{"product_id":"9780807095966","title":"The Lonely American: Drifting Apart in the Twenty-first Century","description":"In today's world, it is more acceptable to be depressed than to be  lonely-yet loneliness appears to be the inevitable byproduct of our  frenetic contemporary lifestyle. According to the 2004 General Social  Survey, one out of four Americans talked to no one about something of  importance to them during the last six months. Another remarkable fact  emerged from the 2000 U.S. Census: more people are living alone today  than at any point in the country's history—fully 25 percent of  households consist of one person only. In this crucial look at one of  America's few remaining taboo subjects—loneliness—Drs. Jacqueline Olds  and Richard S. Schwartz set out to understand the cultural imperatives,  psychological dynamics, and physical mechanisms underlying social  isolation.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Lonely American\u003c\/i\u003e, cutting-edge research on the  physiological and cognitive effects of social exclusion and emerging  work in the neurobiology of attachment uncover startling, sobering  ripple effects of loneliness in areas as varied as physical health,  children's emotional problems, substance abuse, and even global warming.  Surprising new studies tell a grim truth about social isolation: being  disconnected diminishes happiness, health, and longevity; increases  aggression; and correlates with increasing rates of violent crime.  Loneliness doesn't apply simply to single people, either—today's busy  parents \"cocoon\" themselves by devoting most of their non-work hours to  children, leaving little time for friends, and other forms of social  contact, and unhealthily relying on the marriage to fulfill all social  needs. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e As a core population of socially isolated individuals and families  continues to balloon in size, it is more important than ever to  understand the effects of a culture that idealizes busyness and  self-reliance. It's time to bring loneliness—a very real and  little-discussed social epidemic with frightening consequences-out into  the open, and find a way to navigate the tension between freedom and  connection in our lives.","brand":"Beacon Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47128878383344,"sku":"9780807095966","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780807095966_p0.jpg?v=1763738909","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780807095966","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}