Friendship Development

Despite modern technology and the ample ways we have to keep in touch, we risk neglecting our relationships with the people who have the most profound effect on our well-being: our friends. Weaving together personal stories, interviews with experts, and social research, Friendship First empowers you to nurture relationships with friends both new and old.

A speaker, teacher, and compelling storyteller, Lisa Whelchel writes from her heart and her head, sharing her story and helping women understand how to cope with the strengths and weaknesses of friendship, and basing all her advice on the foundation of our ultimate relationship with the Savior.

A memoir of the author's decades-long friendship and spiritual journey with the late singer, songwriter, novelist, and poet Leonard Cohen. Funny, revealing, self-aware, and deeply moving, Matters of Vital Interest is an insightful memoir about Eric Lerner's relationship with his friend, whose idiosyncratic style and dignified life was deeply informed by his spiritual practices.

Friendship is one of the most important yet most underrated necessities of life. A sense of connection and belonging is a key part of being human, and there are boundless benefits from having close friends who know everything about you, can help you out in a pinch, can be there with you through all the joys and hardships of life, and for whom you can be such a friend in turn. But making and keeping friends becomes increasingly difficult when we become adults with busy careers, family responsibilities, and dispersed locations.

CNN news anchor Brooke Baldwin explores the phenomenon of “huddling", when women lean on one another to provide each other support, empowerment, inspiration, and the strength to solve problems or enact meaningful change. Beyond the headline-making huddles of recent years such as the #MeToo movement, the Time's Up initiative, and the 2018 midterm elections, when women won a historic number of seats across the country, Baldwin tells the stories of women of all ages, races, religions and socio-economic backgrounds who are huddling in all segments of society.

In a world where the quest for genuine connection is ever-present, "1111 Affirmations for the Heart" emerges as a beacon of hope and transformation. Amidst the chaos of daily life, the essence of self-love, deep romantic connections, nurturing family ties, and enriching friendships often gets lost. The challenge lies in rekindling these vital relationships and nourishing the love within ourselves.

In Let's Take the Long Way Home, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gail Caldwell offers a powerful and moving memoir about her coming-of-age in mid-life and her extraordinary friendship with Caroline Knapp, the author of Drinking: A Love Story. Though they are more different than alike, these two fiercely private, independent women quickly relax into a friendship more profound than either of them expected. They grow increasingly inseparable until, in 2003, Caroline is diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer.

Coming out can be awkward enough. Now try it as a Catholic schoolboy in 1970s Ohio. In this fearless and funny true story, the host and founder of the hit podcast RISK! shares all. From first grade through junior high, twelve-year-old Kevin and his best friend, Ben, were inseparable. But when Kevin divulged his biggest secret, Ben froze him out. The pint-size cold war lasted two years - until they went head-to-head for student council president. Team Ben’s smear campaign began. The school took sides. And Kevin decided to run with it.

Written by Teresa Williams and Dr. Miller Scarlett, this bundle of couples therapy workbooks leaves no stone unturned. It allows you to pinpoint your negative thoughts, alleviate common communication issues, and re-start your relationship on a healthier foundation. Just like treating a sick patient, these relationship books will help keep your marriage or relationship alive in three simple steps.

In a time when many women feel lonely and isolated, Girls' Club calls us to embrace the delight and comfort that can be found in life-giving friendships with women - and to cultivate relationships that not only offer emotional affirmation and acceptance, but also inspire, educate, and stretch us to live out our God-given potential.

For too long, women have been told that we are terrible at being friends, that we can't help being cruel or competitive, or that we inevitably abandon each other for romantic partners. But we are rejecting those stereotypes and reclaiming the power of female friendship. In Text Me When You Get Home, journalist Kayleen Schaefer interviews more than 100 women about their BFFs, soul mates, girl gangs, and queens while tracing this cultural shift through the lens of pop culture.

Love is not something you have to struggle for—it is something you are worthy of, just as you are. Whether you are seeking romantic love, deep friendships, or a stronger sense of self-worth, this book is here to reprogram your mindset, release toxic cycles, and help you attract the love you truly deserve. Healthy, nourishing, and joyful relationships start with YOU. This book, "Positive Affirmations for Black Women: Love & Relationships Affirmations," will help you heal from past wounds, create space for genuine love, and stand confidently in your worth so that you never settle again.

A life-changing message for our lonely age about why we often avoid what makes us happiest—connecting with other people—and how we can build wiser social habits through small and simple acts, from leading behavioral scientist and author of Mindwise. Drawing on decades of research, his own life, and stories of people who have transformed their thinking and their social lives, Epley reveals the psychological mechanisms behind our hesitancy to reach out and empowers readers to put science into practice and build wiser social habits.

Are you consumed with a busy life but unsure how to slow down? Do you desire connection within your community and think, Absolutely, but I don't have time for that or I can't create that? What if there was another way through it all, a way to find those moments of peace and to create a time for honest, comfortable connection? What if meeting neighbors and connecting with friends was as simple as showing up and being available?

Sound interesting? The author thinks so, too. Listen to How to Be a Good Friend and learn how you can be a good friend and build lifelong meaningful relationships. To find out more about this book, scroll up and click on the "buy now" button.

Everyone wants to do something to improve race relations, but many of us don't know where to start. In Life-Changing Cross-Cultural Friendships, lifelong friends Gary Chapman and Clarence Shuler will show you how. Through important lessons they have learned, you will learn how to begin and grow authentic friendships across racial and ethnic barriers.

50+ Questions to Ask at a Party by Krista "KK" Mounsey offers an approach to starting and carrying on conversations at parties. Most books on having conversations at parties tell you to find some common ground and discuss that. Although there's nothing wrong with that, it can sometimes be much more fun to talk about random things to get thoughts and conversation flowing. Some of these are questions that you may have thought of, and others, perhaps, you have not considered yet. Either way, you’re sure to have lots of fun talking through them.

The beloved creator of Blues Clues and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and protégé of Fred Rogers explores the importance of kindness and how it can change your life in this essential guide and tie-in to the PBS special The Power of Radical Kindness.

Written in the same comedic style as the New York Times best sellers Sparkly Green Earrings and The Antelope in the Living Room, Nobody's Cuter Than You is a laugh-out-loud look at the special bond that exists between friends and a poignant celebration of all the extraordinary people God had the good sense to bring into our lives at exactly the right moments.

Friendship 2030 is an exploration of human connection, and a guide to making meaningful connections in the digital era. Many of us struggle as the landscape of social connections changes around us. This book will enrich your understanding and help strengthen a foundation for a thriving social life. With tips on how to expand your social circles, nurture and sustain friendships, and leverage technology, Friendship 2030 is an uplifting, informative and helpful listen.