"If you care about what really matters in life, read this fantastic natural history of human friendship."

—Nicholas A. Christakis, author of Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society

NOW AVAILABLE

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Praise for Friendship

  • A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Nonfiction Book of Winter 2020

  • Named one of best books of 2020 by Real Simple

  • Named one of 20 best leadership books for 2020 by organizational psychologist and best-selling author Adam Grant

  • Named one of the “best reviewed books” of January by BookMarks based on reviews in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and more

  • Named one of the “most anticipated books of Winter 2020” by Apple Books

  • A Nautilus Book Award Gold Medal winner

Photo Credit: Jessica Barthel

About Lydia

I am a science journalist who investigates everything from Alzheimer’s to zebrafish. How do we think, learn, and connect? How do we stay healthy—mentally and physically? What’s really going on in the brains of toddlers and teenagers? And what can we learn about ourselves from the behavior of other animals?  I explore the cutting-edge science behind these kinds of questions in my books and articles. I am a contributing editor for Scientific American where I write the Science of Health column, and have contributed to many other publications. My work is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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The Latest

Read my latest article from Scientific American: Brain Waves Synchronize when People Interact

I braved an MRI machine and visited a bat lab to report on brain synchronization. The minds of social species are strikingly resonant.

Read the Article Here

UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent

2023 Adolescent Brain Development Symposium: Adolescent Brain Development & Public Policy

We know a lot about adolescent brain development but translating it into policy can be complicated. Give a listen to these sessions I moderated at UCLA on criminal justice, reproductive rights and more.

Learn more here.

Watch and Listen

Onstage at TED NYC.

Talked friendship with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman on Armchair Expert.

HEAR MORE

Praise for Lydia's Books

“Toxic Truth . . . make[s] the process of scientific research riveting . . . The problem [of lead] has not been totally solved, but it has been shrunken and contained, and Denworth’s fascinating historical, biographical, scientific and political saga shows how we got even this far.”

—Sharon Begley, Newsweek

“I Can Hear You Whisper is a triptych of reportage, popular science, and memoir. As reportage . . . it’s both timely and rigorous . . . As popular science, it’s enthralling . . . As a memoir it is tender and involving.”

—The New York Review of Books

“The power of friendship—in many ways the most essential of our relationships—has long been underestimated. It's an absolute pleasure to see Lydia Denworth do it justice in this lovely, insightful, and important book.”

—Deborah Blum, Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Poison Squad (on Friendship)

Books by Lydia

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BUY THE BOOK
BUY THE BOOK

Scientific American - The Science of Health

In my Scientific American Column - The Science of Health, I cover the latest developments, reporting on new findings intrigue me most and are impacting those in our world today. SEE ALL POSTS.

READ THE COLUMN

Connect With Me

Stay in touch! In Connections, my monthly newsletter, I share updates on my work, open up my reporter’s notebook, and tell you what I’m reading, listening to and watching. I’d love to connect with you. Sign up and receive these bonuses:

1. Friendship: The Playbook.

2. 36 Questions That Lead to . . . Friendship.