If you’ve ever wondered why a single good conversation can lift your mood for days, why loneliness hurts as much as physical pain, or why some people bounce back from trauma while others don’t, Ben Rein’s Why Brains Need Friends hands you the answers straight from the latest neuroscience. This isn’t a feel-good self-help book dressed up with a few studies—it’s a Stanford-trained neuroscientist unpacking how real human connection rewires your brain for resilience, sharpens neuroplasticity, lowers inflammation, and even slows cognitive aging. Rein shows that friendship isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the most powerful (and free) neuroprotector most of us are accidentally under-dosing.

Blending cutting-edge research on oxytocin, mirror neurons, and the social brain with laugh-out-loud stories and zero jargon, Rein gives you a practical “social fitness plan” that’s more effective than most supplements on the shelf. Whether you’re recovering from concussion, managing anxiety or depression, or simply want to future-proof…