"Alexander Nehamas, known for his distinguished and very readable books that make philosophy accessible to a broad audience, has written a far-ranging, meticulously researched yet warmly personal account of the mysterious phenomenon known as friendship. His prose is luminous, intimate and erudite. Highly recommended!" --Joyce Carol Oates "With the social media 'friending' mind-set so prevalent in today's society, Nehamas's treatise of the subject is timely and significant. Accessible philosophical writing for general readers who want to understand better an essential feature of our lives." --Library Journal "For those wanting to see how the concept of friendship in Western civilization has evolved since Aristotle, this study offers a useful, if idiosyncratic survey." --Kirkus Reviews "On Friendship accomplishes the remarkable; Nehamas punctures standard pieties with clear-eyed realism about the risks of loss or corruption through our friendships, while saving every bit of our unshakeable sense that our friends remain immeasurably valuable, and of central importance in our lives. This deeply insightful book--the fruit of a lifetime's reflection--should be read not only by those who care about friendship in general, but by all of us who care about our friends." --R. Lanier Anderson, Professor of Philosophy at Stanford University "Beautiful and wise, On Friendship will deepen your understanding of the friendships through which you live. Can a work of philosophy be a page-turner? This one is hard to put down. Here Montaigne triumphs over Aristotle, while theater emerges as the art that best illuminates friendship--which, as Nehamas shows us, is best appreciated as a work of art is appreciated, for what it is for us, individually and irreplaceably." --Paul Woodruff, Professor of Philosophy and Classics at the University of Texas at Austin "Lucid and eloquent, subtle and widely informed, On Friendship is a beautiful and often moving book. It is a decisive rebuttal to those who suppose that it is impossible to write precisely and deeply about important questions." --Philip Kitcher, John Dewey Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University "At the center of Gilgamesh, the oldest surviving great work of literature in the world, is a celebration not of the gods, not of martial heroism, not of piety or romantic love or family but of friendship. Alexander Nehamas' movingly personal book makes clear why this should not surprise us, why at the deepest core of human value should lie the bond that ties one friend to another. Deftly weaving together philosophy, literature, and psychology, Nehamas explores the vulnerability, moral conflict and risk that shadow the essential joy of friendship." --Stephen Greenblatt, John Cogan University Professor of the Humanities, Harvard University, and Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Swerve

Alexander Nehamas is a professor of philosophy at Princeton University and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The author of books on art, literature, and authenticity, among other subjects, he lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Part One 1. "A Friend Is Another Self": Aristotelian Foundations 2. "A Sort of Secession": The Emergence of Modern Friendship 3. A Structure of the Soul" Friendship and the Arts Part Two 4. "And So On": Why Do We Love Our Friends? 5. "No Sense of Humor": A Friendship Breaks Down 6. The Good of Friendship