Browne, Joy 1950-

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BROWNE, Joy 1950-

PERSONAL: Born October 24, 1950, in New Orleans, LA; children: Patience. Education: Rice University, B.A. (cum laude), 1966; Northeastern University, M.A., 1968, Ph.D., 1972; doctoral study at Tufts University. Politics: "Independent." Religion: "Heathen."

ADDRESSES: Home—270 West 17th St., New York, NY 10011. office—1440 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10018.

CAREER: Psychotherapist, radio on-air personality, and author. Worked as experimental psychologist for Sperry Rand Research Center, 1966-67; photo-optical engineer, human factors analyst, and systems analyst, for Itek Corp., 1967-69; Boston Redevelopment Authority, Boston, MA, director of social services, 1969-71; South Shore Counseling Associates, Hanover, MA, staff psychologist, director of community education, and member of board of directors, 1972-77; private practice in adult psychotherapy, 1977-82; WITS Radio, Boston, MA, on-air personality, 1978-82; KGO Radio, San Francisco, CA, on-air personality, 1982-84; KCBS Radio, Los Angeles, CA, host and producer of KCBS Newsmagazine, 1984, host, producer and writer, 1985-87; WABC Radio, New York, NY, on-air personality, 1985-87; ABC News Radio, on-air personality, 1987-1990; Daynet Radio, on-air personality, 1990-92; WOR Radio Network, New York, NY, host of Dr. Joy Presents, 1992-98. Contributor to television programs, including, Five and Eleven O' clock News, KGO, 1982-85; KGO-AM San Francisco, 1982-86; Alan Thicke Show, 1983-84; Regis Philbin Lifestyles, 1985-90; WABC Five O' clock News, 1985-92, Sunday News, 1995; Good Advice, Columbia Television Syndicate, host, 1986-87; Avenues, 1986-92; I.D., 1989-90; Hotline, King World Lifetime, pilot, 1991; Your Cheating Heart, Lifetime, 1997; Charles Grodin, 1997; Dr. Joy Browne, Eyemark Syndication, 1999. Also appeared in Good Morning America, Geraldo, Jenny Jones, Montel Williams, Tim & Daphne, and Regis & Kathie Lee Home Show. Lecturer at Northeastern University, 1971. Member of Hull Citizens Advisory Council; member of City Wide Relocation Committee; member of advisory council of South End Center for Alcoholics, 1969-71; Participant in archaeological excavations in France and the United States. Consultant to Federal Trade Commission.

MEMBER: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Anthropological Association, Authors Guild of Authors League of America, American Academy of Science, American Psychological Association, American Sociological Association, American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, Society for American Archaeology, Society for the Study of Social Problems, Phi Kappa Phi.

AWARDS, HONORS: Communicator of the Year award, Phi Beta Kappa, 1992; named among twenty-five outstanding broadcasters, USA Today, 1995-96; named among twenty-five most influential talk-show hosts, Talkers, 1995; named among 100 most influential talkers, Legend LA, 1996; Legend of Louisiana designation, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, 1996; best female talk-show host designation, National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts, 1996, 1997; Female Talk-Show Host of the Year, Vanity Fair Hall of Fame, 1996; President's Award, American Psychological Association, 1998; Syndicated Talk Show of the Year nominee, Radio & Records, 2002.

WRITINGS:

The Used Car Game: A Sociology of the Bargain, Heath (New York, NY), 1973.

The Field Experience, edited by P. Golden, Penguin (New York, NY), 1979.

Nobody's Perfect: Advice for Blame-free Living, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1988.

Why They Don't Call When They Say They Will—And Other Mixed Signals, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1989.

Dating for Dummies: A Reference for the Rest of Us!, Running Press (Philadelphia, PA), 1997.

The Nine Fantasies That Will Ruin Your Life (And the Eight Realities That Will Save You), Crown (New York, NY), 1998.

It's a Jungle out There, Jane: Understanding the Male Animal, Crown (New York, NY), 1999.

Getting Unstuck: Eight Simple Steps to Solving Any Problem, Hay House (Carlsbad, CA), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Joy Browne has parlayed her experience as a clinical psychologist into a career as a popular presenter for radio and television. Her syndicated shows feature call-in and studio guests who share their relationship issues. Her books include an entry in the "Dummies" series of how-to volumes popularized during the late 1990s. Browne's Dating for Dummies, far from talking down to its audience, is a "professional, insightful, and very readable examination of dating," according to Library Journal contributor David Turkalo.

Browne's It's a Jungle out There, Jane: Understanding the Male Animal "counters the Mars/Venus theory with an evolutionary interpretation of male behavior most likely to be appreciated by Janes—and Tarzans— with a sense of humor," as a Publishers Weekly contributor noted. "The key to understanding men," Vanessa Bush summarized Browne's theory in Booklist, "is to examine their behavior in the context of animal behavior with a special emphasis on dominance, aggressiveness, and status."

In 2002 Browne published Getting Unstuck: Eight Simple Steps to Solving Any Problem. On her Web site the author lists a number of "self-defeating" behaviors that must be overcome if one is to get "unstuck" from past woes. For instance, to insure an unsatisfying life, "look for someone to blame … make blame crucial to your life. Don't be shy, be willing to blame everyone—your parents, ex-lovers, kids, bosses, and high school classmates. Blame your height, weight, the color of your hair, your country of origin, neighborhood, ethnicity, shoe size, diet, and the fact that you didn't get a pony when you were seven." "Pretty good advice" fills Getting Unstuck, according to Douglas Lord in Library Journal, the critic going on to add that Browne writes in a manner that is "easy yet insightful and informative."

Psychologist/broadcaster Browne augments her professional career with volunteer work, including helping out at the Herbert G. Birch Summer Project, a camp for HIV-positive children.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Booklist, September 15, 1989, review of Why They Don't Call When They Say They Will—And Other Mixed Signals, p. 121; September 1, 1999, Vanessa Bush, review of It's a Jungle out There, Jane: Understanding the Male Animal, p. 3.

Contemporary Psychology, October, 1990, review of Why They Don't Call When They Say They Will, p. 1001.

Heathline, February, 1989, Bettina Wood, review of Nobody's Perfect: Advice for Blame-free Living, p. 15.

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 1989, review of Why They Don't Call When They Say They Will, p. 1393.

Library Journal, October 1, 1989, Barbara Hoffert, review of Why They Don't Call When They Say They Will, p. 109; February 15 1998, David Turkalo, review of Dating for Dummies, p. 161; August, 2002, Douglas Lord, review of Getting Unstuck: Eight Simple Steps to Solving Any Problem, pp. 121-122.

Publishers Weekly, April 22, 1988, Genevieve Stuttaford, review of Nobody's Perfect, p. 70; September 1, 1998, review of The Nine Fantasies That Will Ruin Your Life, p. 63; August 9, 1999, review of It's a Jungle out There, Jane, p. 332.