Overview

An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of friendship, from the hosts of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend 'Deeply compelling' ROXANE GAY A New York Times bestseller A close friendship is one of the most important relationships a human life can contain. But most people don't talk about what it takes to stay close for the long haul. Now two friends, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, tell the story of their messy and life-affirming Big Friendship in this honest and hilarious book. Through interviews with friends and experts, they also come to understand that their struggles are not unique. This book is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity, to actively choose them and sometimes, fight for them. 'A deeply funny and immensely heartfelt look into what makes a friendship last despite time, distance, trials and major life changes' ELLE 'An inspiration' ARIEL LEVY 'Wonderful' HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON 'Thoughtful and highly readable' New York Times

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9780349013039

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Reviews

Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman are the patron saints of friendship * Bustle * Big Friendship is an anatomy of the way one particular friendship works, but it is also an argument for taking all amicable relationships more seriously, for understanding them in the terms we usually reserve for romance (the authors share their meet cute and discuss the spark and chemistry between them), and for appreciating the sometimes difficult and time-consuming work it takes to maintain these friendships * Vogue * [A] thoughtful and highly readable story * New York Times Book Review * Big Friendship could well be the feel-good, non-fiction book of 2020. From the hosts of hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, Big Friendship examines how to nurture friendships for the long haul - close friends are the key to happiness, after all. The authors tell the story of their own decade-long friendship, the joys and the pitfalls, and it's a clear reminder of how important friendship is - and will make you want to call you pals after for a chat * Evening Standard * Friends and hosts of podcast Call Your Girlfriend, Sow and Friedman celebrate the power of this underappreciated bond. A life-affirming guide to creating and preserving great friendships * Elle * A rich exploration of friendship by the talented women behind the Call Your Girlfriend podcast . . . The authors are well equipped to deliver honest and helpful advice to anyone struggling to maintain a healthy union over time and distance. A soul-searching reflection that delivers an emotional journey to amplify the self-help tips. * Kirkus * Love can be passionate-transformative, painful, enlivening, bone-deep-without being erotic. In this openhearted book, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman show us how a friendship can be as rewarding and enduring as a marriage, and they urge us to value it accordingly-as they clearly do. These women we love to listen to give us the gift of a look inside their intimacy, with all its challenges, and it is an inspiration. * Ariel Levy, author of The Rules Do Not Apply * At its heart, this book is about the power of friendship. In a wonderful and intimate portrayal, Big Friendship shines a light on how being a friend can be just as eye-opening, challenging, and joyful as being a parent or a partner -- and how it can make you your best self. Aminatou and Ann's story is as universal as it is revolutionary. * Hillary Rodham Clinton * Big Friendship is a loving, thoughtful and extremely frank examination of the rich and rocky terrain of women's friendships. It takes as its subject the committed social bonds that sustain and frustrate us as much (or more!) as any of the sexual and familial ties that we've been trained to take more seriously. Here, friendship gets the emotional and intellectual respect it deserves; and like any truly great love story, Ann's and Amina's is a page turner. I love this book. * Rebecca Traister, author of Good and Mad and All the Single Ladies * In a culture that primarily values romantic or familial relationships, Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close is a necessary corrective. Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman offer a deeply compelling book that is part clear-eyed and poignant memoir of a big, invaluable friendship and part frank manifesto on how to nurture the important friendships in our lives in good times and bad. In each chapter, Sow and Friedman demonstrate how they navigate the nuances of their long-standing friendship with elegance, warmth, and generosity. This is the kind of book that makes you want to reach out to your best, biggest friends to say thank you, thank you, thank you for walking in this world with me. As with your big friendships, this unforgettable book is one you will want to keep close. * Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist *

In a culture that primarily values romantic or familial relationships, Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close is a necessary corrective. Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman offer a deeply compelling book that is part clear-eyed and poignant memoir of a big, invaluable friendship and part frank manifesto on how to nurture the important friendships in our lives in good times and bad. In each chapter, Sow and Friedman demonstrate how they navigate the nuances of their long-standing friendship with elegance, warmth, and generosity. This is the kind of book that makes you want to reach out to your best, biggest friends to say thank you, thank you, thank you for walking in this world with me. As with your big friendships, this unforgettable book is one you will want to keep close. * Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist * Big Friendship is a loving, thoughtful and extremely frank examination of the rich and rocky terrain of women's friendships. It takes as its subject the committed social bonds that sustain and frustrate us as much (or more!) as any of the sexual and familial ties that we've been trained to take more seriously. Here, friendship gets the emotional and intellectual respect it deserves; and like any truly great love story, Ann's and Amina's is a page turner. I love this book. * Rebecca Traister, author of Good and Mad and All the Single Ladies * At its heart, this book is about the power of friendship. In a wonderful and intimate portrayal, Big Friendship shines a light on how being a friend can be just as eye-opening, challenging, and joyful as being a parent or a partner -- and how it can make you your best self. Aminatou and Ann's story is as universal as it is revolutionary. * Hillary Rodham Clinton * Love can be passionate-transformative, painful, enlivening, bone-deep-without being erotic. In this openhearted book, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman show us how a friendship can be as rewarding and enduring as a marriage, and they urge us to value it accordingly-as they clearly do. These women we love to listen to give us the gift of a look inside their intimacy, with all its challenges, and it is an inspiration. * Ariel Levy, author of The Rules Do Not Apply * A rich exploration of friendship by the talented women behind the Call Your Girlfriend podcast . . . The authors are well equipped to deliver honest and helpful advice to anyone struggling to maintain a healthy union over time and distance. A soul-searching reflection that delivers an emotional journey to amplify the self-help tips. * Kirkus * Friends and hosts of podcast Call Your Girlfriend, Sow and Friedman celebrate the power of this underappreciated bond. A life-affirming guide to creating and preserving great friendships * Elle * Big Friendship could well be the feel-good, non-fiction book of 2020. From the hosts of hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, Big Friendship examines how to nurture friendships for the long haul - close friends are the key to happiness, after all. The authors tell the story of their own decade-long friendship, the joys and the pitfalls, and it's a clear reminder of how important friendship is - and will make you want to call you pals after for a chat * Evening Standard * [A] thoughtful and highly readable story * New York Times Book Review * Big Friendship is an anatomy of the way one particular friendship works, but it is also an argument for taking all amicable relationships more seriously, for understanding them in the terms we usually reserve for romance (the authors share their meet cute and discuss the spark and chemistry between them), and for appreciating the sometimes difficult and time-consuming work it takes to maintain these friendships * Vogue * Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman are the patron saints of friendship * Bustle *

"In a culture that primarily values romantic or familial relationships, Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close is a necessary corrective. Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman offer a deeply compelling book that is part clear-eyed and poignant memoir of a big, invaluable friendship and part frank manifesto on how to nurture the important friendships in our lives in good times and bad. In each chapter, Sow and Friedman demonstrate how they navigate the nuances of their long-standing friendship with elegance, warmth, and generosity. This is the kind of book that makes you want to reach out to your best, biggest friends to say thank you, thank you, thank you for walking in this world with me. As with your big friendships, this unforgettable book is one you will want to keep close. * Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist * Big Friendship is a loving, thoughtful and extremely frank examination of the rich and rocky terrain of women's friendships. It takes as its subject the committed social bonds that sustain and frustrate us as much (or more!) as any of the sexual and familial ties that we've been trained to take more seriously. Here, friendship gets the emotional and intellectual respect it deserves; and like any truly great love story, Ann's and Amina's is a page turner. I love this book. * Rebecca Traister, author of Good and Mad and All the Single Ladies * At its heart, this book is about the power of friendship. In a wonderful and intimate portrayal, Big Friendship shines a light on how being a friend can be just as eye-opening, challenging, and joyful as being a parent or a partner -- and how it can make you your best self. Aminatou and Ann's story is as universal as it is revolutionary. * Hillary Rodham Clinton * Love can be passionate-transformative, painful, enlivening, bone-deep-without being erotic. In this openhearted book, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman show us how a friendship can be as rewarding and enduring as a marriage, and they urge us to value it accordingly-as they clearly do. These women we love to listen to give us the gift of a look inside their intimacy, with all its challenges, and it is an inspiration. * Ariel Levy, author of The Rules Do Not Apply * A rich exploration of friendship by the talented women behind the Call Your Girlfriend podcast . . . The authors are well equipped to deliver honest and helpful advice to anyone struggling to maintain a healthy union over time and distance. A soul-searching reflection that delivers an emotional journey to amplify the self-help tips. * Kirkus * Friends and hosts of podcast Call Your Girlfriend, Sow and Friedman celebrate the power of this underappreciated bond. A life-affirming guide to creating and preserving great friendships * Elle * Big Friendship could well be the feel-good, non-fiction book of 2020. From the hosts of hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, Big Friendship examines how to nurture friendships for the long haul - close friends are the key to happiness, after all. The authors tell the story of their own decade-long friendship, the joys and the pitfalls, and it's a clear reminder of how important friendship is - and will make you want to call you pals after for a chat * Evening Standard * [A] thoughtful and highly readable story * New York Times Book Review * Big Friendship is an anatomy of the way one particular friendship works, but it is also an argument for taking all amicable relationships more seriously, for understanding them in the terms we usually reserve for romance (the authors share their ""meet cute"" and discuss the ""spark"" and ""chemistry"" between them), and for appreciating the sometimes difficult and time-consuming work it takes to maintain these friendships * Vogue * Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman are the patron saints of friendship * Bustle *"

Author Information

AMINATOU SOW is a media personality and entrepreneur. Her work has won awards at the Cannes Lions and the Webbys. She's spoken at various industry events including SXSW and is the founder of Tech LadyMafia, a group that increases visibility and opportunities for women in Tech. She is also a member of the Sundance Institute Director's Advisory Group. Previously, she led Social Impact Marketing at Google, and prior to that, she was the Digital Engagement Director at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, where she spearheaded powerful, innovative storytelling projects and raised so many dollars for veterans and their families. Forbes has named her one of the 30 under 30 in Tech. Aminatou also hosts On She Goes, a travel podcast for all women of colour, and Color Full Lives, a podcast that empowers listeners with the knowledge, tools and motivation they need to increase their financial IQ. She writes for Shondaland & GQ and lives in Brooklyn. ANN FRIEDMAN is a journalist and essayist. She is a contributor to New York magazine's The Cut, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and a contributing editor to The Gentlewoman. Her work has appeared in Bookforum, Guardian, ELLE, Washington Post, Marie Claire, Glamour, New York Times Book Review, The Times, New Republic, and more. Every Friday, she sends an email newsletter to 31,000 subscribers, who rely on her for links to the most interesting stuff on the internet. She also makes hand-drawn pie charts that are essentially funny little personal essays presented as data visualizations. Before she became the self-employed CEO of Ladyswagger, Inc., Ann was the executive editor of GOOD magazine and, before that, an editor at The American Prospect. She lives in Los Angeles.

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