The Friendship Crisis

Book excerpt: As seen in Self, Fitness, Real Simple, Health, Ladies' Home Journal, and Redbook, this much-praised celebration of women's friendships-now in paperback-explores the keys to forming emotionally supportive and sustaining connections at every stage in life. Embraced by some of the most popular women's magazines, The Friendship Crisis has struck a chord with women everywhere who know that finding close friends as an adult isn't easy. Most women rely heavily on their friendships with other women to share their joy and see them through the rough spots, but common life changes-having a baby, leaving a job, moving to a new town, starting an at-home business, becoming divorced or widowed-not only make it difficult to forge new ties but often fray the ones we already have. Marla Paul brings together the moving personal experiences of many different women with the keen insights of psychologists and other relationship experts in "her wise and helpful book on this much neglected subject," says Harriet Lerner, Ph.D.