THE VILLAGE EFFECT

By Susan Pinker

(Atlantic)

IF, LIKE Jean-Paul Sartre, you think ‘ hell is other people’, the thesis of this book may not be for you.

But for those who enjoy strong relationships, the future looks bright and long.

After visiting remote villagers in mountain communities in Sardinia, where more people live to be over 100 years old than anywhere, Susan Pinker discovers their secret to extraordinary long lives: reciprocal altruism.

Here, people treat their neighbours like friends and family, with the expectation that they will be treated the same way in return.

Developmental psychologist Pinker’s theory is that strong social bonds can prolong our lives, and in this stimulating book she explains how even playing cards or meeting friends for a coffee every week adds as many years to our lives as taking beta-blockers or quitting a pack-a-day smoking habit.