Friendship Development

After almost every presentation activist and writer Mia Birdsong gives to executives, think tanks, and policy makers, one of those leaders quietly confesses how much they long for the profound community she describes. They have family, friends, and colleagues, yet they still feel like they're standing alone. They're "winning" at the American Dream, but they're lonely, disconnected, and unsatisfied.

In spite of the hyper-connected culture we live in today, women still feel shamed for oversharing and being publicly vulnerable. And no matter how many friends we seem to have, many of us are still desperately lonely. Laura Tremaine, blogger and podcaster behind 10 Things to Tell You, says it's time for something better. Openness and vulnerability are the foundation for human growth and healthy relationships, and it all starts when we share our stuff, the nitty-gritty daily details about ourselves with others.

It's time to discover the joy of being selfish and reclaim your life through the art of boundaries! Life coach and influencer @scarrednotscared Michelle Elman is here to teach you the practical side of self-love. Creating and upholding strong boundaries will teach others how to treat you, rid your life of drama and toxic relationships and allow you to love yourself and others in the best way you can.

Best-selling author Jen Hatmaker is convinced life can be lovely and fun and courageous and kind. She reveals with humor and style how Jesus' embarrassing grace is the key to dealing with life's biggest challenge: people.

It’s the great paradox of the digital age, what Radha Agrawal calls “community confusion” - the internet connects us to hundreds, thousands, even millions of people, and yet we feel more isolated than ever, with one in four Americans saying they have zero friends to confide in. Where are our people? The answer is found in Belong, a highly energetic guide to discovering where and with whom you fit.

You are meant to be in relationships that bring joy and connection—that help you know soul-deep peace and leave you feeling loved instead of lonely. Instead, surface-level friendships, filtered social media feeds, unresolved conflicts, and unhealthy relationships can often seem to harm our self-worth, spiritual growth, and mental health—and keep us from the very relationships that could bring that true connection.

It’s not like she’s the only woman to ever have a baby. At 35. On her own. But Anne Lamott makes it all fresh in her now-classic account of how she and her son and numerous friends and neighbors and some strangers survived and thrived in that all-important first year. From finding out her baby is a boy (and getting used to the idea) to finding out her best friend and greatest supporter, Pam, will die of cancer (and not getting used to that idea), with a generous amount of wit and faith (but little piousness), Lamott narrates the great and small events making up a woman’s life.

Tisser et entretenir des relations authentiques est essentiel à notre bien-être, mais on peut se sentir parfois dépassé : comment exprimer nos sentiments ? Résoudre un conflit ? Maintenir une communication ouverte sans que les choses nous échappent ? Comment prévenir les malentendus ? Ce manuel complet, enrichi de 44 fiches pratiques, explore chaque facette de nos relations avec nos proches, en offrant des outils et des conseils concrets pour bâtir des liens sincères et durables.

Loneliness doesn't care what age you are, how many Instagram followers you have, or where you call home. It doesn't care how "put together" you appear to the outside world. We have a collective wound that only authentic sisterhood can heal. With real-life vulnerability and "I’ve been there, too" wisdom about building deep and satisfying friendships, Amy and Jess unpack the lies we've been told about friendship

Jess Johnston used to feel alone in her mess. In a random burst of courage, she started sharing those insecurities and struggles out loud, and what she found shocked her. Again and again, people replied, “Me too! I thought I was the only one!” Over the past decade she’s reached hundreds of thousands of women with her messages of authenticity and refreshing realness, and this is what she’s found: Women are really, really hard on themselves, and we should stop it.

Andrew didn’t realize he might be autistic until his girlfriend, Michelle, approached him about it months into their relationship. No amount of life experience could’ve prepared Michelle for the confusion she felt while dating Andrew, as he was unlike any man she had ever dated before. The thought never dawned on her that she could fall deeply in love with a man who was autistic or that he might be unaware of this, even into his 30s.

As one of the biggest parenting stars on social media, mother-of-three Louise Boyce knows a thing or two about navigating the craziness of family life. Now Louise shares her expertise in Mama Still Got It, a hurtling gallop through the ‘real’ parenting calendar. From drop-kicking the kids through the school gates in September, to the perils of using a public loo with your toddler, via the existential dread of an unexpected nursery call to tell you ‘there’s nothing to worry about’ (sure), this book covers all the highs and lows of modern motherhood.

Do you find it hard to connect with other people? Do your relationships feel stale and lack real, meaningful connections? Do you wish you were more confident, charismatic, and likable? How to Make People Like You is a book with detailed insights on everything you need to know when it comes to going from a shy, anxious, and awkward individual and transforming yourself into someone who can unapologetically be your real, genuine, and authentic self.

In his most vulnerable book to date, Chip Gaines opens up about his lifelong pursuit of building relationships with people from all walks of life. Chip emphasizes the importance of seeing people for who they are and not for what they can do for you, enabling you to build a strong community and a life of meaning, joy, and connection.

When it first appeared, A Rumor of War brought home to American readers, with terrifying vividness and honesty, the devastating effects of the Vietnam War on the soldiers who fought there. And while it is a memoir of one young man's experiences and therefore deeply personal, it is also a book that speaks powerfully to today's students about the larger themes of human conscience, good and evil, and the desperate extremes men are forced to confront in any war.

Inspirational words on parenting from the beloved Fred Rogers, showing appreciation for parents whose children are grown as well as giving advice to those parents raising young ones.

In this wise and insightful audiobook, psychologist Michael Thompson, PhD, and children's book author Catherine O'Neill Grace illuminate the crucial and often hidden role that friendship plays in the lives of children from birth through adolescence. Best Friends, Worst Enemies brings to life the drama of childhood relationships, guiding parents to a deeper understanding of the motives and meanings of social behavior.

Tripping the Prom Queen is an investigation of the dark secret of female friendships, the deep vein of female rivalry. Based on interviews with women across the social spectrum, Susan Shapiro Barash has exploded the myth that women are generally supportive of one another.

Far from being fluffy sentiments, acts of kindness–whether given, received, or witnessed–are potent elixirs that have a profound and lasting impact on our mental and physical health. From boosting happiness to soothing the soul, kindness isn’t just a feel-good notion–it’s a powerhouse. It relaxes your nerves, lowers blood pressure, reduces inflammation, and even slows down ageing at the genetic level. This audiobook serves as a beacon of light, urging you to spread kindness like wildfire.

The Big Cheese is the best at everything, and brags about it, too. When the annual Cheese-cathlon comes around, the Big Cheese is prepared to win, as always. But what happens when the quiet new kid, Wedge Wedgeman, comes out on top? Is a slice of humility all the Big Cheese needs to discover that some things are better than being the best?