Plays Well with Others: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong | Eric Barker

AN INSTANT USA TODAY and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER

From the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Barking Up the Wrong Tree comes a cure-all for our increasing emotional distance and loneliness—a smart, surprising, and thoroughly entertaining guide to help build better friendships, reignite love, and get closer to others, whether you’re an extrovert or introvert, socially adept or socially anxious.

Can you judge a book by its cover? 

Is a friend in need truly a friend indeed? 

Does love conquer all? 

Is no man an island? 

In Plays Well with Others, Eric Barker dives into these age-old maxims drawing on science to reveal the truth beyond the conventional wisdom about human relationships. Combining his compelling storytelling and humor, Barker explains what hostage negotiation techniques and marital arguments have in common, how an expert con-man lied his way into a twenty-year professional soccer career, and why those holding views diametrically opposed to our own actually have the potential to become our closest, most trusted friends.

Inside you will learn:

• The two things essential to making friends – and what Dale Carnegie got wrong.
• What creates love, reignites love, and sustains love. (There’s no Build-A-Bear store for a happy marriage but this is close.)
• The ethical and effective way to get your partner to change.
• How social media can actually improve relationships.
• The antidote to loneliness and why what we usually hear doesn’t work.

And so much more. The book is packed with high-five-worthy stories about the greatest female detective to ever live, the most successful liar to ever open his mouth, genius horses, thieving hermits, the perils of perfect memories, and placebos. Leveraging the best evidence available—free of platitudes or magical thinking—Barker analyzes multiple sides of an issue before rendering his verdict. What he’s uncovered is surprising, counterintuitive, and timely—and will change the way you interact in the world and with those around you just when you need it most.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An entire branch of social science can be summed up in one phrase: Other people matter. From our highest highs to our lowest lows, our relationships to other people determine our happiness and well-being. In this humorous and profound book, Eric Barker distills what we know about how to make our most important relationships flourish. Plays Well With Others will revitalize your life."
-Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human

"Reading Plays Well With Others is like having a hard conversation about relationships with your smartest, funniest friend. Eric Barker's wit and explanatory powers shine through every page."
-David Epstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Range

About the Author

Eric Barker is the author of The Wall Street Journal bestseller Barking Up the Wrong Tree which has sold over half a million copies and been translated into 19 languages. Over 500,000 people have subscribed to his weekly newsletter. His work has been covered by The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Financial Times, and others. Eric is also a sought-after speaker, having given talks at MIT, Yale, Google, the United States Military Central Command (CENTCOM), and the Olympic Training Center.