The other significant others : reimagining life with friendship at the center
(Book)

NPR's Rhaina Cohen invites us into the lives of people who have defied convention by choosing a friend as a life partner--these are friends who are home co-owners, co-parents or each other’s caregivers. Their riveting stories unsettle widespread assumptions about relationships, including the idea that sex is a defining feature of partnership and that people who raise kids together should be in a romantic relationship. Platonic partners from different walks of life--spanning age and religion, gender and sexuality and more--reveal how freeing and challenging it can be to embrace a relationship model that society doesn't recognize. Based on years of original reporting and striking social science research, Cohen traces how, throughout history, our society hasn’t always fixated on marriage as the greatest source of meaning, or even love. At a time when many Americans are feeling the effects of the 'loneliness epidemic,' Cohen insists that we recognize the many forms of profound connection that can anchor our lives....The Other Significant Others challenges us to ask what we want from our relationships--not just what we’re supposed to want--and transforms how we define a fulfilling life.