates the psychology of victimization. It shows how fundamental assumptions about the world's meaningfulness and benevolence are shattered by traumatic events, and how victims become subject to self-blame in an attempt to accommodate brutality. The book is aimed at all those who for personal or professional reasons seek to understand what psychological trauma is and how to recover from it.


Book cover of Overcoming Mobbing: A Recovery Guide for Workplace Aggression and Bullying

Dorothy Suskind Why did I love this book?

As a workplace bullying researcher, my bookshelves are filled with hundreds of books specifically and adjacent to the topics of workplace abuse, toxic environments, creative cultures, and destructive leadership.

Of all the books I have read on the topic, Duffy’s and Sperry’s is the best. Coming from both a research and clinical perspective, they clearly lay out the causes, significance, and often tragic fallout of workplace abuse.

In addition, they bring the concept of mobbing, a term more often used in Europe, to the United States, detailing the trauma that ensues when a group of people joins forces, exhibiting the predatory behavior of pack animals, with the shared mission to denigrate the target’s reputation and drive her out of a job.

Most importantly, after offering the reader a rich education on toxic group dynamics, they give specific strategies survivors can use to heal and eventually thrive in the workplace. 

By Maureen Duffy, Len Sperry,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Overcoming Mobbing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Mobbing is a destructive social process in which individuals, groups, or organizations target a person for ridicule, humiliation, and removal from the workplace. It can lead to deteriorating physical and mental health, workplace violence, and even suicide. Studies indicate that as many as 37% of American workers have experienced workplace abuse at some time in their working lives.

Overcoming Mobbing is an informative, comprehensive guidebook written for the victims of mobbing and their families who often can't make sense of the experience or mobilize resources for recovery. In an engaging, reader-friendly style, the book distinguishes mobbing from bullying in that…


Book cover of Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

Dorothy Suskind Why did I love this book?

It was my research on creativity that led me to study workplace abuse.

Surprisingly, there are remarkable similarities among targets of bullying; most salient, they tend to shake the status quo at work while exploring and offering novel solutions to institutionalized problems. Unfortunately, as Grant details in his research, instead of embracing these innovators as forecasters of the future, organizations attempt to silence and minimize their contributions.

However, creatives are not in it for the money or accolades, but for the love of the game and dedication to the mission, thus when they are forced to bow to tradition and play smaller than who they were born to be, they exit the stifling work environment, thus further stagnating an already lagging work culture.

In this book, Grant brilliantly hails the power of the creative to both change our minds and change the world, urging institutions to give them space to explore the big ideas that will revolutionize our tomorrows. 

By Adam Grant,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Originals as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller that examines how people can champion new ideas in their careers and everyday life-and how leaders can fight groupthink, from the author of Think Again and co-author of Option B

"Filled with fresh insights on a broad array of topics that are important to our personal and professional lives."-The New York Times DealBook

"Originals is one of the most important and captivating books I have ever read, full of surprising and powerful ideas. It will not only change the way you see the world; it might just change the way you live your life.…


Book cover of Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away

Dorothy Suskind Why did I love this book?

A book on quitting may seem like a downer to end my list of recommendations, but if that is what you think, you’ve got quitting all wrong.

Quitting is not about endings, but about clearing the page so there is space to write the next story. In this thought-jostling book, Duke brings the reader into the lives of notable characters who stayed in the game too long and the high price they paid for not walking away.

Throughout her engaging narratives, she infuses research on why we hang on too long and offers reflective questions to get us out of the muck. Threaded amongst the chapters are life lessons disguised on quips like when we quit on time, it likely feels like we are giving up too early, and when it looks like a tie between sticking it out and cutting our losses, we are almost always better walking away.

Each week people email me stories of their toxic work environments, asking for advice on how to make it better. My got to answer, backed by research,  is  - “If possible, quit!.” Quitting just may be the new winning. 

By Annie Duke,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Quit as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Brilliant and entertaining' Daniel Kahneman | 'Quit what you are doing right now and read this' Richard Thaler | 'Engrossing, important, and grounded in science' Katy Milkman

What if the secret to success is not just hard work, but knowing when to change track?

In this game-changing guide, decision-making expert Annie Duke shows why quitting what holds you back is essential for success. Drawing on new research and fascinating examples, this book offers practical strategies and explains:

Why it's so hard to walk away
How to identify when it's best to persevere or pivot
How quitting on time often feels…


Explore my book 😀

Workplace Bullying: Finding Your Way to Big Tent Belonging

By Dorothy Suskind,

Book cover of Workplace Bullying: Finding Your Way to Big Tent Belonging

What is my book about?

This is the story of workplace abuse. We begin by looking at the cast of characters who play roles in the bully war. Next, we examine the settings, looking at work cultures that tolerate and, at times, encourage abusive behavior. Then we make sense of the plotlines in which bullies target their organization’s most innovative and ethical employees. Once the storyline is explained, we explore the physical and emotional fallout of workplace bullying and detail tools survivors can use to reclaim their narrative. The book concludes by highlighting characteristics of creative cultures and presenting a theory of workplace abuse called “Closed Circles vs Big Tent Belonging.” At the conclusion of each chapter is an invitation to readers to explore the content creatively as they rewrite and reclaim their story. 

Book cover of Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides
Book cover of Shattered Assumptions
Book cover of Overcoming Mobbing: A Recovery Guide for Workplace Aggression and Bullying

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Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

By Lyle Greenfield,

Book cover of Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

Lyle Greenfield Author Of Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by group dynamics, large and small. Why things functioned well, why they didn’t. It’s possible my ability to empathize and use humor as a consensus-builder is the reason I was elected president of a homeowners association, a music production association, and even an agricultural group. Books were not particularly involved in this fascination! But in recent years, experiencing the breakdown of civility and trust in our political and cultural discourse, I’ve taken a more analytical view of the dynamics. These books, in their very different ways, have taught me lessons about life, understanding those with different beliefs, and finding ways to connect and move forward. 

Lyle's book list on restoring your belief in human possibility

What is my book about?

We’ve all experienced the overwhelming level of political and social divisiveness in our country. This invisible “virus” of negativity is, in part, the result of the name-calling and heated rhetoric that has become commonplace among commentators and elected leaders alike. 

My book provides a clear perspective on the historical and modern-day causes of our nation's divisive state. It then proposes easy-to-understand solutions—an action plan for our elected leaders and citizens as well. Rather than a scholarly treatment of a complex topic, the book challenges us to take the obvious steps required of those living in a free democracy. And it…

Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

By Lyle Greenfield,

What is this book about?

Lyle Greenfield's "Uniting the States of America―A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation" is a work of nonfiction and opinion. Incorporating the lessons of history and the ideas and wisdom of many, it is intended as both an educational resource and a call-to-action for citizens concerned about the politically and culturally divided state of our Union. A situation that has raised alarm for the very future of our democracy.

First, the book clearly identifies the causes of what has become a national crisis of belief in and love for our country. How the divisiveness and hostility rampant in our political…


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