The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World by Joe Keohane

Description

A-“meticulously-researched-and-buoyantly-written”-(Esquire) look-at-what-happens-when-we-talk-to-strangers,-and-why-it-affects-everything-from-our-own-health-and-well-being-to-the-rise-and-fall-of-nations-in-the-tradition-of-Susan-Cain’s Quiet and-Yuval-Noah-Harari’s Sapiens”This-lively,-searching-work-makes-the-case-that-welcoming-‘others’-isn’t-just-the-bedrock-of-civilization,-it’s-the-surest-path-to-the-best-of-what-life-has-to-offer.”–Ayad-Akhtar,-Pulitzer-Prize-winning-author-of Homeland-ElegiesIn-our-cities,-we-stand-in-silence-at-the-pharmacy-and-in-check-out-lines-at-the-grocery-store,-distracted-by-our-phones,-barely-acknowledging-one-another,-even-as-rates-of-loneliness-skyrocket.-Online,-we-retreat-into-ideological-silos-reinforced-by-algorithms-designed-to-serve-us-only-familiar-ideas-and-like-minded-users.-In-our-politics,-we-are-increasingly-consumed-by-a-fear-of-people-we’ve-never-met.-But-what-if-strangers–so-often-blamed-for-our-most-pressing-political,-social,-and-personal-problems–are-actually-the-solution?In The-Power-of-Strangers, Joe-Keohane-sets-out-on-a-journey-to-discover-what-happens-when-we-bridge-the-distance-between-us-and-people-we-don’t-know.-He-learns-that-while-we’re-wired-to-sometimes-fear,-distrust,-and-even-hate-strangers,-people-and-societies-that-have-learned-to-connect-with-strangers-benefit-immensely.-Digging-into-a-growing-body-of-cutting-edge-research-on-the-surprising-social-and-psychological-benefits-that-come-from-talking-to-strangers,-Keohane-finds-that-even-passing-interactions-can-enhance-empathy,-happiness,-and-cognitive-development,-ease-loneliness-and-isolation,-and-root-us-in-the-world,-deepening-our-sense-of-belonging.-And-all-the-while,-Keohane-gathers-practical-tips-from-experts-on-how-to-talk-to-strangers,-and-tries-them-out-himself-in-the-wild,-to-awkward,-entertaining,-and-frequently-poignant-effect.Warm,-witty,-erudite,-and-profound,-equal-parts-sweeping-history-and-self-help-journey,-this-deeply-researched-book-will-inspire-readers-to-see-everything–from-major-geopolitical-shifts-to-trips-to-the-corner-store–in-an-entirely-new-light,-showing-them-that-talking-to-strangers-isn’t-just-a-way-to-live;-it’s-a-way-to-survive.