The Code of Trust. The Art of Making Useful Connections with New People

In large cities, we silently stand in line at the store checkout. We have no idea who our neighbors are, whom we meet in the elevators. We choose a seat on the train where there are as few people around... as possible, bury ourselves in our smartphones, and try not to notice each other. Meanwhile, the levels of anxiety in the world are rising and overall happiness is catastrophically declining. But what if communication with strangers, which we often perceive as "an annoying white noise," is indeed the very way to reach that new level of life satisfaction that we are searching for but cannot find? A warm, witty, profound, and captivating book by an Esquire journalist, where personal stories coexist with scientific research. After reading it, the world will surely feel like a safer and friendlier place for you. After all, trust is a key value for those who want to find the shortest path to success and happiness. How to stop being afraid of strangers and learn to maintain a conversation anywhere with anyone? Why are those who welcome any communication always happier and more successful than those who prefer to remain silent? "This lively scientific book proves that communication with 'others' is not just the foundation of civilization but the surest path to the best that life has to offer." — Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize winner, author of "Homeland Elegies" "With the advent of the internet into our lives, we have started to forget that the people on the other side of the screen also exist and deserve our attention. Although they, like social media users, can tell amazing stories—it's only worth asking. Thanks to this book, you will learn a lot about yourself and other people, and most importantly—you will discover the power of live communication." — Siya, book blogger (@lowselfhome) "The only true journey, the only source of youth—is not traveling to new landscapes but possessing other eyes, seeing the universe through the eyes of another person, hundreds of other people, seeing hundreds of universes that each of them sees, which each of them is." — Marcel Proust