Murthy does an excellent job underscoring the importance of community and connection. He dives into stories of folks finding community in unlikely ways and the burdens that kept them lonely for so much of their lives. I found his personal story about his uncle’s journey particularly affecting; in many of these stories, Murthy is telling stories of groups which find it most difficult to find a sympathetic listener (e.g. women in the medical field, recent immigrants, men in rural communities). 

The only weakness is that this book doesn’t necessarily give practical steps for folks looking to get connected. The stories serve as examples, but if you are looking for a practical guide this doesn’t seem to be the intent. That said, there are a lot of great ideas on where you could potentially start based on other’s experiences. It also gives a good overview of the concept and three ‘types’ of loneliness. It feels accessible and is well-written. 

I would recommend this as a place to start, if you are feeling lonely or even just “down” and unsure why, I think this could be an insightful place to understand the mechanism of the feeling.