In an age of growing disconnection and isolation I found this to be a refreshing and useful work. Dr Ruth, as almost always, has her finger right on the pulse. A great addition her body of work.

I thought this book was full of simple and practical advice for how to create more connection with others. I think it would be useful to anyone who wants to feel more connected to themself, their family, their friends, or their community, but isn't quite sure how to begin.

Loneliness is a serious problem today. We can even be in the company of people but if there is a feeling we do not matter, there is loneliness. Westheimer reminds us it is not the quantity but quality of relationships that is important. She also reminds us loneliness is a feeling and we can make choices to alleviate it. It is not easy, she wrote, but it can be done.

She draws from a number of sources to give insight on how we can alleviate loneliness. I like that she begins with self investigation. “Self assessment is critical.” (164/1697) Have we excluded meaningful relationships with others? She then gives a number of ideas of how we can move toward establishing new relationships with others, from doing small acts of kindness to joining a class or other interesting group.

Readers should remember Westheimer was a sex therapist. While she does include sex, I was glad she recommended not having sex too quickly. Sex is emotional, she says, and we are to protect our hearts. (864/1697)

This is a timely book full of good ideas to begin making quality relationships with others and alleviating feelings of loneliness.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I love this book so much and it couldn't be published at a better time as people are having so much trouble making and keeping friends post pandemic. I want to give it to everyone I know as gifts this year. May Dr. Ruth's memory be a blessing.

Loved this book! Great ideas and insight. As an adult who lives alone and has become more introverted as I’ve gotten older this book has been so helpful. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking to make more meaningful connections in their life. Especially anyone feeling disconnected and alone. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

Short, sweet, and full of the kind straightforward appeal that made Dr. Ruth well-loved. Rather than choosing clinical examples she used her own experiences to illustrate connections, which makes for pleasurable reading. I found this full of useful and practical suggestions for broadening your social support. No huge bank account or big life changes need to occur to follow her suggestions, which make this a great place to start if you’re hoping to enhance your connections.

Thank you lovely Dr. Ruth, NetGalley, and Rodale, Inc for granting access to a digital ARC upon my request.

Ruth Westheimer, who recently died, was beloved by many for her straightforward advice and way of looking at the world. The Joy of Connections is her last book but it is by no means the least.

There has been much attention given to what is termed an “epidemic” of loneliness. Given that people need and thrive with connections, this is indeed an important issue and one that Dr. Ruth addresses in this title.

Dr. Ruth writes a meaningful introduction to the book. She notes the difference between loneliness and solitude. Westheimer also reflects on the loneliness that she experienced throughout her life. Nonetheless, note the title of this book-Dr. Ruth wants to offer hope and tactics.

Readers follow Dr. Ruth’s “Menu for Connection.” This leads to an examination of significant life areas including Self, Family, Friends & Lovers, Community and, outside her circle graph but close by, technology. As she looks at each of these, Dr. Ruth offers practical help and many examples from her own life.

This is a title that will appeal to those who are looking for change and to those who are fans of the author. It is filled with ways to find pathways to more connection and joy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rodale Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Dr. Ruth was such a treasure and this little book that she wrote at the end of her life is a treasure too. There’s quite a bit of memoir in here but also lots of good life advice, especially about how to make meaningful connections at any age.

I read a digital copy of this book for review.

Dr. Ruth is an icon! I am so glad so is still sharing her wisdom gained from experience. As Ambassador to Loneliness she is filling a void that has been created by “modern” societal norms. The rise in screen time and isolation of individuals has created a wall around people. Seeing the edited lives of others on social media you begin comparing the seemingly perfection of their lives to yours. This creates a vacuum of anxiety and a maelstrom of stress.
Dr. Ruth has written a book that provides a path out of the labyrinth. This book should be distributed and studied in high school health classes and given to every college student. Anyone have issues of loneliness or separation will benefit from reading The Joy of Connections.

Well expressed strategies for working with the various levels of relationships in our lives and expands Dr. Ruth’s expertise beyond intimate relationship advice to all aspects of connection. As always, good sound approaches., especially in the area of defining and building strong family bonds.

Considering the recent passing of the legendary Dr. Ruth I am deeply honored I got to read an advanced copy of this book. That being said, I also thoroughly enjoyed the book. You can practically hear Dr. Ruth's voice when you read this book. Her suggestions for working with loneliness are direct, compassionate and accessible in almost every case. Dr. Ruth is able to sprinkle in her own stories without ever taking the book over with her anecdotes. As a therapist, there are a lot of aspects of this book I feel comfortable recommending, and would gladly recommend this book to colleagues and clients. Dr Ruth is able to communicate practical solutions to a deeply complicated topic , loneliness.

This is a plesant and helpful short read split into categories from friends to family to online connections. I personally didn't take away much from this book, but it is a nice, easy read and I can see it being more helpful to a younger adult who is just starting to learn these things.

I really wanted to like this book because I have fond memories of Dr. Ruth from my childhood. This book just really wasn’t a fit for me, I didn’t realize how conservative she was in her beliefs in a lot of areas, and had also expected this to be more direct suggestions than just a collection of stories about her life.

This book was absolutely beautiful. The message behind the book was so wonderful. I highly suggest this book. I really just grabbed hold to it from the start and couldn't end, because it was just so full of great concepts.