About the Book: Friendship
The phenomenon of friendship is universal. Friends, after all, are the family we
choose. But what makes these bonds not just pleasant but essential, and how do
they affect our bodies and our minds?
In Friendship, science journalist Lydia Denworth takes us in search of the
biological, psychological, and evolutionary foundations of this important bond.
She finds that the human capacity for friendship is as old as humanity itself,
when tribes of people on the African savanna grew large enough for individuals
to seek meaningful connection with those outside their immediate families. Lydia
meets scientists at the frontiers of brain and genetics research,