This book hits a lot of things that are at the core of healthy relationships. It spends the first portion delving into what your own needs/boundaries/likes/dislikes are, and the next portion getting into the dynamics of friendship. I thought it had a number of good suggestions, although the tone was a bit more casual than I was expecting, and there was quite a bit of language, which will be a turn-off for some readers (me included).

Not all parts of the book will be relatable for everyone, but every reader will probably find some points that resonate. I thought one of the most practical sections was on what to say and what not to say when a friend is going through a rough time or a big life change. It also makes good use of other source material, such as when it explains "ring theory," the idea that if you're not the central character in a trauma, then yes, you can still complain about how it makes you feel, but only to people less affected by said event. Or the shift vs. support responses. For instance, when a friend says they're exhausted, you could shift the conversation by saying, "Oh, I haven't been sleeping well either," or you can support by asking something like, "Why do you think that is?" The encouragement is to notice things. Notice yourself, notice your friend, and notice what subtle effect your words and actions are having within a situation. It's a point well made.

It also hit on some other behaviors that often feel natural but that actually need to be toned down, such as a barrage of fact-finding questions when you're at a loss for what else to say or do during a rough time, or the temptation to gloss over something when you are, in fact, rather insulted or hurt and need to say something.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for this digital review copy. ( )

Very enjoyable, practical, and thorough discussion of how to befriend ourselves and others ( )

Given Miller’s intellectual integrity regarding her previous manual (it is neither a book, nor is it “hers,” considering it is not her own intellectual property, since its entirety is plagiarized - go read my review), I will just repeat the last part of that review here, since I am guaranteed it is still applicable with this piece:

“I have posted (and reposted - when I’m assuming the author had it removed) [that] review MULTIPLE times on Amazon; I refuse to believe Miller is a legitimate journalist and would never dream of calling her an author, much less deign the title of writer upon her (given the quality of her writing as seen from BuzzFeed).”

My research standards are held at a high standard to begin, sure, but at the very minimum plagiarism should be admonished. From that beginning, I would write off any other “work” one does from that point on. ( )