A topic relevant to everyone - friendship - is explored in this volume, the first in the SAGE Series on Close Relationships. It presents a thoughtful statement about what we know, and have yet to learn, concerning adults' friendships.The authors discuss state-of-the-art research on the interplay between social structure, individual disposition and dynamic processes of friendship, and findings on both similarities and differences across adult lifecourse stages. They provide a theoretical framework, incorporating both sociological and psychological perspectives. Using this framework, they offer a new and integrative model of friendship to synthesize research, identify gaps in the literature, scrutinize methods used and produce a map for future research.

Skip the small talk and learn how to build a supportive community, engage with new people, and cultivate authentic, long-lasting friendships at every stage of life. It sometimes seems like everyone has a big, happy, fulfilling social life, full of lifelong friendships...except you. As we grow older and school friendships fade, it can be difficult to meet new people and cultivate meaningful friendships. How do you strike up a conversation with a stranger? How do you move from mutual acquaintances to real friends? Here to Make Friends has the answers to all of these questions and more. Written by a licensed therapist, this book is packed full of helpful advice and tips to overcome social anxiety and start building a stronger social circle, such as: Tips for moving past small talk Advice for getting out of your own head Suggestions for fun and memorable “friend dates” Strategies for connecting meaningfully with other people Everyone wants to feel connected. Here to Make Friends is the perfect companion for moving past the sometimes-lonely post-school stage and into lasting, fulfilling friendships.

Instant New York Times bestseller Is understanding the science of attachment the key to building lasting friendships and finding “your people” in an ever-more-fragmented world? How do we make and keep friends in an era of distraction, burnout, and chaos, especially in a society that often prizes romantic love at the expense of other relationships? In Platonic, Dr. Marisa G. Franco unpacks the latest, often counterintuitive findings about the bonds between us—for example, why your friends aren’t texting you back (it’s not because they hate you!), and the myth of “friendships happening organically” (making friends, like cultivating any relationship, requires effort!). As Dr. Franco explains, to make and keep friends you must understand your attachment style—secure, anxious, or avoidant: it is the key to unlocking what’s working (and what’s failing) in your friendships. Making new friends, and deepening longstanding relationships, is possible at any age—in fact, it’s essential. The good news: there are specific, research-based ways to improve the number and quality of your connections using the insights of attachment theory and the latest scientific research on friendship. Platonic provides a clear and actionable blueprint for forging strong, lasting connections with others—and for becoming our happiest, most fulfilled selves in the process.

This essential go-to guide reveals how women can enhance their lives by creating valuable friendships in today’s busy, mobile world, from nationally recognized friendship expert and CEO of GirlFriendCircles.com. Every woman is searching for a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life. Many realize the significant role that an intimate, tightly knit circle of friends plays in creating a more fulfilling life, but with hectic schedules, frequent moves, and life changes, it’s more important than ever for women to establish natural, meaningful friendships that will contribute to their overall wellbeing. In Friendships Don’t Just Happen!, Shasta Nelson, friendship expert and CEO of GirlFriendCircles.com, reveals the most important proven steps, processes, and secrets vital to establishing the five different levels of friendships, or Circles of Connectedness, that women—no matter their age or relationship status—are longing for in today’s stressful and mobile culture. This revolutionary, engaging guide will also benefit women who already feel rooted to fabulous friends, with insightful principles that will help them maintain and enhance their current friendships. Full of practical how-to tips, fun activities, guiding questions, and step-by-step instructions, Friendships Don’t Just Happen! highlights several areas of developing lasting friendships, teaching women how to: Evaluate their current circle of friends Recognize what types of friends they are seeking based on career, interests, location, and relationship status Create a prioritized friendship action plan Find extraordinary friends—where to look and how to approach them Take initiative to jumpstart friendships and face fears of rejection Establish “frientimacy,” trust, and happiness through conversation and activities Maintain meaningful friendships and determine which ones are worthwhile Excerpt from Friendships Don't Just Happen: There is a lie out there that real friendship just happens. When I was new to San Francisco eight years ago, I remember standing at a café window on Polk Street watching a group of women inside, huddled around a table laughing. Like the puppy dog at the pound, I looked through the glass, wishing someone would pick me to be theirs. I had a phone full of far-flung friends’ phone numbers, but I didn’t yet know anyone I could just sit and laugh with in a café. It hit me how very hard the friendship process is. I’m an outgoing, socially comfortable woman with a long line of good friendships behind me. And yet I stood there feeling very lonely. And insecure. And exhausted at just the idea of how far I was from that reality. I knew I couldn’t just walk in there and introduce myself to them. “Hi! You look like fun women, can I join you?” I would have been met with stares of pity. No one wants to seem desperate, even if we are. We don’t have platonic pick-up lines memorized. Flirting for friends seems creepy. Asking for her phone number like we’re going to call her up for a Saturday night date is just plain weird. All the batting of my eyelashes wasn’t going to send the right signals. And so I turned away from the scene of laughter and walked away. No, unfortunately, friendships don’t just happen. We Value Belonging Friendships may not happen automatically, but what we crave about them sure seems to! We all want to belong—that need to be connected to others is an inherent desire. We live our entire lives trying to fit in, be known, attract acceptance, and experience intimacy. We desperately want to have others care about us. This book is about that hunger. And more pointedly, it is about listening to it and learning how to fulfill it.

Do you have a best friend? If so, you probably share the same race and social status. Why is this so? Does social structure determine your choice of friends? Or do other factors cause you to choose friends? Co-authors Blieszner and Adams explore these issues and offer a theoretical framework which incorporates both sociological and psychological perspectives on friendship. They use this model to synthesize the research theoretically, identify gaps in the literature, scrutinize the methods used, and produce a map for future research. Adult Friendship also covers historical conceptions of friendship, the internal structure of friendship, and the phases of friendship. Clearly written yet scholarly, Adult Friendship is perfect for students, researchers and professionals in psychology, sociology, communication, gerontology, family studies and social work. "The analysis is ably argued, identifying the contributions to and gaps in the field and challenging others to give attention to the theoretical and methodological issues in the emerging research on adult friendship." --Contemporary Sociology "Adult Friendship is a noteworthy publication in the emerging area of the study of personal relationships. . . . A useful synthesis of theory and research on close relationships over the life cycle. . . . suitable for students and others wanting an introduction to the topic, yet also gives professionals more knowledgeable with this literature a fresh, distinctive perspective on it. . . .Blieszner and Adams′ chapters are concise and internally well organized. . . . a worthwhile read for researchers, students, practitioners, and laypersons concerned with the study of friendship across the life span." --Journal of Marriage & The Family "This volume is an important addition to the useful Sage Series on Close Relationships. It treats a topic that has been too frequently ignored in the area of close relationship research. . . . The coverage of the literature in this volume is especially good due to the tight organizational scheme that facilitates summaries of many different findings. . . . In sum, there is no doubt that both researchers and students will find this volume to be extremely useful. This is a well-organized and comprehensive book that provides a concise summary of research on adult friendship, both from sociological and psychological perspectives. Significant gaps in the literature are identified and methodological criticisms are raised. Finally, the authors provide clear guideposts for future research on a topic that has often received too little attention in the area of close relationships." --ISSPR Bulletin

Edited by Mahzad Hojjat and Anne Moyer, The Psychology of Friendship provides a comprehensive overview of the research on these important relationships, which represent one of humanity's closest connections. This book provides a wealth of information on both the beneficial and detrimental aspects of this important bond in everyone's lives.

Do you long to drive a Ferrari at top speed on the open road, but find yourself always stuck on the freeway during rush hour? Do you wonder how you can feel like "not enough" and "too much" at the same time? Like the rain forest, are you sometimes intense, multilayered, colorful, creative, overwhelming, highly sensitive, complex, and/or idealistic? And, like the rain forest, have you met too many chainsaws?Enter Paula Prober, M.S., M.Ed., who understands the diversity and complexity of minds like yours. In "Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Youths and Adults," Paula explores the challenges faced by gifted adults of all ages. Through case studies and extensive research, Paula will help you tap into your inner creativity, find peace, and discover the limitless potential that comes with your Rainforest Mind.