The well-known psychiatrist Enrique Rojas, a columnist and writer from Granada based in Madrid, has published several popular science books in various languages on various aspects of psychology and behavior.  These publications address topics such as family, love, the search for happiness, self-help for coping with depression, school failure, and sexual disorders, to name just a few.  These issues are always considered from a transcendent humanistic perspective and supported by a critique of the achievements and shortcomings of postmodern society

His style is direct, simple, and enlivened with examples, quotes, brief reflections, and other resources, which he uses with engaging ease in both his writing and public speaking. He has achieved evident success, both in the number of titles published and in their circulation figures.

“Friends. Goodbye to Loneliness” is another of those books brimming with good intentions, humanity, and knowledge. Through its first four chapters, it attempts to describe the defining characteristics of friendship; the difficulties or personal problems arising from its absence and from loneliness; the longitudinal development of interpersonal relationships in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age; and offers a glimpse into cultural themes with examples of friendship among historical figures.

The next chapter, titled  “Friendship in the Family,” is written by his daughter, Marian Rojas Estapé—a medical doctor and collaborator with the main author on clinical work—and offers a good description of situations and advice on desirable parent-child relationships.  Its content goes beyond what the title suggests, as it addresses authority, role models, self-esteem, the family dynamic, television use, and several other issues that could easily fill a separate publication, though they are condensed into some forty insightful and engaging pages.

Finally, —and before the final appendix dedicated to the “Ten Commandments of Friendship” and several self-tests—there is a chapter on the doctor-patient relationship, which is not superfluous, but also not expected in a book about friendship. And which, in a way, demonstrates that the work transcends the limits set by its title, friendship, so greater systematization would have been desirable.