Natalie Kerr, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at James Madison University, where she studies social connection and loneliness. Her work, which has drawn national attention, has been published in journals such as the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Personality and Individual Differences, and Social Influence. She also writes for Psychology Today and designs community programs for people who want to cultivate deeper connection in their lives.

Jaime Kurtz, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at James Madison University, where she studies happiness and savoring. She is an award-winning teacher and researcher whose work has appeared in journals such as Psychological Science, Emotion, Affective Science, and the Journal of Positive Psychology. She is the author of The Happy Traveler: Unpacking the Secrets of Better Vacations (Oxford 2017), Positively Happy: Routes to Sustainable Happiness, and two Audible Original programs: Personality Tests and What They Can Tell Us and The Psychology of Happiness.

"A beautiful reminder that our humanity thrives on forming, maintaining, and restoring connections, guiding us towards resilience against loneliness." -- Stephanie Cacioppo, author of Wired for Love

"In this warm, accessible book, the authors help readers understand--and overcome--the barriers that so often prevent us from connecting with others. It will provide a valuable antidote to the current epidemic of loneliness." -- Elizabeth Dunn, author of Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending

"A masterful guide to deeper human connection, Our New Social Life blends cutting-edge science with practical, accessible wisdom to help anyone struggling with isolation and unfulfilling relationships. Combining innovative research with powerful storytelling, Kerr and Kurtz provide a roadmap for cultivating skills that lead to richer, more authentic bonds." -- Gary W. Lewandowski Jr., author of Stronger Than You Think: 10 Blind Spots that Undermine Your Relationship... and How to See Past Them

"The authors, both experts in the field, have done a masterful job of discussing recent (and classic) research on how people can meet their social needs in the modern world and how they can overcome potential barriers to interaction with others, including with strangers and weak ties. Extremely well-written, the book provides a nice balance between the presentation of scientific findings, advice, and anecdotal examples, which the reader will appreciate. I marveled at the ability of the authors to write a book that will likely interest the general public, while at the same time potentially serving as a supplementary academic book, perhaps to a relationships course or social psychology course." -- Susan Sprecher, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Illinois State University

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Pub date: 2025-01-07

Length: 184 pages