Social chemistry : decoding the patterns of human connection / Marissa King.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Making connections -- The nature of networks -- Conveners -- Brokers -- Expansionists -- In the mix -- In the moment -- Human design -- Work/life -- Everyone's connected.

"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 otherwise. 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 only three basic types of networks, so readers 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 seventy previous studies found that loneliness increases the likelihood of early death by 26 percent-an effect equivalent to obesity or smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. 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"--