The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life, Ruth K. Westheimer

The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life

Ruth K. Westheimer

In Dr. Ruth's final book, the iconic therapist offers an urgent guide to combating loneliness with 100 ways to increase connectivity right now, based on insights from her life story and her unparalleled career.

"Dr. Ruth's strategies are essential for building the kinds of bonds that will reduce loneliness and transform lives."--Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project

When Surgeon General Vivek Murthy sounded the alarm that loneliness "represents an urgent public health concern"--exacerbated by social media overuse, the residual effects of the pandemic, and the lack of meaningful relationships--trusted therapist Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer knew that her unique perspective and expertise could help. Long beloved for breaking stigmas around sexual problems, Dr. Ruth made it her mission to help individuals break free from the bonds of hopelessness and isolation.

We are social animals. We have a shared desire to connect and create lasting relationships with the people around us. But the heaviness of loneliness can make this feel impossible. Dr. Ruth, with Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert and longtime collaborator Pierre Lehu, tackles the subject with compassion and her trademark no-nonsense approach. She provides practical and creative strategies for finding friends, community, and intimacy. And it's anchored by Dr. Ruth's own story, from the horrific loneliness of losing her family in the Holocaust to living in an orphanage to rebuilding her life in America and eventually becoming a world-renowned sex therapist.

With 100 concrete and innovative opportunities that can be put to use immediately, The Joy of Connections isn't only an action-oriented guidebook on overcoming loneliness from one of the most well-respected therapists of our time; it's also the vital kick in the pants we all need in order to start seeking--and finding--deep and lasting human connections.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Rodale Books
  • Publish Date: Sep 3rd, 2024
  • Pages: 176
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 7.60in - 5.00in - 1.00in - 0.45lb
  • EAN: 9780593736227
  • Categories: Personal Growth - HappinessFriendshipPsychopathology - Depression

More books to explore

Book Cover for: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed, Lori Gottlieb
Book Cover for: Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World, Gretchen Rubin
Book Cover for: The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, Robert Waldinger
Book Cover for: Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion, Wendy Suzuki
Book Cover for: Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, Kristin Neff
Book Cover for: Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Well-Being, Linda Graham
Book Cover for: The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch
Book Cover for: The Road Less Traveled, Timeless Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth, M. Scott Peck
Book Cover for: The Four Doors: A Guide to Joy, Freedom, and a Meaningful Life, Richard Paul Evans
Book Cover for: Social Chemistry: Decoding the Patterns of Human Connection, Marissa King
Book Cover for: Lessons from an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life, Mark Matousek
Book Cover for: Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing, Pete Davis
Book Cover for: The Next Happy: Let Go of the Life You Planned and Find a New Way Forward, Tracey Cleantis
Book Cover for: Loving What Is, Revised Edition: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life, Byron Katie
Book Cover for: Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, Gretchen Rubin

About the Author

Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer broke stigmas for more than forty years, beginning in the 1980s with her nationally syndicated radio show Sexually Speaking. She authored or co-authored forty-six books on many topics and was named New York's Ambassador to Loneliness, the first such position in the United States. A beloved therapist known to millions as "Dr. Ruth," she passed away in July 2024.

Allison Gilbert is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and the author or co-author of numerous books.

Pierre Lehu collaborated with Dr. Ruth for four decades.

More books by Ruth K. Westheimer

Book Cover for: Dr. Ruth's Sex After 50: Revving Up the Romance, Passion & Excitement!, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Sex for Dummies, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Roller-Coaster Grandma: The Amazing Story of Dr. Ruth, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Sexually Speaking: What Every Woman Needs to Know about Sexual Health, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Crocodile, You're Beautiful, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Musically Speaking: A Life Through Song, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Dr Ruth's Guide for the Alzheimer's Caregiver: How to Care for Your Loved One Without Getting Overwhelmed...and Without Doing It All Yourself, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Leopold, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Dr. Ruth's Pregnancy Guide for Couples: Love, Sex and Medical Facts, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: The Art of Arousal: Revised Edition, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Dr. Ruth's Guide to Talking about Herpes, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: The Doctor Is in: Dr. Ruth on Love, Life, and Joie de Vivre, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Heavenly Sex: Sexuality and the Jewish Tradition, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: From You to Two: Dr. Ruth's Rules for Real Relationships, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Conquering the Rapids of Life: Making the Most of Midlife Opportunities, Ruth K. Westheimer
Book Cover for: Myths of Love: Echoes of Greek and Roman Mythology in the Modern Romantic Imagination, Ruth K. Westheimer

Praise for this book

"Dr. Ruth has done it again! If only I could give this book to my lonely twenty-something self."--Judy Blume

"The more I study happiness, the more I understand that strong relationships are key--perhaps the key--to living a happy life. To be happy, we need to feel like we belong, that we're connected to others. This is exactly why we need Dr. Ruth's new book. Her strategies are essential for building the kinds of bonds that will reduce loneliness and transform lives."--Gretchen Rubin

"Who better to take on the loneliness epidemic than the legend who helped us talk about sex without blushing. As Dr. Ruth knows, our needs go well beyond the bedroom. This is urgent work. We're lucky to have her in the fight."--Dan Harris

"With her newest book, The Joy of Connections, my friend and honorary bubbe Dr. Ruth has brought her particular brand of expertise and insight to address the crisis of loneliness. She is as practical, savvy, enthusiastic, and tough as ever--all her best qualities--to help us all face the challenges of loneliness and improve our well-being."--Nate Berkus

"Dr. Ruth's brilliance and insight into human behavior will continue to enlighten and support all those whose loneliness and isolation have been crippling."--Vera Wang

"I understand from my unique perch that Americans are suffering. We need help learning how to reconnect with each other. Dr. Ruth's wisdom comes at just the right time."--Sunny Hostin

"Dr. Ruth brings her decades of therapeutic experience to offer a practical approach for building relationships. Her Menu for Connection is a how-to guide for anyone struggling with loneliness. If you have ever found yourself wondering, 'How can I do this?, ' now you literally have 100 ways!"--Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, director of the Social Connection & Health Lab and lead scientific editor for the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on loneliness and isolation