Friendship by Joseph Epstein

Friendship by Joseph Epstein

Just as his best-selling Snobbery argued that contemporary American snobbery isn't what it used to be, Friendship: An Expos begins with Joseph Epstein's feeling that friendship, too, is somehow different today. From the idealization of family time to the acceptance of gender equality, from technological leaps like e-mail and instant messaging to the (very recent) assumption that your husband or wife will be your best friend, Epstein charts the unexpected and surprising forces that have put pressure on and reshaped friendship.

Epstein sketches an amusing yet serious anatomy of friendship in its contemporary version: its duties and requirements (Reciprocity, or Is It Obligation?), the various kinds of friendships (A Little Taxonomy of Friends), the differences between male and female friendships, the complications marriage creates (Friendship's New Rival), even what happens when sex enters the equation. Moving easily from Aristotle to Seinfeld, and drawing on his own experiences with people great (Saul Bellow and Ralph Ellison) and unknown (an army bunkmate), he uncovers the rich and often surprising truths of friendship, illuminating those relationships -- contradictory, complicated, and wonderful -- without which we'd all be lost.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13
Title	Friendship
Author	Joseph Epstein
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type
Publisher
Year published
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.