Social Chemistry

Decoding the Patterns of Human Connection

By: Marissa King

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

One of 2021's Most Highly Anticipated New Books - Newsweek

One of The 20 Leadership Books to Read in 2020 - Adam Grant

One of The Best New Wellness Books Hitting Shelves in January 2021 - Shape.com

A Top Business Book for January 2021 - Financial Times

A Next Big Idea Club Nominee

Social Chemistry will utterly transform the way you think about “networking”. Understanding the contours of your social network can dramatically enhance personal relationships, work life, and even your global impact. Are you an Expansionist, a Broker, or a Convener? The answer matters more than you think....

Yale professor Marissa King shows how anyone can build more meaningful and productive relationships based on insights from neuroscience, psychology, and network analytics.

Conventional wisdom says it's the size of your network that matters, but social science research has proven there is more to it. King explains that the quality and structure of our relationships has the greatest impact on our personal and professional lives. As she shows, there are three basic types of networks, so listeners can see the role they are already playing: Expansionist, Broker, or Convener. This network decoder enables readers to own their network style and modify it for better alignment with their life plans and values.

High-quality connections in your social network strongly predict cognitive functioning, emotional resilience, and satisfaction at work. A well-structured network is likely to boost the quality of your ideas, as well as your pay. Beyond the office, social connections are the lifeblood of our health and happiness. The compiled results from dozens of previous studies found that our social relationships have an effect on our likelihood of dying prematurely - equivalent to obesity or smoking.

Rich stories of Expansionists like Vernon Jordan, Brokers like Yo-Yo Ma, and Conveners like Anna Wintour, as well as personal experiences from King's own world of connections, inform this warm, engaging, revelatory investigation into some of the most consequential decisions we can make about the trajectory of our lives.

©2020 Marissa King (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"The latest book on the always fascinating topic of networks and networking.... A useful guide, updated for the latest research, including her own, to mapping, exploring and developing your existing social links." (Financial Times)

"It turns out, most of us are social nincompoops. We're friends with whoever happens to be seated next to us at work or school. We go to happy hours to meet new people but end up talking to the three people we already know. We ghost our friends rather than face difficult conversations. And these seemingly small choices, taken together, have a huge impact on our life outcomes.... King calls on us to be intentional not just with our individual relationships, but with our networks." (The New York Times Book Review)

"The book is full of wisdom and entertaining anecdotes." (The Economist)

Lover of People

As I have become increasingly self aware, I have come to the conclusion that I thrive in human interaction the success of others. This book as given me a few more insights on understanding the “Social Chemistry” between people. Bravo

Everyone should read this

So many important ideas elaborated on in this book. Great summary of interactions and what works well for different people, especially in potentially tough workplace situations.

Engaging and Insightful

Social Chemistry is a fantastic mix of academic research, interesting anecdotes, and practical advice for how to develop your network. This is not a book about superficial “networking” – is a book about being intentional about the relationships we develop and understanding how they will shape our lives. The terms “expansionist”, “broker”, and “convener” will help you understand the unique role the contacts in your network play, and the role you might play in their networks. Social Chemistry is a delightful and engaging read, one you simply won’t be able to put down (or pause on Audible!).

obvious

As other have said, the information here is not exactly revelatory or particularly relevant or groundbreaking, and is quite obvious if you're even somewhat observant of humans around you. Maybe good for people who can't naturally read others socially

Just a collection of facts

Never read a nonfiction book that quotes only facts. And basically this is what it does 95% of the book. I find the book full of information and yet little insights