Party of One

The Loners' Manifesto

By: Anneli Rufus

Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer

An essential defense of the people the world loves to revile -- the loners -- yet without whom it would be lost

The Buddha. Rene Descartes. Emily Dickinson. Greta Garbo. Bobby Fischer. J. D. Salinger: Loners, all -- along with as many as 25 percent of the world's population. Loners keep to themselves, and like it that way.

Yet in the press, in films, in folklore, and nearly everywhere one looks, loners are tagged as losers and psychopaths, perverts and pity cases, ogres and mad bombers, elitists and wicked witches. Too often, loners buy into those messages and strive to change, making themselves miserable in the process by hiding their true nature -- and hiding from it. Loners as a group deserve to be reassessed -- to claim their rightful place, rather than be perceived as damaged goods that need to be "fixed."

In Party of One Anneli Rufus--a prize-winning, critically acclaimed writer with talent to burn -- has crafted a morally urgent, historically compelling tour de force -- a long-overdue argument in defense of the loner, then and now. Marshalling a polymath's easy erudition to make her case, assembling evidence from every conceivable arena of culture as well as interviews with experts and loners worldwide and her own acutely calibrated analysis, Rufus rebuts the prevailing notion that aloneness is indistinguishable from loneliness, the fallacy that all of those who are alone don't want to be, and wouldn't be, if only they knew how.

Seeing how loners are and were perceived in our society.

I loved the reading (by the author I think). I may listen to it again. I was sad that I was done. I was such a loner in my youth less so now. 75 YO. Now.

If you are an introvert

I read this over a decade ago and it’s one of the few books I read every year. It set me free when I didn’t fully understand introversion and like so many I was raised with extroverts who had no conception that a person could be perfectly happy by themselves. This book explores how introverts have existed and been misunderstood through the ages. I finally began to respect my need to be alone to think, create,and experience life without distraction. This book gave me the freedom to choose wisely who I spent time with and it wasn’t in social gatherings where I was forced to interact superficially. I love people, one at a time and on a deep friendship level, or the sane members of my family. I can easily say now, “ no thank you” to parties or gatherings that I find miserable and taxing and will have to spend days recovering from. It’s ok if you are wired like this, in fact it has many advantages. Once you respect this you will enjoy life much more.

Great!

Great thorough book about everything Loners.Great narration too.I felt like I needed to listen to this book,I loved it!

Waste

This book is a total waste of time. Beware, keep away from this complete garbage.

Not worth a credit.

-Trite, un-insightful chapter after chapter of weak, self-supporting examples propping up an unconvincing theory and ultimately off-the-mark conclusion.