Frans de Waal
“A magnificent exposé.”
Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection
by John T. Cacioppo, William PatrickView All Available Formats & Editions
“One of the most important books about the human condition to appear in a decade.”—Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness
University of Chicago social neuroscientist John T. Cacioppo unveils his pioneering research on the startling effects of loneliness: a sense of isolation or social rejection disrupts not only our thinking
Overview
“One of the most important books about the human condition to appear in a decade.”—Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness
University of Chicago social neuroscientist John T. Cacioppo unveils his pioneering research on the startling effects of loneliness: a sense of isolation or social rejection disrupts not only our thinking abilities and will power but also our immune systems, and can be as damaging as obesity or smoking. A blend of biological and social science, this book demonstrates that, as individuals and as a society, we have everything to gain, and everything to lose, in how well or how poorly we manage our need for social bonds.
Editorial Reviews
Shelley E. Taylor
“Wise, beautifully written, and often funny . . . a tour-de-force.”Publishers Weekly
Eleanor Rigby might have been in worse shape than the Beatles imagined: not only lonely but angry, depressed and in ill health. University of Chicago research psychologist Cacioppo shows in studies that loneliness can be harmful to our overall well-being. Loneliness, he says, impairs the ability to feel trust and affection, and people who lack emotional intimacy are less able to exercise good judgment in socially ambiguous situations; this makes them more vulnerable to bullying as children and exploitation by "unscrupulous salespeople" in old age. But Cacioppo and Patrick (editor of the Journal of Life Sciences) want primarily to apply evolutionary psychology to explain how our brains have become hard-wired to have regular contact with others to aid survival. So intense is the need to connect, say the authors, that isolated individuals sometimes form "parasocial relations" with pets or TV characters. The authorsa' advice for dealing with loneliness-psychotherapy, positive thinking, random acts of kindness-are overly general, but this isna't a self-help book. It does present a solid scientific look at the physical and emotional impact of loneliness. 12 illus. (Aug. 25)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Library Journal
Neuroscientist Cacioppo (psychology, Univ. of Chicago) and science writer Patrick present a solid scientific analysis of the physical and emotional impact of loneliness on the human body, looking to variations in brain scans, blood pressure, and immune function to demonstrate the overpowering influence and broader social context of this factor they find strong enough to alter DNA replication. Three-time Audie® Award winner Dick Hill's (
—Dale Farris
Kirkus Reviews
An absorbing account of our genetically programmed need for each other's company. Cacioppo (Psychology/Univ. of Chicago), president of the Association for Psychological Science, and Patrick, editor in chief of the Journal of Life Sciences, offer a serious but enjoyable study of loneliness and its surprisingly harmful consequences. For millennia, primitive hominids roamed the African savannah in bands that were essential for fending off large carnivores. Few isolated individuals survived long enough to pass on their genes, so our DNA promotes sociability for sound evolutionary reasons. Long before civilization and the death penalty, the worst punishment a criminal could expect was ostracism. "Loner" is a word often seen in articles on serial killers. The authors rock no boats by explaining that personal happiness as well as material success requires the ability to manage the give-and-take of human interaction. They deliver some jolts describing what happens in the absence of social connections. High-tech research and population studies prove that lonely people suffer more than emotional stress. They fall ill more quickly, recover slowly and live shorter lives. While traditional culprits-lack of social support and unhealthy habits-contribute, it's clear that isolation produces disease by impairing immunity, slowing wound repair and accelerating the aging process. Research subjects persuaded that they are unpopular show impaired judgment and a slower ability to solve problems. Those looking for cheerful advice on winning friends, attracting lovers and forging alliances with colleagues should move on to the self-help section of their bookstores, but they should also read Cacioppo andPatrick's work. It provides convincing evidence that lonely people shoot themselves in the foot by harboring irrational fears of those whose friendship they seek. Top-notch science writing: stimulating and useful information conveyed in accessible prose. Agent: Lisa Adams/The Garamond Agency
From the Publisher
"Top-notch science writing: stimulating and useful information conveyed in accessible prose." —Kirkus Starred ReviewProduct Details
- ISBN-13:
- 9780393335286
- Publisher:
- Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
- Publication date:
- 08/10/2009
- Edition description:
- Reprint
- Pages:
- 336
- Sales rank:
- 385,494
- Product dimensions:
- 5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)
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From the Publisher
"Top-notch science writing: stimulating and useful information conveyed in accessible prose." —-Kirkus Starred ReviewCustomer Reviews
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