Vital Friends The People You Can't Afford to Live Without (Hardcover)

From the Publisher:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Tom Rath shares the results of a landmark investigation.

More than a book about the workplace and more than a study of what makes friendships work, Vital Friends: The People You Can't Afford to Live Without (Gallup Press; hardcover, August 1, 2006) by Tom Rath is the first book to take a comprehensive look at the value of friendships in our society across both our private and public lives. The results are startling, provocative, and certain to change the way we look at friendships forever.

Drawing on more than 5 million interviews conducted by The Gallup Organization as well as the work of several leading researchers, Rath uncovers some startling truths about the bonds we form and how they affect everything from our attitude to our productivity.

Vital Friends shines a potent and provocative new light on the value of friendships throughout our lives and gives us each the tools to make the most of each and every one of these connections.

About the Author:
Tom Rath is coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller and #1 BusinessWeek bestseller How Full Is Your Bucket? -- a book that draws on decades of research to explore the differences between leading an enthusiastic life and a miserable one. With more than 500,000 copies in print within its first year of publication, this international bestseller is now available in more than 10 languages.

Rath has been with The Gallup Organization for 12 years and currently leads Gallup's workplace and leadership consulting worldwide. He also serves on the board of VHL.org, an organization dedicated to cancer research and patient support.

Rath earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Michigan, a master's from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently pursuing a degree at Johns Hopkins University. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Rath's second book, Vital Friends: The People You Can't Afford to Live Without, an examination of the friendships that make work and home life more positive and productive, was published in August 2006."