Close People. How to Keep Friends in the Modern World

The idea of friendship in adulthood is experiencing a crisis. We expect that close relationships will develop on their own, but the statistics are relentless: after 25, our social circle inevitably narrows, every seven years we lose half of our acquaintances, and more than 300 million people have no friends at all. The modern lifestyle — constant relocations and job changes, declining levels of trust, and social networks that have replaced face-to-face communication — destroys the foundations of friendship.

Journalist Anna Goldfarb has personally faced these challenges: over 20 years, she has changed three major cities and many friends. Drawing on her experience and research findings, the author developed a method for maintaining healthy friendships — a scheme of three 'P's: attraction, loyalty, and understanding. By studying her book, you will learn how to be a good enough friend, define the types and roles of your friends, learn how to give advice properly, express appreciation and support, and understand which values are important to you in friendships.