As the first book on social prescribing, THE CONNECTION CURE (Simon & Schuster) offers moving patient success stories, surprising scientific research, compelling healthcare case studies and actionable tips helping all of us get well.
In it, journalist Julia Hotz travels the globe to report on the ways social prescriptions can treat a wide range of conditions —sea-swimming lessons for depression, “culture vitamins” for anxiety, fishing excursions for ADHD, farm work for dementia, phone calls for social isolation, and many more.
Discussed on NPR Morning Edition, Here and Now, and All Things Considered, Ologies, 1000 Hours Outside, The Liz Moody Podcast, mindbodygreen, The Good Life Project and more. Featured on NBC, CNN, BBC, PBS, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Slate, Vox, The Boston Globe, WIRED, Scientific American.
Named a “Best Public Health Book” and “Next Big Idea Club Must-Read” Praised as “provocative, profound, and pleasurable”, “extensively researched and practical”, “hopeful and urgently needed”, and “full of integrity, humor, and great storytelling.”
Available to purchase and review on Bookshop, Amazon, Goodreads & more!
Upcoming Social Prescribing Events
September 10 (Virtual)— Social Prescribing All Hands Meeting with Social Prescribing USA at 8pm EST. Register here.
October 6 (Lugano, CH)— Lecture on “Social Prescribing: A Global Overview” at Aula Polivalente, Campus Est, 6 p.m. More info here.
October 15 (Toronto, CAN)— Talk at 2025 Symposium of The Belonging Forum. More info here.
October 14-16 (Newark, NJ)— “Creating Healthy Communities” Arts in Public Health Convening. More info here.
November 13 (Wyckoff, NJ)— Author Presentation at Wyckoff Public Library. More info soon.
November 17 (Dallas, TX)— Mainstage Talk at 2025 American College of Lifestyle Medicine Conference at 10:45am. More info here.
November 21 (New Haven, CT)— Author Talk at Connecticut Mental Health Center and Yale Department of Psychiatry. More info soon.
Request a stop in your city here!
Selection of Podcasts, Talks & Interviews on The Connection Cure
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OLOGIES: Why Humans Need Hobbies
Crafting. Motorcycle repair. Banjo lessons. Hobbies aren’t a reward, but tools to save your mental and physical health. Listen here
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The Liz Moody Podcast
You can improve your happiness and health through connection, nature, art, and more. Listen here
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The Good Life Project: "A radically simple approach to living well"
Insights into the prescriptive power of re-connecting through movement, nature, art, service and community
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mindbodygreen: "Treat ANXIETY without medication"
How to treat a plethora of mental and physcial health conditions through community, nature, and beyond. Watch here
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Book Club with Michael Smerconish
A fresh look at how non-medical care can make a real difference. Listen here.
Selection of Op-Eds & Articles on Social Prescribing
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Slate: "You’re Not Sick. Your Environment Is."
Pill prescriptions and self-care treatments often ignore the underlying problem: Why are so many people struggling with mental health in the first place? Read here
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BOSTON GLOBE: Take this cash and call me in the morning
Can financial prescriptions cure America’s health problems? Read here
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NEW YORK TIMES: Feeling Lonely? Perhaps You’d Like to Talk to Some Strangers
Several groups are working to create in-person connections by bringing strangers together to fight isolation. Read here
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WIRED: A radical plan to treat Covid’s mental health fallout
The NHS is trialing a new approach to tackling physical and mental health issues: ask what really matters. Read here
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BOSTON GLOBE: Feeling sick? The lawyer will see you now.
The underappreciated power of medical-legal partnerships, an innovation that began in Boston. Read here
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TIME: If You're Feeling Anxious, Try This 2000-Year-Old, Neuroscience-Backed Hack
The ancient magic of imaginal exposure. Read here
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NEW YORK TIMES: How to Meet New People, Even at a Distance
Online and offline platforms are helping strangers form social connections, which are crucial for our health, especially in a pandemic. Read here
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MindBodyGreen: Social Prescriptions Are The Future: Here's 5 You Should Know
While Western approach to illness has its place, some countries are trying something new: social prescriptions — referrals from your doctor to engage in community activities like volunteer groups, beginner-friendly sports clubs, or art classes. And guess what? They’re working. Read here.
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KevinMD: How a group of British medical students fought for social prescribing
An excerpt from The Connection Cure, here.
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Business Insider: Inside of the farm where everyone has demetia
This farm just outside Oslo serves as a day care for people with dementia. It helps give them something to care for, too. Learn more here
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VOX: Nostalgia won’t fix the loneliness epidemic
There are practical, everyday ways to get out of your head and into community. Read here.
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MedPage Today: Doctor's Orders: A Social Prescription for Health
Learn more here.
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Scientific American: Social Prescriptions Can Transform Medicine and Better Our Lives
Social prescriptions can transform medicine and better our lives
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Reasons to Be Cheerful: Don’t Forget to Take Your ‘Culture Vitamins’
In Denmark, prescriptions for group-based experiences, like concerts or library read-alouds, are helping people reconnect with themselves. Read here.
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PBS: For Lonely Older Adults, a Social Prescription Is a Wonder Drug
To strengthen social connections and reduce isolation, one program connects military veterans with volunteers for weekly phone calls. Read here
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BBC: Social prescribing: why purpose is good for your health
Social prescriptions can cover everything from volunteering and art classes to support with household bills. Read here
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POOSH: Do You Need a SOCIAL RX? (Answer: Probably.)
Learn about the right social prescription for you here
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Wall Street Journal: "Social Prescriptions":: A Good Idea
Exercise, nutrition, art and connection can all help keep people healthy. Read here.
Book Reviews of The Connection Cure (see more on Amazon, Goodreads & Storygraph)
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Mental by Ben Miller
““Julia’s writing is spectacular. Her ability to weave in science with story all with that solutions frame should be the envy of every writer out there. I found myself constantly highlighting sections that I needed to come back to in order to learn more.”
—Recommended as 2024 Summer Reading pick in Mental newsletter by Ben Miller, leading mental health advocate and policy expert
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Granted by Adam Grant
““With the ideal blend of journalistic skepticism and humanistic optimism, Julia Hotz makes a compelling case that our well-being depends even more on our connections than we realize.”
—Recommended as 2024 Summer Reading pick in Granted newsletter by Adam Grant, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Think Again
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Porchlight Books
““I’ve been frustrated that the diagnose-treat-repeat cycle hasn’t been working for me... I’d let myself get stuck in a mental rut, ruminating on my stress and forgetting that, even in this brain fog I’m in, life is still going on around me, waiting to be lived. After reading this book, however, I’ve realized I can do more for myself. ….Why not take the more joyful route? Why not make the most of every moment?”
—Recommended as Editor’s Choice in a review by Jasmine Gonzalez, Editor at Porchlight Books
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Kirkus Reviews
“With interesting stories and a broad canvas, Hotz connects readers to a different way of thinking about health and wellness.”
— Recommended in Kirkus Reviews
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Mental Health Affairs
“In The Connection Cure, Julia Hotz provides a profound, well-researched, and accessible guide to understanding and implementing social prescribing. Her work illuminates the path to better mental and physical health through connection. It inspires hope that there are tangible ways to reclaim our well-being even in our increasingly disconnected world. This book is essential for anyone interested in holistic health, mental wellness, and the transformative power of community.
—Recommended as a ”transformative read” in Mental Health Affairs
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Health with Hashimoto's
“Trust me, this book is a game-changer. This isn’t your typical health book; it’s a refreshing take on how we can get well beyond just medications. I absolutely loved it and am giving it a five-star rating without hesitation.”
— Recommended by Esther Yunkin on the Health with Hashmoto’s Podcast
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MindSite News
Hotz is a likeable and engaging narrator, and her enthusiasm for the promise and possibilities of social prescribing is infectious.
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Biophilic Solutions
“I fell in love with this book. She does a beautiful job breaking down all of the concepts of what makes us feel well very concisely, and it’s a very easy and interesting read.”
— Recommended by Monica Olsen and Jennifer Walsh on on Biophilic Solutions
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MedShadow
“Hotz’s humor and conversational breakdown of the science within the patient stories kept me turning the pages easily… whether or not one has a diagnosis, I’ve learned that the greatest gift of social prescribing is that it could be good for whatever ails you.”
— Recommended in a MedShadow Review by Kimberley Bliss, Culture Desk Editor
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MindSite News
"Hotz is a likeable and engaging narrator, and her enthusiasm for the promise and possibilities of social prescribing is infectious. For those understandably frustrated by modern medicine’s coldly clinical approach, The Connection Cure describes an alternative pathway to healing from which many people could benefit."
