Name: Conquering the Boundaries of Friendship
Author: Mark Roman

About the Book

Men are at a disadvantage when it comes to forming relationships with other men. As boys, men are taught to suppress their emotions and to avoid vulnerability at all costs—to be winners and warriors. Mark Roman spent a year collecting interviews with men from dozens of countries around the world and found that these societal and cultural boundaries exist everywhere, and have created a male population that deeply longs for friendship, yet can’t find it. This doesn’t just hurt men—it hurts the women, children, and families who love those men. It results in men who struggle with authenticity, who don’t know how to share and live fully in their relationships. This book will encourage as many men as possible to develop and maintain deep and meaningful relationships with other men. Mark Roman shares stories and techniques that have helped other men find success in crossing societal boundaries and forming male friendships—and in turn helped them become better, happier, and more connected humans.

Praise

“Life is often full due to work and family responsibilities such that friends fall by the wayside. The necessity of male friends becomes obvious only during times of extreme stress, especially stress arising from work or family. Discussing this stress with another man who has experienced such times directly or indirectly transforms these challenges into moments of growth. While men bond over golf or poker or similar forms of relaxation, these casual semi-competitive relationships do not provide the depth of openness and support that are derived from a friend. Here, Mark Roman presents a highly readable how-to primer on establishing and maintaining our complex male relationships. Don't wait for your time of extreme stress. Read this book now and start fostering friendships that will provide support through life's challenges and add depth to your life experience!”

— Dr. Steven Estus, professor University of Kentucky College of Medicine Sanders-Brown Center on Aging; MD-PhD Program mentor; Alzheimer's Disease researcher and molecular geneticist

“Meaningful professional relationships are one of the cornerstones of today's successful executive. In the business world, one of the most important keys to long-term success is developing and maintaining relationships. Since our professions take the majority of our days and time in our lives and we're often on our own at our computers, it's worth investing our time and effort to ensure that the time we invest in cultivating relationships with our clients is the best it can be. In Conquering the Boundaries of Friendship, Roman tackles the subject of friendships with clients and the dynamics of personal and professional relationships. Conquering the Boundaries of Friendship is a fun read, filled with practical examples and challenges to conquer your fear and to strengthen your personal and professional relationships.”

— William Ward, managing partner and founder of Chartwell Partners

“In Conquering the Boundaries of Friendship, Mark Roman shares personal stories of overcoming boundaries to creating and maintaining male friendships. This book provides insight into real and perceived obstacles to developing meaningful relationships, and guides the reader through the journeys, troubles, and successes of men in different stages of their lives. This book is an antidote to today's fast paced, individualistic, self centered society, and encourages a refreshing pause to find oneself, in order to find a friend. Heartfelt stories are woven through practical suggestions and care plans to develop and enhance one's mental and physical health. Friendships, the connections we maintain, and love we share, are crucial to building resilience, and enjoying more from our lives. I highly recommend this book - as it is never too early or too late to develop meaningful friendships.”

— Yener Balan, MD, DFAPA, board certified psychiatrist and best-selling author of Big Book of Emergency Department Psychiatry

About Mark Roman

As an adopted child without brothers and sisters growing up in the 1960s Midwest Rust Belt, Mark Roman had to quickly learn how to nurture friendships with other kids. As an adult, Mark's professional career took him all over the country and the world; through these experiences, he noticed not only a lack of support for men trying to form lasting male relationships, but a void in academic and advice writing on the subject as well. His aim with this book is to help as many men as possible overcome their perceived boundaries to forming impactful male friendships, and inspire a conversation that will continue beyond these pages. Mark and his wife Loretta split their time between homes in Ohio and Virginia.