Publisher, Simon & Schuster Audioworks (October 2006)

Listen to a Windows Media audio clip.

Listen to an MP3 audio clip.

What's the quickest way to ruin a friendship? Do great friendships have anything in common? Are close friendships in the workplace such a bad thing? These are just a few of the questions that bestselling author Tom Rath asked when he embarked on a massive study about the impact of friendships. His team's findings -- including the landmark discovery that people who have a "best friend at work" are seven times as likely to be engaged in their job -- are sure to challenge long-held assumptions people have about their friendships.

Vital Friends will help you better understand the eight vital friendship roles your friends play in your life and at work, and will help you develop these relationships into vital friendships that measurably improve your life. Each copy also includes a unique ID code that provides access to the Vital Friends Assessment and Web site -- a personalized, groundbreaking test that will help you see your coworkers, family, friends, and significant other in a whole new light.