The village effect : how face-to-face contact can make us healthier, happier, and smarter

In her surprising, entertaining, and persuasive new book, award-winning author and psychologist Susan Pinker shows how face-to-face contact is crucial for learning, happiness, resilience, and longevity. From birth to death, human beings are hardwired to connect to other human beings. Face-to-face contact matters: tight bonds of friendship and love heal us, help children learn, extend our lives, and make us happy. Looser in-person bonds matter, too, combining with our close relationships to form a personal “village” around us, one that exerts unique effects. Not just any social networks will do: we need the real, in-the-flesh encounters that tie human families, groups of friends, and communities together. Marrying the findings of the new field of social neuroscience with gripping human stories, Susan Pinker explores the impact of face-to-face contact from cradle to grave, from city to Sardinian mountain village, from classroom to workplace, from love to marriage to divorce. Her results are enlightening and enlivening, and they challenge many of our assumptions. Most of us have left the literal village behind and don’t want to give up our new technologies to go back there. But, as Pinker writes so compellingly, we need close social bonds and uninterrupted face-time with our friends and families in order to thrive—even to survive. Creating our own “village effect” makes us happier. It can also save our lives.**Advance praise for __The Village Effect__** “A terrific book . . . Pinker makes a hardheaded case for a softhearted virtue. Read this book. Then talk about it—in person!—with a friend.”**—Daniel H. Pink, __New York Times__ bestselling author of __Drive__ and __To Sell Is Human__** “What do Sardinian men, Trader Joe’s employees, and nuns have in common? Real social networks—though not the kind you’ll find on Facebook or Twitter. Susan Pinker’s delightful book shows why face-to-face interaction at home, school, and work makes us healthier, smarter, and more successful.”**—Charles Duhigg, __New York Times__ bestselling author of __The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business__** “Provocative and engaging . . . Pinker is a great storyteller and a thoughtful scholar. This is an important book, one that will shape how we think about the increasingly virtual world we all live in.”**—Paul Bloom, author of __Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil__** “A fascinating, nuanced study of that most fundamental need: the need for human connection.”**—Maria Konnikova, __New York Times__ bestselling author of __Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes__** “__The Village Effect__ is a fascinating explanation of why we need regular contact with people, not just screens—and why time spent with your neighbors will enrich and extend your life in ways you never imagined.”**—John Tierney, __New York Times__ bestselling co-author of __Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength__** “With a raft of surprising data, this compulsively readable, lively and meticulously researched book shows that direct and frequent human contact is at least as important to our survival as clean air or good nutrition.”**—Christina Hoff Sommers, author of __Freedom Feminism: Its Surprising History and Why It Matters Today__** In her surprising, entertaining, and persuasive new book, award-winning author and psychologist Susan Pinker shows how face-to-face contact is crucial for learning, happiness, resilience, and longevity. From birth to death, human beings are hardwired to connect to other human beings. Face-to-face contact matters: tight bonds of friendship and love heal us, help children learn, extend our lives, and make us happy. Looser in-person bonds matter, too, combining with our close relationships to form a personal "village" around us, one that exerts unique effects. Not just any social networks will do: we need the real, in-the-flesh encounters that tie human families, groups of friends, and communities together. Marrying the findings of the new field of social neuroscience with gripping human stories, Susan Pinker explores the impact of face-to-face contact from cradle to grave, from city to Sardinian mountain village, from classroom to workplace, from love to marriage to divorce. Her results are enlightening and enlivening, and they challenge many of our assumptions. Most of us have left the literal village behind and don't want to give up our new technologies to go back there. But, as Pinker writes so compellingly, we need close social bonds and uninterrupted face-time with our friends and families in order to thrive--even to survive. Creating our own "village effect" makes us happier. It can also save our lives. Praise for The Village Effect "The benefits of the digital age have been oversold. Or to put it another way: there is plenty of life left in face-to-face, human interaction. That is the message emerging from this entertaining book by Susan Pinker, a Canadian psychologist. Citing a wealth of research and reinforced with her own arguments, Pinker suggests we should make an effort--at work and in our private lives--to promote greater levels of personal intimacy." -- Financial Times "Drawing on scores of psychological and sociological studies, [Pinker] suggests that living as our ancestors did, steeped in face-to-face contact and physical proximity, is the key to health, while loneliness is 'less an exalted existential state than a public health risk.' That her point is fairly obvious doesn't diminish its importance; smart readers will take the book out to a park to enjoy in the company of others." -- The Boston Globe "A hopeful, warm guide to living more intimately in an disconnected era." -- Publishers Weekly "A terrific book . . . Pinker makes a hardheaded case for a softhearted virtue. Read this book. Then talk about it--in person!--with a friend." --Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human "What do Sardinian men, Trader Joe's employees, and nuns have in common? Real social networks--though not the kind you'll find on Facebook or Twitter. Susan Pinker's delightful book shows why face-to-face interaction at home, school, and work makes us healthier, smarter, and more successful." --Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business "Provocative and engaging . . . Pinker is a great storyteller and a thoughtful scholar. This is an important book, one that will shape how we think about the increasingly virtual world we all live in." --Paul Bloom, author of Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil From the Hardcover edition In her surprising, entertaining, and persuasive new book, award-winning author and psychologist Susan Pinker shows how face-to-face contact is crucial for learning, happiness, resilience, and longevity. From birth to death, human beings are hardwired to connect to other human beings. Face-to-face contact matters: tight bonds of friendship and love heal us, help children learn, extend our lives, and make us happy. Looser in-person bonds matter, too, combining with our close relationships to form a personal “village” around us, one that exerts unique effects. Not just any social networks will do: we need the real, in-the-flesh encounters that tie human families, groups of friends, and communities together. Marrying the findings of the new field of social neuroscience with gripping human stories, Susan Pinker explores the impact of face-to-face contact from cradle to grave, from city to Sardinian mountain village, from classroom to workplace, from love to marriage to divorce. Her results are enlightening and enlivening, and they challenge many of our assumptions. Most of us have left the literal village behind and don’t want to give up our new technologies to go back there. But, as Pinker writes so compellingly, we need close social bonds and uninterrupted face-time with our friends and families in order to thrive—even to survive. Creating our own “village effect” makes us happier. It can also save our lives. Advance praise for The Village Effect “A terrific book . . . Pinker makes a hardheaded case for a softhearted virtue. Read this book. Then talk about it—in person!—with a friend.” —Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human “What do Sardinian men, Trader Joe’s employees, and nuns have in common? Real social networks—though not the kind you’ll find on Facebook or Twitter. Susan Pinker’s delightful book shows why face-to-face interaction at home, school, and work makes us healthier, smarter, and more successful.” —Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business “Provocative and engaging . . . Pinker is a great storyteller and a thoughtful scholar. This is an important book, one that will shape how we think about the increasingly virtual world we all live in.” —Paul Bloom, author of Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil “A fascinating, nuanced study of that most fundamental need: the need for human connection.” —Maria Konnikova, New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes “ The Village Effect is a fascinating explanation of why we need regular contact with people, not just screens—and why time spent with your neighbors will enrich and extend your life in ways you never imagined.” —John Tierney, New York Times bestselling co-author of Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength “With a raft of surprising data, this compulsively readable, lively and meticulously researched book shows that direct and frequent human contact is at least as important to our survival as clean air or good nutrition.” —Christina Hoff Sommers, author of Freedom Feminism: Its Surprising History and Why It Matters Today Resonating With Our Most Profound Life Experiences, This Book Explains Why We Trust Other People And Form Lifelong Bonds, And Why We Ignore These Connections At Our Peril. Pinker Answers Crucial Questions About Human Relationships In A Digital Age, Such As: How Important Is Face-to-face Interaction As Children Develop New Skills, When Adults Fall In Love, When They Negotiate Business Transactions, And As They Age? How Did Humans Evolve Such Finely-tuned Barometers Of Trust And Betrayal--and Do These Mechanisms Work If You're Not Face-to-face With Your Partner? Why Are Women So Often The Catalysts Of Social Change? To Understand These Questions, Pinker Turns To Compelling Human Stories Combined With Cutting-edge Science-- Introduction: People Who Need People -- Swimming Through The School Of Hard Knocks : How Social Bonds Can Rejig The Outcome Of Chronic Disease -- It Takes A Village To Raise A Centenarian : Longevity As A Team Sport -- A Thousand Invisible Threads : Face-to-face Contact And Social Contagion -- Who's Coming To Dinner : Food, Drink, And Social Bonds -- Baby Chemistry : How Social Contact Transforms Infants' Brains -- Digital Natives : Electronic Devices And Children's Language Development, School Progress, And Happiness -- Teens And Screens : How Digital Technology Has Transformed Teens' Lives -- Going To The Chapel : Face-to-face Social Networks, Love, And Marriage -- When Money Really Talks : Social Networks, Business, And Crime -- Conclusion: Creating The Village Effect. Susan Pinker. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. From birth to death, human beings are hard-wired to connect to other human beings. Social networks matter: tight bonds of friendship and love heal us, help us to learn and remember, extend our lives and make us happy. But not just any social networks: we need the real, face-to-face, in-the-flesh encounters that tie human families, groups of friends and communities together. Marrying the findings of the new field of social neuroscience together with gripping human stories, developmental psychologist Susan Pinker explores the impact of face-to-face contact from cradle to grave, from city to Sardinian mountain village, classroom to workplace, from love to marriage to divorce. Most of us have left the literal village behind, and don't want to give up our new technologies and go back there. But, Pinker writes, we need close social bonds and uninterrupted face-time with our friends and families in order to thrive -- even to survive. Creating our own "village effect" can make us happier. It can also save our lives A provocative and persuasive argument about the transformative power of our face-to-face connections Concrete factors such as diet, earning power, exercise, and drugs have driven our recent understanding of health and well-being. New findings tell us that our relationships are just as critical to our survival. Pastimes that many of us have written off as frivolous time-wasters--chatting with friends over a meal, taking a coffee break with a co-worker--serve important biological functions. We are living in an era of constant digital connection, but also of increasing social isolation: More of us than ever settle far from our families and find ourselves living, shopping, going to school, and working alone. Human beings are hardwired to connect with one another. Social networks matter: Tight bonds of friendship and love protect our health, help us to learn and remember, extend our lives, and make us happy. But not just any social networks will do: We need... "Resonating with our most profound life experiences, this book explains why we trust other people and form lifelong bonds, and why we ignore these connections at our peril. Pinker answers crucial questions about human relationships in a digital age, such as: How important is face-to-face interaction as children develop new skills, when adults fall in love, when they negotiate business transactions, and as they age? How did humans evolve such finely-tuned barometers of trust and betrayal--and do these mechanisms work if you're not face-to-face with your partner? Why are women so often the catalysts of social change? To understand these questions, Pinker turns to compelling human stories combined with cutting-edge science"-- Provided by publisher