The Art and Science of Connection

Why Social Health Is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier

Kasley Killam

• Publisher: HarperOne
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9780063289116
• eBook ISBN: 9780063289130
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Interpersonal Relations in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

2025 NAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS GOLD WINNER * 2024 LIVING NOW BOOK AWARDS GOLD MEDAL WINNER * HARVARD PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE BEST BOOK OF 2024 * ASPEN IDEAS RECOMMENDED HEALTH BOOK OF 2024

A groundbreaking redefinition of what it means to be healthy that introduces the need for social health—the part of wellbeing that comes from feeling connected—to truly flourish.

Exercise. Eat a balanced diet. Go to therapy. Most wellness advice is focused on achieving and maintaining good physical and mental health. But Harvard-trained social scientist and pioneering social health expert Kasley Killam reveals that this approach is missing a vital component: human connection.

Relationships not only make us happier, but also are critical to our overall health and longevity. Research shows that people with a strong sense of belonging are 2.6 times more likely to report good or excellent health. Perhaps even more astonishingly, people who lack social support are up to 53% more likely to die from any cause. Yet social health has been overlooked and underappreciated—until now.

Just as we exercise our physical muscles, we can strengthen our social muscles. Weaving together cutting-edge science, mindset shifts, and practical wisdom, Killam offers the first methodology for how to be socially healthy. An antidote to the loneliness epidemic and an inspiring manifesto for seeing wellbeing as not only physical and mental, but also social, The Art and Science of Connection is a handbook for thriving.

In this essential book, you will:

• Learn a simple yet powerful framework to understand, evaluate, and bolster your social health.
• Discover the exact strategy or habit you need, as well as research-backed tips, to cultivate and sustain meaningful connection now and throughout your life.
• Glean actionable insights to develop a sense of community in your neighborhood, at work, and online from a spirited group of neighbors in Paris, the CEO of a major healthcare company, and an artificially intelligent chatbot.
• Get an insider look at the innovative ways that doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, architects, government leaders, and everyday people are catalyzing a movement toward a more socially healthy society.

The Art and Science of Connection will transform the way you think about each interaction with a friend, family member, coworker, or neighbor, and give you the tools you need to live a more connected and healthy life—whether you are an introvert or extrovert, if you feel stretched thin, and no matter your age or background. Along the way, Killam will reveal how a university student, a newlywed, a working professional, and a retired widow overcame challenges to thrive through connection—and how you can, too.

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Contents
• Author’s Note
• Introduction: The Future of Health is Social
• Part I: Assess—The Fundamentals of Social Health
• Chapter 1: Redefine What It Means to Be Healthy
• Chapter 2: Demystify Your Relationships
• Chapter 3: Reveal Your Social Health Style
• Part II: Act—The Practice of Social Health
• Chapter 4: Make Social Health a Priority
• Chapter 5: Strengthen Your Social Muscles
• Chapter 6: Take One Small Step for You, One Giant Leap for Social Health
• Chapter 7: Think Like a Scientist, Even If You’re Not One
• Part III: Amplify—Social Health as a Way of Life
• Chapter 8: Build Community Where You Live
• Chapter 9: Nurture Connections at Work and Online
• Chapter 10: Flourish Together
• Conclusion: The Growing Social Health Movement
• Acknowledgments
• Appendix
• Notes
• Index
• About the Author
• Copyright
• About the Publisher