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The Lonely Century

A Call to Reconnect

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The Lonely Century

By: Noreena Hertz
Narrated by: Noreena Hertz
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About this listen

 'Indispensable, engaging and brilliant book about the pervasiveness of loneliness in the twenty-first century and its far-reaching impact...a hopeful book that couldn't be more important or timely.' Philippa Perry, author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read


Even before a global pandemic introduced us to terms like social distancing, loneliness was already becoming the defining condition of the twenty-first century.

'Fascinating, timely and important...Read it, then pass it on to a friend. If you can find one.' Charlie Brooker

Carl, the Los Angeles media executive so lonely he pays to be cuddled. Eric, the Parisian baker finding community in the political far right. Peter, the London schoolboy distraught because no one 'likes' his Instagram posts.

All around us, the fabric of community is unravelling and our personal relationships are under threat. And technology isn't the sole culprit; equally to blame are the dismantling of civic institutions, the radical reorganisation of the workplace, mass migration to cities, and decades of neoliberal policies that placed self-interest above the collective good.

'Passionately argued and deeply researched, this book is for everyone who wants to build a healthier and more connected world.' Arianna Huffington

This is not merely a mental health crisis. Loneliness increases our risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia. Statistically, it's as bad for our health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. It's also an economic crisis, costing us billions annually, and a political crisis, with feelings of marginalisation fuelling divisiveness and extremism around the world.

But it's also one we have the power to reverse. Combining a decade of research with first-hand reporting, Noreena Hertz takes us from a 'how to communicate in real life' class at an Ivy League university to encounters in German beer gardens between people with radically different political views, from 'renting a friend' in Manhattan to nursing home residents knitting bonnets for their robot caregivers in Japan.

Offering bold solutions ranging from compassionate AI to innovative models for urban living to new ways of reinvigorating our neighbourhoods and reconciling our differences, The Lonely Century offers a hopeful and empowering vision for how to heal our fractured communities and restore connection in our lives.



(P) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd©2020 Noreena Hertz Political Science Politics & Government Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions Sociology Smoking Tobacco Heartfelt Technology New York Health

Critic Reviews

This book is a crucial call to arms: in the wake of the pandemic, Hertz argues, governments have an opportunity to rebuild along better lines . . . If we could issue a reading list to 10 Downing Street, I'd put this book near the top
Explosive stuff. Timely . . . urgent (Simon Ings)
Causing a deserved stir
An important new book
For an uplifting and educational read, The Lonely Century is about how we can overcome our divisions to rebuild a society that works as one
Hertz's timely study of modern loneliness shows how social media isolates us, our work atomises us, and even street furniture prevents us gathering. The economist delivers an eloquent call to arms: only connect (Best Books of the Year)
In this timely book, economist Hertz explores the loneliness epidemic that was sweeping the world even before the coronavirus took hold. She looks at the ways tech that's meant to bring us together is driving us apart, the impact isolation is having on our health, and the bizarre 'loneliness economy' that's springing up to fulfil the needs of people desperate for human contact, from lifelike sex dolls to a service offering cuddles for cash. The book is a fascinating look at a key societal question: in an age where technology means we're more connected than ever, why do we feel so alone?
Revealing, empathetic and couldn't be more timely (Jonathan Freedland, author of THE ESCAPE ARTIST)
Fascinating, timely and important. Noreena Hertz zeroes in on one of the central problems of our age. Seeing the problem lurking at the back of your head dragged into the light will actually make you feel a tad less lonely. Read it, then pass it on to a friend. If you can find one (Charlie Brooker)
An indispensable, engaging and brilliant book about the pervasiveness of loneliness in the twenty-first century and its far-reaching impact. It reveals the way that loneliness is political as well as personal, playing a powerful role in everything from the rise of extremist politics to the vibrancy of our communities to how we relate to those we love. With its powerful vision for how we can come together again, ultimately it is a hopeful book that couldn't be more important or timely (Philippa Perry, author of THE BOOK YOU WISH YOUR PARENTS HAD READ)
We are living in an age where we have forgotten a fundamental truth about humankind that is as old as the Hebrew Bible itself: that we were not meant to live alone. In The Lonely Century, Noreena Hertz recognises this and provides an enlightening, engaging and compelling analysis of the dangers posed by the loneliness pandemic not just to our individual health and happiness, but to our collective ability to reinvigorate society and tackle the many challenges we face today (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks)
All stars
Most relevant
Excellent book outlining the many ways in which we’ve collectively managed to structure and reinforce a lonely society. But also the ways we can alleviate the negative effects.

Excellent book

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I bought this book by chance and when I first started reading it I didn't think I would get through it. but I persevered and I'm glad I did as I could draw parallels from this book with my own life. My online shopping and the ramifications that this has on someone working at Amazon.
my loneliness at work due to the open plan office and the inability for others to want to communicate with me . this book highlighted these issues and made me realise where we are going as a society.

made me think

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Before the pandemic apparently loneliness was the epidemic of concern and was literally killing people. But suddenly it became less important and we were convinced that it wasn't so bad and we could substitute online relationships for real ones without any harm. This book points out its not that simple and while online and robotic companionship might be a bandaid, loneliness is a severed artery. No ground breaking solutions - join a group activity, get your head out of your phone - and the whole 'capitalism is bad' tone gets weary. The benefits of micro interactions is worth further investigation.

Nice sentiments, not much substance

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.