The village effect: how face-to-face contact can make us healthier, happier, and smarter

Introduction: People who need people

Swimming through the school of hard knocks: How social bonds can rejig the outcome of chronic disease

It takes a village to raise a centenarian: Longevity as a team sport

A thousand invisible threads: Face-to-face contact and social contagion

Who's coming to dinner: Food, drink, and social bonds

Baby chemistry: How social contact transforms infants' brains

Digital natives: Electronic devices and children's language development, school progress, and happiness

Teens and screens: How digital technology has transformed teens' lives

Going to the chapel: Face-to-face social networks, love, and marriage

When money really talks: Social networks, business, and crime

Conclusion: Creating the village effect.