I Know Just What You Mean: The Power of Friendship in Women's Lives

New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. First edition. First printing [stated]. Hardcover. Very good in very good dust jacket. Signed by author. DJ has slight wear, soiling and edge wear. SIgned by both authors.. 300 p. Illustrations. Bibliography. "Friendship "matters" to women; it matters a lot; women today--with lives often in transition--depend on friends more than ever. Many who once believed marriage was "the" center of life...now know that friends may be the difference between a lonely life and a lively one. " In "I Know Just What You Mean, " Pulitzer prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman and novelist/journalist Patricia O'Brien provide a thoughtful, deeply personal look at the enduring bonds of friendship between women. Friends for over a quarter of a century, they bring to their book the unique mix of insight and humor that only such a long and rich relationship can produce. ""You might say we've been writing this book for twenty-six years. Maybe it's the logical outcome for two writing friends. It amazes us now to look back and see what we've been building: the story of our friendship is the story of our divorces, our children, careers, loves, losses, remarriages. We rarely made a move without each other's opinion or listening ear...We moved from youth through middle-age with the requisite accumulation of both wisdom and caution that--when shared--made each of us stronger than we would have been alone. "" Drawing on interviews with numerous women from all stages of life--teenagers, young mothers, elderly women, women in politic and business, sports and media celebrities--the authors reach beyond their own experiences, providing an intimate look at friendships that begin everywhere from kindergarten to nursing homes. They tell the touching, funny, and sometimes painful stories of women who don't shy away from confronting the problems and demands of friendship. ""When we asked women how theydefined what a close friend is, they leaped past such qualifiers to describe the impact: being known and accepted, understood to the core; trust and loyalty you can count on, having someone on your side. Having someone to share worries and secrets as well as the good stuff of life. Someone who needs you in return. "