Structure

The book’s overall structure is essentially linear. It follows what might be described as a standard, or archetypal, pattern of narrative – i.e., beginning, middle, and end. More specifically, in the first lines of the first paragraphs of the first chapter, the author is given an assignment, to write about the experiences of loneliness and friendship. In the chapters that follow, the author explores both scientific and personal aspects of those experiences, and develops a new set of perspectives on both their societal and personal aspects. At the book’s conclusion, the author sums up what he has discovered, and describes how his life and perspectives have changed as a result of having gone through the experiences he has.

Within that overall structure, each individual chapter is focused on a particular experience, element of research, or personal perspective on the book’s core points of focus...