Through research into the unique way women talk to one another, this validating and illuminating analysis of female friendship will help women lean into the comfort these powerful relationships offer and avoid the hurt feelings that come from common miscommunications. "Women's friendships are a lifeline in times of trouble and a support system for daily life. A friend can be like a sister, daughter, mother, mentor, therapist, or confessor--or she can be all of these at once. She's seen you at your worst and celebrates you at your best. Figuring out what it means to be friends is, in the end, no less than figuring out how we connect to other people. In this illuminating and validating new book, ... bestselling author Deborah Tannen deconstructs the ways women friends talk and how those ways can bring friends closer or pull them apart. From casual chatting to intimate confiding, from talking about problems to telling what you had for dinner, Tannen uncovers the patterns of communication and miscommunication that affect friendships at different points in our lives. She shows how even the best of friends--with the best intentions--can say the wrong thing, and how words can repair the damage done by words. Through Tannen's signature insight, humor, and ability to present pitch-perfect real-life dialogue, readers will see themselves and their friendships on every page. The book explains: the power of women friends who show empathy, give advice--or just listen; how women use talk to connect to friends--and to subtly compete; how 'Fear of Being Left Out' and 'Fear of Getting Kicked Out' can haunt women's friendships; how social media is reshaping communication and relationships. Drawing on interviews with eighty women of diverse backgrounds, ranging in age from nine to ninety-seven, [this book] gets to the heart of women's friendships--how they work or fail, how they help or hurt, and how we can make them better."--Jackte.

Women friends talking -- That's not what I meant!: the invisible influence of conversational style -- "We're a lot alike," "We're very different": the importance of being--or not being--the same -- The same--or better?: connection and competition -- FOBLO, FOGKO, and the safe embrace of women in groups -- Too close for comfort: cutoffs, poaching, drama! -- "Like" it or not: women, friendship, and social media -- My friend, my sister, my self: what it means to be close -- Epilogue.