Plays Well with Others: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong

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AN INSTANT USA TODAY and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER

From the author of theWall Street JournalbestsellerBarking Up the Wrong Treecomes a cure-all for our increasing emotional distance and lonelinessa smart, surprising, and thoroughly entertaining guide to help build better friendships, reignite love, and get closer to others, whether youre an extrovert or introvert, socially adept or socially anxious.

Can you judge a book by its cover

Is a friend in need truly a friend indeed

Does love conquer all

Is no man an island

InPlays Well with Others,Eric Barker dives into these age-old maxims drawing on science to reveal the truth beyond the conventional wisdom about human relationships. Combining his compelling storytelling and humor, Barker explains what hostage negotiation techniques and marital arguments have in common, how an expert con-man lied his way into a twenty-year professional soccer career, and why those holding views diametrically opposed to our own actually have the potential to become our closest, most trusted friends.

Inside you will learn:

• The two things essential to making friends and what Dale Carnegie got wrong.
• What creates love, reignites love, and sustains love. (Theres no Build-A-Bear store for a happy marriage but this is close.)
• The ethical and effective way to get your partner to change.
• How social media can actually improve relationships.
• The antidote to loneliness and why what we usually hear doesnt work.

And so much more.The book is packed with high-five-worthy stories about the greatest female detective to ever live, the most successful liar to ever open his mouth, genius horses, thieving hermits, the perils of perfect memories, and placebos.Leveraging the best evidence availablefree of platitudes or magical thinkingBarker analyzes multiple sides of an issue before rendering his verdict. What hes uncovered is surprising, counterintuitive, and timelyand will change the way you interact in the world and with those around you just when you need it most.

Reviews

"ReadingPlays Well With Othersis like having a hard conversation about relationships with your smartest, funniest friend. Eric Barker's wit and explanatory powers shine through every page." David Epstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World "An entire branch of social science can be summed up in one phrase: Other people matter. From our highest highs to our lowest lows, our relationships to other people determine our happiness and well-being. In this humorous and profound book, Eric Barker distills what we know about how to make our most important relationships flourish. Plays Well With Others will revitalize your life. Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human "Barkers wide-eyed curiosity and intellectual openness make him an ideal tour guide. The result is a fascinating, myth-busting look at relationships." Publishers Weekly A playful exploration of human relationships. . . . Smart, yet funny, Barker frequently draws from scientifically backed studies, yet the tone is always humorous and conversational. Library Journal

Author Bio

Eric Barker is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Barking Up the Wrong Tree and the creator of the blog Barking Up the Wrong Tree. His work has been mentioned in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Time magazine, and Business Insider. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA from Boston College and a master of fine arts from UCLA.