Friends

"Van Hout expertly conveys the emotional peaks and valleys of each friendship; the monster's eyes and expressions speak volumes." -- Publishers Weekly , *Starred Review* Award-winning author-illustrator Mies Van Hout celebrates the fun (and sometimes bumpy) stages of friendship as monster friends play, fight, and reconcile. Set against Mies van Hout's iconic black backgrounds and utilizing the same vibrant pastel style of the internationally bestselling Happy , each spread of Friends shows a pair of childlike monsters portraying a single verb, from play to tease to fight , reconcile, and cuddle . This critically acclaimed picture book is both a beautiful art book and a valuable tool for social-emotional learning. Carefully crafted "monster" characters express an emotional depth that is visually stunning and relatable to children and adults alike. This new, high-value edition of Friends features extra-heavy pages that, like the truest friendship, will stand the test of time and repeated readings. "Like the earlier Happy , this conveys emotional heft and arresting images in an appealing, child-size package." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Van Hout expertly conveys the emotional peaks and valleys of each friendship; the monster's eyes and expressions speak volumes." -- Publishers Weekly , *Starred Review* Award-winning author-illustrator Mies Van Hout celebrates the fun (and sometimes bumpy) stages of friendship as monster friends play, fight, and reconcile. Set against Mies van Hout's iconic black backgrounds and utilizing the same vibrant pastel style of the internationally bestselling Happy , each spread of Friends shows a pair of childlike monsters portraying a single verb, from play to tease to fight , reconcile, and cuddle . This critically acclaimed picture book is both a beautiful art book and a valuable tool for social-emotional learning. Carefully crafted "monster" characters express an emotional depth that is visually stunning and relatable to children and adults alike. This new, high-value edition of Friends features extra-heavy pages that, like the truest friendship, will stand the test of time and repeated readings. "Like the earlier Happy , this conveys emotional heft and arresting images in an appealing, child-size package." -- Kirkus Reviews

'Fascinating... In essence, the number and quality of our friendships may have a bigger influence on our happiness, health and mortality risk than anything else in life save for giving up smoking' Guardian , Book of the Day Friends matter to us, and they matter more than we think. The single most surprising fact to emerge out of the medical literature over the last decade or so has been that the number and quality of the friendships we have has a bigger influence on our happiness, health and even mortality risk than anything else except giving up smoking. Robin Dunbar is the world-renowned psychologist and author who famously discovered Dunbar's number: how our capacity for friendship is limited to around 150 people. In Friends , he looks at friendship in the round, at the way different types of friendship and family relationships intersect, or at the complex of psychological and behavioural mechanisms that underpin friendships and make them possible - and just how complicated the business of making and keeping friends actually is. Mixing insights from scientific research with first person experiences and culture, Friends explores and integrates knowledge from disciplines ranging from psychology and anthropology to neuroscience and genetics in a single magical weave that allows us to peer into the incredible complexity of the social world in which we are all so deeply embedded. Working at the coalface of the subject at both research and personal levels, Robin Dunbar has written the definitive book on how and why we are friends.

'Fascinating... In essence, the number and quality of our friendships may have a bigger influence on our happiness, health and mortality risk than anything else in life save for giving up smoking' Guardian , Book of the Day Friends matter to us, and they matter more than we think. The single most surprising fact to emerge out of the medical literature over the last decade or so has been that the number and quality of the friendships we have has a bigger influence on our happiness, health and even mortality risk than anything else except giving up smoking. Robin Dunbar is the world-renowned psychologist and author who famously discovered Dunbar's number: how our capacity for friendship is limited to around 150 people. In Friends , he looks at friendship in the round, at the way different types of friendship and family relationships intersect, or at the complex of psychological and behavioural mechanisms that underpin friendships and make them possible - and just how complicated the business of making and keeping friends actually is. Mixing insights from scientific research with first person experiences and culture, Friends explores and integrates knowledge from disciplines ranging from psychology and anthropology to neuroscience and genetics in a single magical weave that allows us to peer into the incredible complexity of the social world in which we are all so deeply embedded. Working at the coalface of the subject at both research and personal levels, Robin Dunbar has written the definitive book on how and why we are friends.

The show Friends, the profile of the cast in this small coffee book

"Van Hout expertly conveys the emotional peaks and valleys of each friendship; the monster's eyes and expressions speak volumes."-- Publishers Weekly *Starred Review* Back in print at last! Award-winning author-illustrator Mies Van Hout celebrates the fun (and sometimes bumpy) stages of friendship as monster friends play, fight, and reconcile. Set against Mies van Hout's iconic black backgrounds and utilizing the same vibrant pastel style of the internationally bestselling Happy , each spread of Friends shows a pair of childlike monsters portraying a single verb, from play to tease to fight, reconcile, and cuddle . Originally published in 2013, this critically acclaimed picture book is both a beautiful art book and a valuable tool for social-emotional learning. Carefully crafted "monster" characters express an emotional depth that is visually stunning and relatable to children and adults alike. This new, high-value edition of Friends features extra-heavy pages that, like the truest friendship, will stand the test of time and repeated readings. "Like the earlier Happy , this conveys emotional heft and arresting images in an appealing, child-size package."-- Kirkus Reviews

This book offers a long overdue, extensive study of one of the most beloved television shows: Friends. Why has this sitcom become the seminal success that it is? And how does it continue to engage viewers around the world a quarter century after its first broadcast? Featuring original interviews with key creative personnel (including co-creator Marta Kauffman and executive producer Kevin S. Bright), the book provides answers by identifying a strategy of intimacy that informs Friends' use of humour, performance, style and set design. The authors provide fascinating analyses of some of the most well-remembered scenes-the one where Ross can't get his leather pants back on, and Ross and Rachel's break-up, to name just a couple-and reflect on how and why A-list guest performances sometimes fell short of the standards set by the ensemble cast. Also considered are the iconic look of Monica's apartment as well as the programme's much discussed politics of representation and the critical backlash it has received in recent years. An exploration of Joey, the infamous spin-off, and several attempts to adapt Friends' successful formula across the globe, round out the discussion, with insights into mistranslated jokes and much more. For students, scholars, creative industry practitioners and fans alike, this is a compelling read that lets us glimpse behind the scenes of what has become a cultural phenomenon and semi-permanent fixture in many of our homes.

This book offers a long overdue, extensive study of one of the most beloved television shows: Friends. Why has this sitcom become the seminal success that it is? And how does it continue to engage viewers around the world a quarter century after its first broadcast? Featuring original interviews with key creative personnel (including co-creator Marta Kauffman and executive producer Kevin S. Bright), the book provides answers by identifying a strategy of intimacy that informs Friends' use of humour, performance, style and set design. The authors provide fascinating analyses of some of the most well-remembered scenes-the one where Ross can't get his leather pants back on, and Ross and Rachel's break-up, to name just a couple-and reflect on how and why A-list guest performances sometimes fell short of the standards set by the ensemble cast. Also considered are the iconic look of Monica's apartment as well as the programme's much discussed politics of representation and the critical backlash it has received in recent years. An exploration of Joey, the infamous spin-off, and several attempts to adapt Friends' successful formula across the globe, round out the discussion, with insights into mistranslated jokes and much more. For students, scholars, creative industry practitioners and fans alike, this is a compelling read that lets us glimpse behind the scenes of what has become a cultural phenomenon and semi-permanent fixture in many of our homes.

"Van Hout expertly conveys the emotional peaks and valleys of each friendship; the monster's eyes and expressions speak volumes."-- Publishers Weekly *Starred Review* Back in print at last! Award-winning author-illustrator Mies Van Hout celebrates the fun (and sometimes bumpy) stages of friendship as monster friends play, fight, and reconcile. Set against Mies van Hout's iconic black backgrounds and utilizing the same vibrant pastel style of the internationally bestselling Happy , each spread of Friends shows a pair of childlike monsters portraying a single verb, from play to tease to fight, reconcile, and cuddle . Originally published in 2013, this critically acclaimed picture book is both a beautiful art book and a valuable tool for social-emotional learning. Carefully crafted "monster" characters express an emotional depth that is visually stunning and relatable to children and adults alike. This new, high-value edition of Friends features extra-heavy pages that, like the truest friendship, will stand the test of time and repeated readings. "Like the earlier Happy , this conveys emotional heft and arresting images in an appealing, child-size package."-- Kirkus Reviews