(I received an ARC from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review)

I really enjoyed that this book broke down making friendships in an office environment down to 3 simple steps. Shasta is excellent at explaining the importance of fostering strong relationships in the workplace but also makes building those friendships actionable for everyone so you can walk away with steps to take so you can get closer to your co-workers.

Companies are searching high and low for ways to retain their talent. And one simple way to do that is to encourage friendships in the workplace.

Friendship expert Shasta Nelson goes deep into quantitative and qualitative data to explain why we (employees) feel the need to belong, and to feel seen at work.

Through her research, she outlines why friendships at work are actually helpful, and worth the work.

This book is easy to read, despite being chock-full of data. I appreciate her case studies and client examples. And like Brene Brown, Shasta addresses the need to build our vulnerabilty muscles.

She also talks about being a leader/manager and why it doesn't have to be lonely at the top. (Something I struggled with as a young leader, especially when I was responsible for managing team members who were my own age).

I recommend this book to HR leaders, CEOs and current and aspiring managers who are trying to drive employee engagement and cultural change.

Trust is vital, so a way to built it is to foster positive connections.
Shasta Nelson tells us how.

Shasta has a way of writing about the Business of Friendship like she is providing you with friendship advice over a cup of coffee while also helping you get through the tough parts of life at work- like dealing with that negative, toxic co-worker or learning how to create trust and take calculated risks in work group projects. Her data-based research is relevant for high school and college students trying to navigate those "dreaded" group projects but also relevant to those who've reached 70 or 100 years of age (aka anyone trying to navigate life's relationships). She gives practical tips throughout the book to help you form healthier more intentional relationships at work. And even though I'm a stay at home mom, implementing the tips from the book has helped me become a better mom, wife, friend, and daughter. Thanks, Shasta, for your contribution to this world!

Shasta promises to provide "stories, tips, case studies, and research to support you whether you're a CEO, an entrpreneur, an HR specialist, a manager, or someone who simply wants the time at work to suck less." I would completely agree that this book would be a match for any of those people. I will be recommending it for my own work book club. Making friends and using social skills in general tends to be one of those things that we expect ourselves to automatically know how to do. In addition, employers often assume we should know these skills prior to starting at their company and penalize employees when they don't rather than helping them to develop these skills. Shasta takes a no-shame approach to teaching us how to improve relationships and develop friendships at work. She also shows us why it's more important than many of us realize.
I think the book's concepts could even be helpful for the job seeker looking to utilize their friendship building skills to increase their chances of leaving their interviewer with a positive feeling and increase their chance of being hired. I would have liked to see a full chapter specific to working at home, as many of us are doing now since COVID started. But I saw there were some bonus chapters on the book web site, so maybe that will be coming!

What an incredible read. This book changed my perspective on how important friendship is to my health, and my business. The Business of Friendship is truly a work of art and necessity in today's world!

If you have a job, and work around people, or if you work remote and have friends (everyone) then this book is a must read. If everyone would get their hands on this book, the world would become a healthier, happier place.

Shasta earned a new fan by releasing this book... I'll be keeping up with everything she does from now on!

Shasta Nelson's book is a wake up call—friendships at work start with you. It's not up to your boss or your co-workers and friendships at work don't just magically happen—they evolve on a spectrum of consistency, positivity and vulnerability.

Fostering friendships at the office is not just good for business—they are a must for those of us striving to be inclusive leaders. There are small things we can do every day, in every meeting and every work interaction. Being reliable, showing genuine interest and curiosity are the bedrocks of where to start. I took so much away from this book. One of my favorite books so far this year.

I have often been of the mindset that business relationships should be separate from friendships and personal relationships. I had believed that mixing the two would jeopardize both your professionalism and the friendship or both.

This book makes a very clear case, giving evidence based on research as to why my idea was wrong and why it is friendship at work is important.

I love the way the book is divided into first explaining why and then explaining how. It is easy to read and easy to understand. It gives clear examples that can apply not to just the corporate business world but to any kind of work culture you are in.

I finished with many easy, usable ideas that I feel will make a big difference. I believe there are ideas that I can use to change my work environment for the better without having to first convince co-workers of what I am doing, learn new skills or change who I am.

When it comes to career advice, we often hear the same things time and time again.

Build your network.
Find a mentor.
Create a personal brand.

I don’t know about you but not once have I ever heard “make friends at work.”

Now, after reading The Business of Friendship, I’m convinced it’s truly the key piece of advice that we need to succeed in our careers.

Backed by tons of solid primary research, the author makes a very compelling case as to why friendships at work are pivotal to career happiness.

In fact, how we feel about the people we work with is directly correlated to how much we enjoy our job and life.

This book encourages you to think differently about the idea of a “dream job.” Your vision for your “dream job” shouldn’t just focus on the role itself, but it needs to also include a great group of people to work with.

I rated this 3 stars because it often felt like I was reading a pretty dense research report. But, the book does make a ton of solid points that makes it worth the read, in my opinion!

Shasta is the only person I think of when I thinking of friendships. This book about friendships in the workplace is interesting. It adds another dynamic to the way we think and react on the job and with others. Can you be friends with people at work? My personal opinion didn't change on this topic, even though there is some great research. I think it's very situational and depends on each person. I'm introverted and a great reader of people, I have always choose my friends based on that and will continue to do so. I also work for myself. When I was in corporate America, I left work at work. I'm today's world people don't communicate and work for friendships the way there used to. Social Media always everyone to be friends and most people are stuck infront of a phone or some kind of device. People who work outside the home, are looking for more from the place the spend most of thier time will greatly benefit from this book. I find it complimentary to her other two books. they're fantastic study guides on friendship as well.

The Business of Friendship By Shasta Nelson - This book is about friendship at work. As per the author friendship is an important aspect of our work places and it should not be ignored. if you have a best friend at work place then it can improve your performance by 7 times .

In the beginning it may sound a bit uncomfortable at the thought of having friends at work places but the author has shared enough techniques/Rules that can help one to have a meaningful, healthy friendships at work which can benefit both employees and .and the organizations.

This book is easy to read. it forced me to think about my office relationships. I was initially uncomfortable with the idea of having Close friends at my workplace. but now I realize that having a BEST friend in your team is the best thing that can happen to anyone at work.

The author shares some ground Rules to establish such a friendship.If we follow them then this whole process of having friends at work can become easier and rewarding.

On similar topic some other books can also be explored -
Together - By Vivek Murthy
Friendship - by Lydia Denworth
Social chemistry - by Marissa King