The Power of Strangers
The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World
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3.5 • 11 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A “meticulously researched and buoyantly written” (Esquire) look at what happens when we talk to strangers, and why it affects everything from our own health and well-being to the rise and fall of nations in the tradition of Susan Cain’s Quiet and Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens
“This lively, searching work makes the case that welcoming ‘others’ isn’t just the bedrock of civilization, it’s the surest path to the best of what life has to offer.”—Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Homeland Elegies
In our cities, we stand in silence at the pharmacy and in check-out lines at the grocery store, distracted by our phones, barely acknowledging one another, even as rates of loneliness skyrocket. Online, we retreat into ideological silos reinforced by algorithms designed to serve us only familiar ideas and like-minded users. In our politics, we are increasingly consumed by a fear of people we’ve never met. But what if strangers—so often blamed for our most pressing political, social, and personal problems—are actually the solution?
In The Power of Strangers, Joe Keohane sets out on a journey to discover what happens when we bridge the distance between us and people we don’t know. He learns that while we’re wired to sometimes fear, distrust, and even hate strangers, people and societies that have learned to connect with strangers benefit immensely. Digging into a growing body of cutting-edge research on the surprising social and psychological benefits that come from talking to strangers, Keohane finds that even passing interactions can enhance empathy, happiness, and cognitive development, ease loneliness and isolation, and root us in the world, deepening our sense of belonging. And all the while, Keohane gathers practical tips from experts on how to talk to strangers, and tries them out himself in the wild, to awkward, entertaining, and frequently poignant effect.
Warm, witty, erudite, and profound, equal parts sweeping history and self-help journey, this deeply researched book will inspire readers to see everything—from major geopolitical shifts to trips to the corner store—in an entirely new light, showing them that talking to strangers isn’t just a way to live; it’s a way to survive.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Keohane debuts with a playful account of his "quest to master talking to strangers." Enriching his own social experiments (including "the ultimate taboo of talking to people on mass transit") with the findings of psychologists, sociologists, biologists, and theologians, Keohane unpacks the fear of rejection, notes the importance of eye contact, and details how social interaction promotes happiness. He also explores the origins and importance of hospitality, the treatment of strangers in Christianity and Islam, how smartphones and social media have "altered the character of public space," and the modern phenomenon of "stranger danger." Keohane lucidly explains the scientific and sociological research and shares practical advice on how to get past small talk ("just a door to a better conversation"), establish commonalities, listen closely, and bring a conversation to an end. Though charged topics such as prejudice and political polarization get raised, Keohane doesn't fully acknowledge why members of historically marginalized groups might be less comfortable than a straight, white man with engaging a stranger on the subway. Still, his entertaining and well-informed musings will inspire readers to strike up more conversations.
Customer Reviews
Phenomenal!
This book was an inspiration! Really motivated me to participate in more communication with people around me and helped renew some lost faith in humanity. Lol. The author also has a great sense of humor which really helps when reading nonfiction. Thank you Joe for a spectacular read!!!