Overview

""If you've ever avoided talking to strangers, this book might change your mind about giving them their space. And that, as Gillian so perfectly explains, might change everything."" --Angela Duckworth, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of GRIT Discover how making connections with strangers leads to positive shifts in our everyday lives, from preeminent researcher and professor of the psychology of kindness Dr. Gillian Sandstrom. Do you ever feel lonely, even in a crowd? Do you feel anxious or worried about what others think of you, or struggle to make friends? You are not alone. But the truth is, opportunities for positive connection and community are all around you. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Gillian Sandstrom reveals that by talking to strangers, we can unlock more joy, curiosity, and goodwill every day. In an age when loneliness is a social health crisis and harmful behaviors like groupthink increase our perception of distance and polarization, this transformational guide explains the benefits of stretching our perceived limits and connecting with our fellow humans, including: Increased happiness and wellbeing Improved social skills and self-esteem Reduced anxiety and social biases Expanded connections and social circles Combining powerful scientific findings with stories from her own life, Dr. Sandstrom offers us a new vision of a life well lived, when we have the courage to reach out and simply say, ""hello.""

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9780063385412

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Reviews

Before your soulmate is your soulmate, and your BFF is your BFF, they are a complete stranger. The alchemy by which strangers become intimates is not just a lost art, it is a modern science. I'm so, so happy that Gillian Sandstrom has written this gem of a book because she's a consummate expert in both. I'm a long-time fan of Gillian's research, and I especially love what she's accomplished in these beautiful pages---telling the stories of simple interactions, making visible the gossamer threads that tie us to one another, if only we let them. A practical guide to talking with strangers--which you should do far more often than you do, for their benefit and yours. So often, research is me-search, and almost always, that's the very best kind. Gillian studies what she does and practices what she preaches. If you've ever wondered about, worried about, and avoided talking to strangers, this book might change your mind about giving strangers their space. And that, as Gillian so perfectly explains, might change everything. - Angela Duckworth, author of GRIT Gillian Sandstrom's voice is at once wise and warm. Throughout this book, you can feel her gently guiding you toward a stranger, encouraging you to strike up a conversation. While her insights are grounded in rigorous research, they never feel overly academic. The result is immediately relatable and deeply necessary. - Vanessa Bohns, Cornell professor and author of YOU HAVE MORE INFLUENCE THAN YOU THINK A fascinating, fun, and inspiring look at all the good things that happen when we set aside our hang-ups, reenter the world, and talk to strangers, Gillian Sandstrom's Once Upon a Stranger makes an undeniable case that the road to a richer, more creative, more connected life passes through the millions of people who we have yet to meet. It's an indispensable and badly needed corrective in an often lonely, unkind, and antisocial age. A must-read from the global authority on talking to strangers. Deeply researched and yet refreshingly approachable. - Joe Keohane, journalist and author of THE POWER OF STRANGERS Gillian Sandstrom makes her case for talking to strangers using research, expertise, and a reading experience that feels like sitting in a pub and having a chat with a friend. Her subject matter couldn't be more crucial in a world that's suffering from a loneliness epidemic, but the book is welcoming, compassionate, and filled with cheery humor. - Celeste Headlee, acclaimed journalist and author of Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving

Author Information

Gillian Sandstrom is an Associate Professor in the Psychology of Kindness at the University of Sussex. Her research has been featured across the media, including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and The Atlantic, and has been covered by other outlets around the world. She has been interviewed for major podcasts and radio shows, including Hidden Brain, NPR's Life Kit, and Claudia Hammond's All in the Mind. She lives in Brighton, England.

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