The Loneliness Cure
Six Strategies for Finding Real Connections in Your Life
- 2015 INDIES Winner
- Silver, Family & Relationships (Adult Nonfiction)
- 2015 INDIES Winner
- Silver, Psychology (Adult Nonfiction)
- 2015 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Health (Adult Nonfiction)
- 2015 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Self-Help (Adult Nonfiction)
- 2015 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Social Sciences (Adult Nonfiction)
A professor of communication tackles the loneliness epidemic with stories and science.
“As a group, we Americans are starved for affection,” Kory Floyd, professor at Arizona State University’s Communication Sciences Lab, reveals in his twelfth book, The Loneliness Cure: Six Strategies for Finding Real Connections in Your Life. He explains the problems associated with chronic affection deprivation and suggests practical strategies for getting more of the human contact we naturally crave.
One-quarter of Americans live alone and have no one with whom to discuss serious matters. Ironically, social media and cell phones have made us less close because “we end up glorifying the trivial … while barely noticing that the substantive and meaningful are missing.” The book identifies risk factors for loneliness and warns of the many health issues, ranging from a lowered immune system to depression, associated with affection deprivation.
Floyd makes a strong case for the absolute necessity of affectionate contact. Humans are the least solitary primates, with orangutans at the other end of the spectrum. Although a child’s initial source of affection is maternal, both nature and nurture play a role in how affectionate a person will become.
Two-thirds of the text goes to preliminaries, but the subtitle’s six strategies are worth waiting for. Floyd encourages readers to invite and model the affection they seek while keeping expectations realistic and recognizing that affection comes in different forms. The use of both “you” and “we” makes the tone friendly while the content is instructive. The author includes relatable anecdotes (though some, printed in all caps, are difficult to read), self-assessment quizzes, and “Stop and Reflect” sections with questions to ponder.
Pitched to laymen, the book clearly conveys the science behind loneliness. It can be a helpful primer for anyone who desires more affection in life or is worried that a friend or family member may be suffering from an affection deficit. Like the best self-help books, The Loneliness Cure convinces readers that “it pays to reach out for help when you need it” and gives them the confidence and tactics to do so.
Reviewed by
Rebecca Foster
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
