In the last decade, we’ve learned an enormous amount about the human need to belong. Researchers have found distinct correlations between loneliness, heart disease, stroke, raised blood pressure and premature death. In medical circles, social isolation is now considered as detrimental to health as smoking and obesity.
In addition to laying out the bare facts around the health risks of loneliness, Noreena Hertz has explored why 21st Century life is set to exacerbate social disconnection. She explores the impact of digital communication, modern city life, work and next generation retail on our growing sense of abandonment and paints a stark picture for what could happen if these issues aren’t addressed.
As one of the testimonials on the back cover of the book attests, ‘If we could issue a reading list to 10 Downing Street, I’d put this book near the top’. And since human connection is the undisputable glue that will hold agile, shape shifting organisations together, this is an urgent read for anyone with a vested interest in the future of work.