Book excerpt: Transform Your Life Through the Power of Friendship We live in a world where loneliness is reaching epidemic proportions, and millions of women are suffering. The good news? There is a proven antidote. In Friendship Matters, Karen Riddell presents a wealth of data unequivocally showing the power of friendship to dramatically improve the quality of every aspect of your life. While many women find making friends daunting, Friendships Matters is brimming with simple, specific steps and practical tools that will guide you to find, build, and maintain genuine friendships. Friendship Matters offers: —Five Steps to Preparing Mentally —Fifteen Surefire Places to Find Friends —Eight Techniques to Make the Most of Relationships —A Workbook to Create Your Personalized Plan Using her life lessons and interviews with thousands of women who shared their authentic experiences, Karen Riddell demonstrates just how easy it can be to positively transform your life.