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How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make--and Keep--Friends
by Marisa G. Franco PhD
Is understanding the science of attachment the key to building lasting friendships and finding "your people" in an ever-more-fragmented world?
How do we make and keep friends in an era of distraction, burnout, and chaos, especially in a society that often prizes romantic love at the expense of other relationships? In Platonic, Dr. Marisa G. Franco unpacks the latest, often counterintuitive findings about the bonds between us—for example, why your friends aren't texting you back (it's not because they hate you!), and the myth of "friendships happening organically" (making friends, like cultivating any relationship, requires effort!). As Dr. Franco explains, to make and keep friends you must understand your attachment style—secure, anxious, or avoidant: it is the key to unlocking what's working (and what's failing) in your friendships.
Making new friends, and deepening longstanding relationships, is possible at any age—in fact, it's essential. The good news: there are specific, research-based ways to improve the number and quality of your connections using the insights of attachment theory and the latest scientific research on friendship. Platonic provides a clear and actionable blueprint for forging strong, lasting connections with others—and for becoming our happiest, most fulfilled selves in the process.
"A remarkable examination of the epidemic of loneliness and sound advice for alleviating it...A pleasing mix of research, advice, and humor, this book is a useful tonic to a key social ailment." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"[A] smart and savvy guide on forging friendships...The guidance is thorough, and a chapter on how people from disadvantaged groups can approach friendships with privileged people—or when it might be best to dump them—sensitively addresses the impact of socioeconomic factors on friendships. This has wisdom to spare." - Publishers Weekly
"There isn't enough conversation around some of the central relationships in our lives: friends! We are craving information about how to make friends, keep friends, and be a better friend and Platonic delivers. I'm so impressed with the research and thoughtfulness in this book, and I learned so much about what might have gone wrong in my past friendships and what I want out of my current and future relationships. I closed this book determined to prioritize my friendships as one of the most important aspects of my life." - Laura Tremaine, author of Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First.
"Filled with evidence-based tips and stories you can't wait to share, Platonic is a fantastic guide not just for making and keeping friends—it's also a manifesto for how to more effectively invest in the stuff that really matters in life." - Laurie Santos, Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast
"Platonic is an intensive exploration about the healing nature and safe-haven to be found in friendships. It's a gentle, yet affirming, call-in for us to investigate how we've regarded the platonic relationships in our life and opportunities for deep fulfillment that we may be missing out on." - Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D., Founder & CEO, Therapy for Black Girls
This information about Platonic was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Dr. Marisa G. Franco holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Maryland and works as a professor there currently. She writes for Psychology Today and she has been a featured psychologist in the New York Times, NPR, and Good Morning America. Dr. Franco delivers talks about connection and belonging all over the country to private companies, universities, and non-profit organizations.
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