Chapter excerpt from A REAL LIFE: Rediscovering the Roots of Our Happiness

CHAPTER 4

Love Thy Neighbor, Live Forever
“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.”—Woodrow Wilson

You might think that neighborly togetherness and its casual daily exchanges are good for a once-a-year laugh and no more. Well, there is empirical proof that a supportive community goes way beyond being fodder for sitcoms. For decades I have pondered the immeasurable value of friends. I have talked in various books about those childhood days in Vancouver, surrounded by...