Ellen de Bruin
Ellen de Bruin is head of the science desk at the Dutch twin newspapers NRC Handelsblad en nrc.next. She has a phd in psychology and therefore, in her own writing, she mainly covers social sciences and human behavior, but she will write about anything she likes if no one stops her. She has published two books (in Dutch).
The first is Dutch women don’t get depressed: hoe komen die vrouwen zo stoer (2007; the subtitle translates as “How These Women Got So Tough“). It is the Dutch answer to French Women Don’t Get Fat (because that isn’t true either). DWDGD is a sociocultural history of the Dutch woman, from the Dutch Golden Age to our current part-time working days. It is also a user’s guide to Dutch women. New: here is an interview (by Sophie Roell, 14 July 2011) with The Browser about the five books to read after Dutch Women Don’t Get Depressed.
The New York Times / International Herald Tribune wrote about DWDGD: “While the book clearly parodies its French and Japanese rivals, it is underpinned by serious research. And its author does seem to have a point” (Caroline Brothers, 6 June 2007). The Independent on Sunday countered with “De Bruin is scruffy-looking with no hair style [...] With respect, how many of us wish to be Dutch?” (Sarah Sands, 10 June 2007).
That made Ellen want to write her second book: Onsterfelijkheid voor beginners (2009; “Immortality, A Beginners’ Guide“). It is the world’s first self-help book on how to live forever. The reader can choose his or her favourite method with the help of an easy, step-by-step illustrated plan. The author just hopes to attain immortality by means of the book.
Ellen de Bruin is chef wetenschap bij NRC Handelsblad en nrc.next. Zelf schrijft ze vooral over psychologie en menselijk gedrag, maar ze schrijft ook even vrolijk over andere onderwerpen waar ze plezier in heeft. Ze heeft twee boeken gepubliceerd: Dutch women don’t get depressed: hoe komen die vrouwen zo stoer? 2007) en Onsterfelijkheid voor beginners 2009). Beide zijn verschenen bij uitgeverij Contact. Meer informatie op de pagina Boeken.
