Anna Akbari is an American author, entrepreneur, and sociologist specializing in the sociology of style and self-presentation.[1]
Early life and education
editAkbari grew up in Iowa and studied theater at a performing arts boarding school in Michigan.[2]
Career
editAkbari received her B.A. from New York University and her Ph.D. from The New School.[3] She did her doctoral work in visual sociology, studying power dressing[4] and "aspirational identity".[5] She held faculty positions at New York University[4] and Parsons School of Design.[6] Akbari worked in the fashion industry and owned a company called Closet Catharsis which had the slogan "Fashion your identity. Empower your life".[4] She also founded the companies Splice and Bricoler.[7] She serves on the Gotham Book Prize jury.[3]
In her book Startup Your Life, as Akbari explained in Time, she outlined relationship hacks, including networking in-person, building emotional intelligence, and finding your "minimum viable product" by understanding your core values.[8] Publishers Weekly noted that Akbari's entrepreneurial approach was sound, if sometimes more applicable to business situations than to personal challenges such as healthy eating.[9] In The Enneagram at Work, Akbari proposed applying the Enneagram to your relationships and career.[10]
Akbari's book There is No Ethan described her own experience being catfished and joining with other victims to expose the perpetrator.[5] The New York Times reviewer Katie J. M. Baker described There is No Ethan as a riveting piece of investigative journalism billed as a memoir, noting that Akbari begins to explore ethical questions regarding aspirational identity and the power of physicians in the epilogue, and concluding that the book is "a valiant attempt to hold a manipulator accountable".[5] The gender-bending aspect of the catfishing led Bustle reviewer Arianna Rebolini to recommend it for Pride Month: "this memoir is not LGBTQ but I simply had to mention it".[11]
Books
edit- There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Uncovered America's Biggest Catfish, Grand Central Publishing, 2024. ISBN 978-1538742198[12]
- The Enneagram at Work: Unlocking the Power of Type to Lead and Succeed (with Jim McPartlin), St. Martin's Press, 2021. ISBN 978-1250777225
- Startup Your Life: Hustle and Hack Your Way To Happiness, St. Martin's Press, 2016. ISBN 978-1250099167[13]
References
edit- ^ Torgerson, Rachel (October 18, 2018). "A Fashion Sociologist Tells You Exactly What Kate and Meghan's Royal Style Means". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Austin, Natalie (January 9, 2017). "AWNY Interview with Author & Adopted Aussie – Anna Akbari". Australian Women in New York. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
- ^ a b "Meet the Jury: Gotham Book Prize". Gotham Book Prize. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c Fletcher, Tiffany (December 26, 2011). "The "Thinking Person's Stylist": NYU's Anna Akbari". Forbes. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c Baker, Katie J. M. (June 4, 2024). "'There Is No Ethan' Is a Jaw-Dropping Tale of Digital Deception". The New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Pinkhasov, Misha (July 23, 2018). "The Power of Fashion: Decoding World Leaders' Sartorial Choices". Vogue. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Akbari, Anna (November 7, 2011). "A Personal Guide to Digital Happiness". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Akbari, Anna (December 13, 2016). "3 Ways to Turn Partnerships Into Lasting Happiness". Time. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ "PW Picks: Startup Your Life: Hustle and Hack Your Way to Happiness". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ "The Enneagram at Work". Blinklist. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Rebolini, Arianna (June 12, 2024). "6 Lesser-Known Books To Read This Pride Month". Bustle. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Reviews of There Is No Ethan:
- "PW Picks: There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America's Biggest Catfish". Publishers Weekly. June 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- Rebolini, Arianna (June 12, 2024). "6 Lesser-Known Books To Read This Pride Month". Bustle. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- Vilhauer, Dr. Monica (June 19, 2024). "A Hidden Threat of Online Dating Sites". Psychology Today. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- Tagen-Dye, Carly; Schumer, Lizz (June 30, 2024). "PEOPLE's Best Books of June 2024". People. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- Johnson, Kat (June 10, 2024). "There Is No Ethan is a worst-case online dating scenario that will haunt you". Audible. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- Baker, Katie J. M. (June 4, 2024). "There Is No Ethan Is a Jaw-Dropping Tale of Digital Deception". The New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Reviews of Startup Your Life:
- "PW Picks: Startup Your Life: Hustle and Hack Your Way to Happiness". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- Akbari, Anna (December 13, 2016). "3 Ways to Turn Partnerships Into Lasting Happiness". Time. Retrieved October 21, 2024.