The Friendship Crisis

March 1, 2004
In this genial volume, Chicago Tribune"Friendship" columnist Paul acknowledges a rarely admitted reality: many adult women lack a circle of friends like those portrayed on sitcoms and wish that they could make and keep more friends than they have. The major problem, Paul and the experts she cites agree, is that"it's damn hard to make new friends in our culture of busyness." In Part One, The Thieves of Friendship, Paul uses stories from real women to highlight a variety of scenarios (moving, getting married, working crazy hours, having kids, getting divorced, becoming a widow, etc.) in which women lose touch with friends. Then in Part Two, The Tango of Friendship, she explains why friendships are so important, and offers advice and strategies for creating and maintaining them. Practical, realistic tips (such as a series of steps for"how to feed a friendship") make doing so seem feasible and fun. A good choice for women looking to make new friendships or to strengthen faltering ones, Paul's volume is a valuable addition to the self-help library and will likely receive a fair amount of attention in the author's Chicago area.

January 1, 2004
At some point in their adult lives, nearly all women have wished for more or closer friends with whom they can share life's ups and downs. Journalist Paul offers readers ideas on how to make and maintain these relationships in almost any situation. In Part 1, she looks at the "thieves" of friendship: the competing ties of marriage and motherhood, lack of time owing to work and family responsibilities, and the loss of friends owing to divorce, moving to a new area, or entering or leaving the work force. Then, in Part 2, Paul examines the need for friends and presents suggestions for building a community of support regardless of one's place in the life cycle. Throughout, she relates suggestions and anecdotes about building friendships based on her research and interviews. While other books explore the philosophy of friendship, this one shows how to make friends and is strongly recommended for public libraries.-Kay Brodie, Chesapeake Coll., Wye Mills, MD

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