subject: Loneliness Books-human Nature And The Need For Social Connection [print this page] The age of self-help books is upon us, and much has been written in hundreds of guides with regard to how to deal with loneliness. Check out any bookstore or the listings at Amazon, and you will likely find dozens of loneliness books dealing with that very subject matter. As to whether or not these loneliness books can indeed deliver on their claims is up for contention, but one book clearly takes a fresh, new approach to the subject. Called Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, the book was written by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick.
Cacioppo is an established neuroscientist, and he has put together his vast knowledge of the human psyche in determining the various factors related to loneliness. Taking a radical approach to the subject, Cacioppo investigates the link between chronic loneliness and depression. He goes on to detail how loneliness essentially disrupts people's perceptions, affects their behavior, and ultimately influences their physiology. According to Cacioppo, people who are lonely run the risk of become trapped in a cycle of isolation. This can have a severely detrimental effect on people's lives, and can even result in premature death. Cacioppo also provides essential information on how people can break out of the isolation cycle and become more productive members of society.
Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection isn't perfect by any means. Like many other loneliness books, the guide tends to deliver advice in an overly optimistic fashion, and the author has a penchant for acronyms that veer toward the trite end of things. There is also a sense that the subject matter glosses over the more tragic aspects of loneliness in favor of "feel good" slogans that sound good on paper, but have little to do with dealing with the problem in a real world sense. Nevertheless, there is an amazing wealth of information provided here, making Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection one of the most comprehensive loneliness books available on the market today.
Some of the more compelling parts of the book are those that deal with issues not normally tackled in loneliness books. Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection contains key information with regard to dealing with yourself and others, and how interpersonal relationships can affect your loneliness. We all have read loneliness books that deal with similar or related subject matter, but the way that Cacioppo covers these familiar topics is worthy of closer reading. Especially useful are the topics that deal with income and how it can affect loneliness, and various age-related concerns.
One thing that you may find issue with is the author's claim that "people get happier as they grow older". Like many of the somewhat trite slogans included in the book, this one simply begs disbelief, and many older readers will no doubt take issue with such a sweeping and inaccurate claim. Despite these glaring oversights however, Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection does provide plenty of useful information, making it one of the best deals in loneliness books on the market.
