Together The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World

Vivek H Murthy M.D. | 4.84 | 9 ratings and reviews

Recommended by Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, Ben Silbermann, and 3 others. See all reviews

Ranked #34 in Interactions, Ranked #61 in Positivity — see more rankings.

Humans are social creatures: in this simple and obvious fact lies both the problem and the solution to the current crisis of loneliness. In his groundbreaking book, the 19th Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Vivek Murthy makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern: a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today from alcohol and drug addiction to violence to depression and anxiety. Loneliness, he argues, is affecting not only our health but also how our children experience school, how we perform in the workplace, and the sense of division and polarization in our society.

But, at the center of our loneliness is our innate desire to connect. We have evolved to participate in community, to forge lasting bonds with others, to help one another, and to share life experiences. We are, simply, better together.

And yet, in spite of our desire to connect, Dr. Murthy found loneliness in the stories of people everywhere and he wanted to know why. He traveled the country and abroad, meeting with doctors, scientists, children, parents, and community members, and looked to the latest science to better understand why people are feeling so disconnected. It’s no surprise, that in our increasingly complex world, Murthy found equally complex forces contributing to loneliness.

While technology promises to connect us, it can also isolate; while mobility means our loved ones are only a train ride or flight away, we also move away from the communities where we grew up; while we increasingly have the opportunity to pursue our individual destinies, we can put our own goals ahead of our relationships and community; and despite all of the progress we have made in how we talk about mental health, we are still ashamed of feeling lonely. Dr. Murthy further contextualizes the subject with explorations of the social and evolutionary implications of our need to connect and what happens when we find ourselves untethered.

The good news is that with awareness of the causes of our loneliness, comes creative solutions to help ourselves and those we love to create more connected lives. Together offers inspiring and encouraging stories of individuals and communities who are making great strides in helping us to understand that we are not alone.

Told with great compassion and hope, Dr. Murthy makes a powerful and convincing argument for why we can and must build a more connected world.

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Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of Together The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World from the world's leading experts.

Susan Cain AuthorSometimes the most obvious thing is the hardest to see. Thank goodness we have [this author] to light the way toward understanding loneliness and its dark corners. This book is a gift for us all. (Source)

Daniel Pink AuthorMade me rethink much of what I believe about physical health, public policy, and the human condition. By revealing America’s epidemic of loneliness—and then offering an array of remedies for the condition—[The author] has done a great service, and made [this book] the most important book you’ll read this year. (Source)

Ben Silbermann An extraordinary and essential book for our time. With powerful stories and sobering truths, [the author] does a masterful job of showing how, even in the digital age, there’s no substitute for authentic human connection. (Source)

Rankings by Category

Together The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World is ranked in the following categories:

#84 in Death
#70 in Dying

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