Man is a social being: in this simple and obvious fact lies the problem of loneliness that afflicts more and more of us. However, Vivek Murthy, one of the leading public health experts and chief medical officer of the United States, examines the issue at a higher level: according to him, the crises sweeping the world like an epidemic, be it alcoholism, drug addiction, violence and anxiety, can all be traced back to this. Loneliness isn't just a threat to our health: it determines our children's school experiences, how we perform at work, and is a major cause of the divisions and polarization that are increasingly tearing our society apart.

But the desire for social connections is innate and an excellent antidote to loneliness. We were meant to live in community, to form long-term bonds with others, to help each other, and to share our life experience with others. We are simply better together.Dr. Vivek Murthy provides a precisely drawn, comprehensive picture of one of the most insidious and at the same time most destructive epidemics of our time, making us realize that the tangible solution is right in front of our noses.