So Lonely

"Inspiring and original."?Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Lost Connections and Stolen FocusA deeply personal, philosophical meditation on the global phenomenon of loneliness.Loneliness increases your chance of early death by 26 percent, places your body under extreme physical stress, can lead to depression and anxiety, and is so pervasive that it's been recognized as an epidemic in the United States. But what defines loneliness, and is it true that we are lonelier now than we have ever been?Simultaneously intimate and impeccably researched, So Lonely recounts acclaimed Norwegian writer Hilde Østby's own questions about and struggles with the condition, and her many conversations with researchers, artists, and journalists who have looked closely at the myriad faces of loneliness and the ways it can be overcome. She speaks with experts in neuroscience, psychology, and sociology about the factors that cause us to b