Barrytown/StationHill Publishing

And now to a book that exhorts us to turn off our televisions … Practical and witty, written with a light touch but always deeply felt, Janice Krasnow’s remarkable little book lays out a series of specific steps to help readers make meaningful connections with other human beings. The book combines invaluable suggestions and insights (“give up the comparison mode for good”; “life is disturbing, and it should be”) with a series of specific exercises that lead to genuine communication and interaction. These include temporary withdrawal from the media and a program to break through the conversational cliches that allow us to maintain a destructive distance. With a list of things not to say (from “You look good!” to “Take care of yourself!”) to suggestions for getting along with people you know well (but ought to know better), this is a social survival guide for the 21st century.