How Many Friends Does One Person Need by Robin Dunbar (Hardcover)

Description

“How Many Friends Does One Person Need?” is a book written by Robin Dunbar, a British anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist. The book, published in 2010, explores the concept of social relationships and the limits of the human capacity for maintaining meaningful connections with others.

Robin Dunbar is well-known for his research on the “Dunbar’s number,” a theoretical cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships. According to Dunbar, this number is around 150, and it represents the maximum number of individuals with whom a person can have a meaningful relationship, involving trust and personal connection.

In “How Many Friends Does One Person Need?” Dunbar delves into his research on social networks, discussing the evolution of social relationships in humans, the importance of grooming in primate societies, and the impact of technology on modern social interactions. The book explores the implications of Dunbar’s number for various aspects of human life, including community size, group dynamics, and the challenges of maintaining social bonds in today’s interconnected but often superficial world.

If you’re interested in the science behind human social connections, the impact of evolutionary psychology on our relationships, and the concept of Dunbar’s number, this book provides insights into these topics from the perspective of a leading researcher in the field.