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Reviews tagging 'Medical content'
The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen
2 reviews
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Second reread (June 2024): 5 Stars*
I stumbled across this on Libby and was immediately intrigued by the synopsis.
"The Other Significant Others" explores how friendships, although not treated with the same respect as romantic relationships, hold just as much, if not more value. The author interviews an array of people who share their lives and how they have placed friendship at the center of their social world.
I have long said how valuable friendships are, and how a "soulmate" does not have to be someone you are romantically involved with. This book really validated those ideas, and I was pleased to learn that historically speaking, friendships were often treated how we treat a romantic partner today. Marriage in the conventional sense is a newer idea, because throughout most of history people married to gain something. Because of this, people's true connections were often with their friends, which I think is absolutely beautiful. I think this is also something we should be thinking about today because it is unreasonable to think we can get everything we need from one person. Perhaps this type of pressure contributes to divorces.
I really detest the idea that someone will lead any less of a valuable life if they elect to not be in a romantic relationship. Humans are social creatures, and that does not have to be romantic social interactions. When we stop trying to follow what is deemed normal and we start to follow what feels right to us, we are happier overall. You get one life, and if you want to move into a big house with your friends and raise your children together, go for it!
This book also highlights how friendships are not treated the same as blood or marriage. For example, when one person is admitted into the hospital, and the nurses and doctors will not allow a friend to visit, only family. Some people have no family or are not close to their family. In a distressing time when they are hospitalized, they probably need someone there for them, and it is sad that a close friend cannot be granted those privileges.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone!
I stumbled across this on Libby and was immediately intrigued by the synopsis.
"The Other Significant Others" explores how friendships, although not treated with the same respect as romantic relationships, hold just as much, if not more value. The author interviews an array of people who share their lives and how they have placed friendship at the center of their social world.
I have long said how valuable friendships are, and how a "soulmate" does not have to be someone you are romantically involved with. This book really validated those ideas, and I was pleased to learn that historically speaking, friendships were often treated how we treat a romantic partner today. Marriage in the conventional sense is a newer idea, because throughout most of history people married to gain something. Because of this, people's true connections were often with their friends, which I think is absolutely beautiful. I think this is also something we should be thinking about today because it is unreasonable to think we can get everything we need from one person. Perhaps this type of pressure contributes to divorces.
I really detest the idea that someone will lead any less of a valuable life if they elect to not be in a romantic relationship. Humans are social creatures, and that does not have to be romantic social interactions. When we stop trying to follow what is deemed normal and we start to follow what feels right to us, we are happier overall. You get one life, and if you want to move into a big house with your friends and raise your children together, go for it!
This book also highlights how friendships are not treated the same as blood or marriage. For example, when one person is admitted into the hospital, and the nurses and doctors will not allow a friend to visit, only family. Some people have no family or are not close to their family. In a distressing time when they are hospitalized, they probably need someone there for them, and it is sad that a close friend cannot be granted those privileges.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Homophobia
torturedreadersdept's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Abandonment, Infertility, Gaslighting, Cancer, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
This was a great, really informative read. I have always been someone who really valued friendship above family, and often above romantic partnerships as well, so it was really interesting to read about multiple groups of people, some who lived with their close friends, some who prioritized their friendship and eschewed romantic relationships, some who became caregivers for each other… it was really inspiring and lovely, and a great reminder of the ways that deep connection can occur, whether people are dating or married or what. The book ends with an analysis of the types of needs these pairs or triads have and the legal and societal reforms that they would benefit from, and it was genuinely really thought-provoking as well as very heartfelt and well-researched.
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