PositiveThe New York TimesIn one sense, the journalist Billy Baker has undertaken a self-defeating task: to cure his loneliness by writing a book. He could’ve made a documentary — seems more social — but instead he’s chosen one of the loneliest professions, involving endless days of solitary confinement in a room with your keyboard and self-doubt, to try to reconnect with friends. Still, Baker manages to pull it off, mostly ... an entertaining mix of social science, memoir and humor, as if a Daniel Goleman book were filtered through the lens of Will Ferrell ... It’s all very Mars versus Venus. Maybe the research backs up these stereotypical differences — I’m not an expert on the literature. But I would have liked to read more about inter-gender friendships ... I would have also liked a deeper dive into the loneliness crisis’ effect on female friendships ... And finally, I’d love to read more about the complex effects of technology on our interpersonal communication. Yes, our laptops have isolated us in some ways. But they’ve also spawned passionate communities, for better and worse ... Over all, though, Baker is an energetic writer and this is an important topic. Plus, the book inspired me to initiate a Zoom lunch with a college friend.
Bill Bryson
PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewOne of the strengths of Bryson’s delightful new book, The Body, is that it reveals the thousands of rarely acknowledged tasks our body takes care of as we go about our day ... The overall result is informative, entertaining and often gross ... Bryson particularly excels at ferreting out unsung heroes ... Bryson, who gives off a Cronkite-like trustworthy vibe, is good at allaying fears and busting myths ... If there’s one part of this book everyone should read, it’s the five pages on the antibiotic crisis. It will light up your amygdala.
Will Schwalbe
PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewI very much enjoyed it. I found it inspiring and charming — a bit fusty at times, but endearingly so. If I’d been in a bad mood, I might have focused more on how it wasn’t quite as emotional as his previous book ... Books, to Schwalbe, are our last great hope to keep us from spiraling into the abyss. It’s an old-fashioned thesis — that this ancient medium can save civilization — but I happen to agree ... I didn’t love every page of Schwalbe’s book. The parts about social media, for instance, seem like well-trodden territory.
