Critical Connections: Build Relationships and Harness the Power of Community in Work and Life - Hardcover

by Tracy Brower (Author)

Make more and better friends, deepen your connections, and find your community

In Critical Connections, renowned sociologist and author Dr. Tracy Brower delivers inspiration and pragmatic new insights on community and connection that you can use in your own life to build belonging, find and make friends, and create a happier life. The author explains how you can avoid bad friendships, reconnect with old friends, deepen existing friendships, and start a new friend group.

You'll learn how to navigate a new reality that includes artificial intelligence, technology, and social media. You'll also discover how to improve your happiness, wellbeing, and success - in work and in life - by prioritizing quality relationships with human beings, online and offline.

Inside the book:

• The latest research on loneliness, disconnection, dissatisfaction, disengagement, and mental health
• Discussions of the massive, positive impact of community and connections
• Effective strategies to help you find your community, build friendships, and create connection

An accessible and hands-on combination of the latest research and practical connection strategies that work in the real world, Critical Connections is a must-read for everyone interested in improving their outlook, relationships, wellbeing, and fulfillment.

Front Jacket

Are you struggling with loneliness in a world that feels increasingly disconnected? Do you wonder how to find genuine friends and create meaningful relationships that last? Are you seeking a sense of belonging and community but don't know where to start? These questions have never been more urgent or more vital to our well-being, happiness, and success.

In Critical Connections, renowned sociologist and author Tracy Brower combines her extensive research expertise with practical insights to tackle the modern crisis of disconnection with a message of possibility and hope. Brower brings both academic rigor and real-world experience to the challenge of building meaningful relationships, providing a comprehensive roadmap for overcoming loneliness by teaching you how to find your community, build lasting friendships, and create the connections that transform lives.

Critical Connections delivers research-backed strategies for navigating friendship in the digital age, from avoiding toxic relationships to reconnecting with old friends and starting new friend groups. Brower explores how artificial intelligence and social media affect our connections, reveals why the workplace has become a crucial source of community, and provides practical tools for deepening conversations and sustaining relationships through life's changes. The book combines the latest scientific findings on loneliness, mental health, and social connection with actionable advice that works in the real world.

Whether you're seeking a sense of belonging at work, hoping to make friends as an adult, or simply wanting to deepen your existing relationships, Critical Connections offers the powerful insights and strategies you can use right now. It's essential reading for anyone ready to move beyond surface-level interactions and create the rich, supportive communities that lead to greater happiness, improved mental health, and a more fulfilling life.

Back Jacket

Praise for Critical Connections

"Loneliness is reaching crisis levels, but Tracy Brower shows how we can turn the tide. In Critical Connections, you'll learn how to build friendships and communities which strengthen our minds, improve well-being, and help us thrive in life's challenges."
--ARTHUR C. BROOKS, PhD, Harvard Professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Critical Connections offers an urgent, research-driven call to reimagine how we form and sustain relationships in workplaces and communities alike, a goal that resonates deeply with my own studies of teams and organizations. Author Tracy Brower beautifully illuminates how authentic connections are foundational to learning, thriving, and resilience--essential ingredients for innovation and growth. This book will be a useful guide for anyone committed to building environments where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute."
--AMY C. EDMONDSON, PhD, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School and author of Right Kind of Wrong and The Fearless Organization

"In a world increasingly defined by loneliness and isolation, Critical Connections is a vital call to action. Tracy Brower combines compelling research with practical stories to show that our health and joy depend on the relationships we nurture. As a leader who has seen the power of working in pairs to transform a company culture, I can attest to the truth of Brower's message: we are stronger, healthier, and happier together."
--RICHARD SHERIDAN, CEO and Chief Storyteller, Menlo Innovations and author of Joy, Inc. and Chief Joy Officer

"At a time when loneliness and disconnection are increasingly prevalent in our culture, this book provides an essential roadmap for anyone who wants to strengthen relationships and build authentic community."
--DORIE CLARK, PhD, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of The Long Game

"Connecting is the single most important thing we do. Read this book and understand why."
--ROBIN DUNBAR, PhD, Evolutionary Psychologist at Oxford University and Originator of Dunbar's Number

Author Biography

TR ACY BROWER, PhD, is a sociologist and author of The Secrets to Happiness at Work and Bring Work to Life by Bringing Life to Work. She's Vice President of Workplace Insights for Steelcase, the world's largest office furniture manufacturer. Brower is a senior contributor to Forbes and contributor to Fast Company. Her work has been translated into 25 languages and her TEDx talk has been viewed 8.5 million times.