The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier

A groundbreaking redefinition of what it means to be healthy that introduces the need for social health – the part of wellbeing that comes from feeling connected – to truly flourish.

Exercise. Eat a balanced diet. Go to therapy. Most wellness advice is focused on achieving and maintaining good physical and mental health. But Harvard-trained social scientist and pioneering social health expert Kasley Killam reveals that this approach is missing a vital component: human connection.

Relationships not only make us happier, but also are critical to our overall health and longevity. Research shows that people with a strong sense of belonging are 2.6 times more likely to report good or excellent health. Perhaps even more astonishingly, people who lack social support are up to 53% more likely to die from any cause. Yet social health has been overlooked and underappreciated – until now.

Just as we exercise our physical muscles, we can strengthen our social muscles. Weaving together cutting-edge science, mindset shifts, and practical wisdom, Killam offers the first methodology for how to be socially healthy. An antidote to the loneliness epidemic and an inspiring manifesto for seeing wellbeing as not only physical and mental, but also social, The Art and Science of Connection is a handbook for thriving.

In this essential book, you will:

• Learn a simple yet powerful framework to understand, evaluate, and bolster your social health.
• Discover the exact strategy or habit you need, as well as research-backed tips, to cultivate and sustain meaningful connection now and throughout your life.
• Glean actionable insights to develop a sense of community in your neighbourhood, at work, and online from a spirited group of neighbours in Paris, the CEO of a major healthcare company, and an artificially intelligent chatbot.
• Get an insider look at the innovative ways that doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, architects, government leaders, and everyday people are catalysing a movement toward a more socially healthy society.

The Art and Science of Connection will transform the way you think about each interaction with a friend, family member, coworker, or neighbour, and give you the tools you need to live a more connected and healthy life – whether you are an introvert or extrovert, if you feel stretched thin, and no matter your age or background. Along the way, Killam will reveal how a university student, a newlywed, a working professional, and a retired widow overcame challenges to thrive through connection-and how you can, too.

About the Author

Kasley Killam, MPH, is internationally recognized as a leading expert in social health. As a graduate of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, sought-after advisor and keynote speaker, and founder of Social Health Labs, Killam has been improving global well-being through connection for over a decade. Killam’s insights can be found in outlets such as the New York Times, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Washington Post.

Reviews

"Kasley Killam has had a lifelong passion for helping people build social connection and in The Art and Science of Connection, she turns her research and wisdom into a manual to help you find your people!" —Emma Seppälä, Yale lecturer and bestselling author of Sovereign and The Happiness Track

"As a buttoned-up Brit I thought I would hate this book for its upfront approach to reaching out. I loved it! This inspiring read wakes us up with new concepts – social health, social muscles, social fitness gyms – which may seem strange at first but are profound, practical, and urgently needed by us all" —Paul Cann, Chief Executive Officer, Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection

"A riveting blend of science and story that will teach you countless innovative ways to build a greater community for yourself and others. A culture-changing book" —Marisa Franco, author of Platonic

"In this important book, Killam does something new and significant by adding the concept of social health to our current focus on physical and mental health. She shows us how connections and community are an essential aspect of health" —Thomas Insel, Former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and author of Healing

"Social connections are the key to sustainable flourishing in an uncertain and changing world. Killam not only accurately diagnoses our human need for connection, but also offers concrete solutions for creating better conditions for global social health so that we can flourish together" —Robert Emmons, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology, author of Thanks!

Dimensions: 15.2 x 3 x 23.2 cm