Dying For Friendship and Community
Book Resources
Nonprofits:
WHO (World Health Organization): Part of the United Nations and with a sweeping global mission, the WHO has been around since 1948 and provides support for all key global health initiatives. Their report on loneliness is referenced in the resource appendix. Vivek Murty, former USA Surgeon General co-chairs their loneliness effort. www.who.int
Aspen Institute: A seventy-five-year-old nonprofit with the stated mission to "Ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world." One project, created by David Brooks of the New York Times is the www.weavers.org project (Johan and I both volunteer within this construct; it is a very capable group of people with very good intentions). www.aspeninstitute.org www.weaving.us
YMCA: The Young Men’s Christian Association has been around over 175 years and provides worldwide efforts to support many different areas of health, wellness, community services, children’s camps and senior programs. Millions of members are distributed across 100+ countries of the world. www.ymca.org
Rotary: Their global network of more than 1.2 million neighbors, friends, and leaders utilize their skills and resources to solve issues and address community needs. Rotary’s “Service above Self” mantra is a great example for us all to follow and reflect upon. www.rotary.org
GILC (Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection): This nonprofit organization is a coalition of nonprofits around the world committed to ending the pressing global issues of loneliness and social isolation through awareness, research, supporting implementers of evidence-based practices, and advocating policy change. www.gilc.global
F4SC (Foundation for Social Connection): This Washington, DC-based organization works on solutions to the connection crisis. Newer and smaller in terms of size, F4SC publishes a great weekly newsletter full of references to industry research as well as updates to their research programs. www.social-connection.org
AARP (American Association of Retired People): AARP is a multifaceted organization with over thirty-five million members. Their primary aim is to support seniors with a combination of worthy programs, thoughtful policy and unfortunate piles of paper ‒ spam mailings selling life insurance and other “services.” Many different programs across a wide range of services on both a national and local basis. Connect2Affect program allows people to take an assessment and find local resources. www.aarp.org I’ve been a member for years.
Catholic Charities USA: A charitable organization focused on multiple community services including loneliness programs for seniors. https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/
American Institute for Boys and Men: The AIBM is a non-partisan think tank focused on conducting research and designing policies that improve the wellbeing of boys and men across the United States. The founder is Richard Reeve, a well-known author and researcher. www.aibm.org
Milken Institute for Health: A wide-ranging research group covering many aspects of wellness, aging, and social connection. www.milkeninstitute.org/health
The Together Project. Founded by former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, the Together Project is an initiative to build connection & community in America for our health & well-being.
Marmalade Trust: UK-based loneliness charity for all ages, dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness and supporting people to find new social connections. Their mission is simple: To create a society where we recognize that loneliness exists and support each other to make new connections. www.marmaladetrust.org/
US Chamber of Connections: Seattle-based nonprofit focused on all aspects of social connection. www.chamberofconnection.org
American Red Cross: The Red Cross is a worldwide organization focused on many different health issues, including loneliness. www.redcross.org
Big Brothers/Big Sisters: When young people are a part of Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, they gain a supportive village and meaningful connections, empowering them to reach their full potential. With the support of a caring mentor, youth feel a sense of belonging. www.bbbs.org
Modern Elder Academy: Not a nonprofit institution, MEA provides a wide range of meeting opportunities for older adults and assistance toward making meaningful social connections through live and virtual programs. http://www.meawisdom.com/
The Friendship Institute: The Friendship Institute is a research-based organization dedicated to helping people build richer, more meaningful friendships. Through the Friendship Matters podcast, the Connection Coach Certification, workshops, and tools like the Civility Index™, the Institute equips busy professionals with science-backed strategies to promote belonging and well-being. The Institute blends neuroscience, leadership psychology, and integrative medicine to transform the way people work, lead, and live, one connection at a time. www.friendshipinstitute.org
Articles and videos
Join or Die: Netflix documentary on loneliness https://www.netflix.com/title/81746809
John Hewko, Rotary CEO: “Curing the Loneliness Epidemic Chicago Style” https://www.rotary.org/en/john-hewko-curing-the-loneliness-epidemic-chicago-style
Simon Sinek & Trevor Noah on Friendship, Loneliness, Vulnerability, and More | Full Conversation https://youtu.be/CNBxIhxHHxM
Why Young Men Are Struggling Right Now with Oprah Winfrey and Scott Galloway https://youtu.be/E5l6sWqVpuw
Oprah Winfrey and Jonathan Haidt on How Social Media Is Changing Childhood https://youtu.be/FUC4iqxE8QA
Why Many Men Struggle to Maintain Deep Male Friendships Later in Life – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmWSzWwRUhI
Why We Suck at Making Friends (and 3 Ways to Improve) | Sheridan Voysey | TEDx St Albans – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3oXB4I89YM
Influencers and pundits:
Scott Galloway: Scott Galloway is a professor of marketing at New York University. He is one of the most prolific podcasters on the internet, offering opinions on a wide range of topics including loneliness and the plight of young men. His recent book, Notes on Being a Man details the challenges that the younger side of the male species is facing, and positive steps that can be taken by young men toward becoming more productive long-term citizens of the world. There are multiple great YouTube videos that summarize the book, including an excellent session with Oprah Winfrey.
Jonathan Haidt: Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and professor of ethical leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business. His research focuses on moral and political psychology, and he has multiple books to his credit. His book The Anxious Generation asserts that the rise of smartphones and social media since 2010 has caused a mental health epidemic in young people leading to increased anxiety, depression, social disconnection, and other debilitating issues. He advocates keeping social media and phones from children until they are at least sixteen.
Richard Reeve: Richard Reeve was educated at Oxford and Warwick, worked in UK government and think tanks before his current focus on social mobility and the American Institute for Boys and Men. His book Of Boys and Men looks at how men can improve their societal well-being.
Simon Sinek: Simon Sinek is an American author, podcaster and inspirational speaker known for his unconventional views on leadership and business.
Trevor Noah: Trevor Noah is a world-famous comedian who was the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central for years. His podcasts and frequent addressing of the need for friendship comes from his tough upbringing in South Africa.
Shasta Nelson: Shasta Nelson is a leading friendship expert, and author of three game-changing books on how our relationships shape our health, happiness, and work.
Kasley Killam: Kasley Killam is a social scientist advocating for “social health” and meaningful relationships in public health discourse. Her book The Art and Science of Connection is excellent and internationally recognized.
Rui Pei: Rui Pei is a Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab postdoctoral scholar quoted on research into empathy perception and connection. She leads the Stanford Communities Project. https://www.rui-pei.net/files/scp.pdf
Alison Rataj: A research scientist at University of New Hampshire focused on friendship as a protective factor against loneliness. Recent publications include “The association between childlessness and loneliness in later life: does friendship play a moderating role?”
Ken Stern: Founder and Chair of the Longevity Project, which fosters public conversation and research on the impact on longer lives on civil society. Author of Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead To Long Lives.
Jamil Zaki: Jamil Zaki s a Stanford psychology professor, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, and author of two books: Hope for Cynics and The War for Kindness.[GU1]
Arthur Brooks: The Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit and Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and at the Harvard Business School as a Professor of Management Practice. Author of 13 books, most recently The Meaning of Your Life.
Julianne Holt-Lunstad: Julianne Holt-Lunstad is professor of psychology and neuroscience, and director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University. The researcher behind the widely cited finding: lacking social connection carries a risk similar to smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day.
Chip Conley: Chip Conley is a cofounder of Modern Elder Academy (MEA), and a noted author and lecturer on making life meaningful. https://chipconley.com/
Jeff Hamaoui: Jeff Hamaoui is a MEA co-founder and MEA’s Chief Education Officer. Most recently, he’s been focusing on human connections and finding your people. He posts often on MEA’s “Midlife Compass” blog including articles such as “10 Secret Rules of Friending” and “Social Battery.”
Aaron Hurst: Aaron is an innovator dedicated to rebuilding the social fabric of American communities. He is the founder and CEO of the US Chamber of Connection, a national nonprofit working to reverse the decline of social trust and connection.
Ezekiel Emanuel, MD: Published in late 2025, Zeke’s Eat Your Ice Cream is an excellent set of rules for healthy aging. At a book signing at DC’s Politics and Prose bookstore, he and Kara Swisher had a thoughtful discussion. (See it on YouTube) Having a social circle is high on the list for living longer!
Current Books and Authors
Notes on Being a Man – Scott Galloway, 2025
Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World – Vivek H. Murthy, former US Surgeon General. 2023
Why Brains Need Friends – Ben Rein,- 2025
The Anxious Generation – Jonathan Haidt, 2024
Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships – Robin Dunbar, Oxford University professor, 2023
Modern Friendship - Anna Goldfarb, 2024
Second Mountain – David Brooks, NYT columnist. 2019
Find your People – Jeannie Allen, 2022
The Happiness Files – Arthur Brooks, 2025
How to Know a Person – David Brooks, NYT columnist, 2023
Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection – John T. Cacioppo & William Patrick, 2008
The Lonely Century: How to Restore Human Connection in a World That’s Pulling Apart – Noreena Hertz, 2020
Learning to Love Mid-Life – Chip Conley Modern Elder Academy, 2024
A Biography of Loneliness: The History of an Emotion – Fay Bound Alberti, 2019
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions – Johann Hari, 2018
Lonely: Learning to Live with Solitude – Emily White, 2011
The End of Loneliness – Benedict Wells (fiction with themes of emotional isolation), 2016
The Anatomy of Loneliness – Teal Swan, 2018
Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other – Sherry Turkle, 2011
Solitude: A Return to the Self – Anthony Storr, 1988
Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond – Lydia Denworth, 2020
Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are – Carlin Flora, 2013
Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close – Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman, 2020
Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make‒and Keep‒ Friends – Marisa G. Franco, 2022
Friendship – A.C. Grayling, 2013 (philosophical view)
The Company We Keep: In Search of Biblical Friendship – Jonathan Holmes, 2014
How to Make and Keep Friends as an Adult – Julie Beck, Atlantic Magazine article, 2022
The Art of Showing Up – Rachel Wilkerson Miller. 2020
The Friendship Formula – Caroline Millington, 2019
You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters – Kate Murphy, 2020
Historical Books
Descent of Man – Charles Darwin, 1871
The Division of Labor in Society – Émile Durkheim, 1893. Often considered the birth of modern community theory. Durkheim explains how communities emerge from shared norms, collective consciousness, and social interdependence.
Meditations – Marcus Aurelius, 2nd century AD
Nicomachean Ethics – Aristotle 4th century BCE
Essays – Michel de Montaigne, 1580–1588