The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life

In Dr. Ruth’s final book, the iconic therapist offers an urgent guide to combating loneliness with 100 ways to increase connectivity right now, based on insights from her life story and her unparalleled career.

“Dr. Ruth’s strategies are essential for building the kinds of bonds that will reduce loneliness and transform lives.”—Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project

When Surgeon General Vivek Murthy sounded the alarm that loneliness “represents an urgent public health concern”—exacerbated by social media overuse, the residual effects of the pandemic, and the lack of meaningful relationships—trusted therapist Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer knew that her unique perspective and expertise could help. Long beloved for breaking stigmas around sexual problems, Dr. Ruth made it her mission to help individuals break free from the bonds of hopelessness and isolation.

We are social animals. We have a shared desire to connect and create lasting relationships with the people around us. But the heaviness of loneliness can make this feel impossible. Dr. Ruth, with Emmy Award–winning journalist Allison Gilbert and longtime collaborator Pierre Lehu, tackles the subject with compassion and her trademark no-nonsense approach. She provides practical and creative strategies for finding friends, community, and intimacy. And it’s anchored by Dr. Ruth’s own story, from the horrific loneliness of losing her family in the Holocaust to living in an orphanage to rebuilding her life in America and eventually becoming a world-renowned sex therapist.

With 100 concrete and innovative opportunities that can be put to use immediately, The Joy of Connections isn’t only an action-oriented guidebook on overcoming loneliness from one of the most well-respected therapists of our time; it’s also the vital kick in the pants we all need in order to start seeking—and finding—deep and lasting human connections.