Friendgevity: Making and Keeping the Friends Who Enhance and Even Extend Your Life

This is a prescriptive self-help book, by riendship coach, expert, and sociologist, Dr. Jan Yager, author of the international hit titles WHEN FRIENDSHIP HURTS (Simon & Schuster), in 29 languages, and FRIENDSHIFTS, in 8 languages. It explores how the right friends can extend your life and even delay or avoid the onset of dementia, help with recovery from heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses, and better withstanding of pain. However, the wrong ones -- frenemies and even fatal friends -- can have catastrophic effects. FRIENDGEVITY also looks into the impact of social media on friendship, as well as what it takes to be a healing friend and even the controversial related topics of frenemies and fatal friends. Based on extensive original research including interviews with pairs of friends, including interviews related to the impact of the pandemic on friendship, FRIENDGEVITY provides insights into dealing with friendship over the life cycle. friendship at work and in business, making friends, coping with friendship conflicts, and lots more. There is also original material in the Appendix that will make this book useful in sociology and psychology college courses including critical thinking questions for each chapter and a discussion of how each of the four major sociological theories might analyze friendship. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT FRIENDGEVITY:"FRIENDGEVITY is an astoundingly provocative read on a topic that remains so important to all of us. This is a book that provokes self-awareness, and at the same time provides a usable road map to understanding the questions, fears and celebration we experience around the friendships we value so much in our lives. Bravo Dr. Yager and thank you.”—Liz Pryor, author“We all know that good friends and friendships are key ingredients to a good life, but we are now learning that they are also important to having a long life. If you want to live a long healthy successful life, I highly recommend reading Friendgevity. Based on extensive original research, sociologist, friendship coach, and Adjunct Associate Professor Dr. Jan Yager makes the strong case that friendship can impact on your longevity.”—David Riklan, Founder - Selfgrowth.com“Friendgevity takes a deep dive into what makes friendships work, or not. Using research and storytelling, Jan discusses how friends are necessary for survival and provides guidance for anyone looking to understand a friend relationship. From the health benefits of friends to the dark side, like bullying and frenemies, readers will find useful advice on how to get the most out of friendships and navigate the troublesome relationships.”—Manya Chylinski and Terri Birkeland, Co-founders, Project BFFABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Jan Yager is an award-winning author, friendship coach, and consultant, who has been interviewed about friendship on such major shows as THE VIEW, the TODAY SHOW, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, NIGHTLINE, CBS THIS MORNING, CBS SUNDAY MORNING. She was brought to Australia and New Zealand for an author tour of her previous book, WHEN FRIENDSHIP HURTS. Since 2014, she has been teaching at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she is an Adjunct Associate Professor, among other colleges and universities. For more on Jan, go to: https://www.drjanyager.com