A compelling reconsideration of how friendship enables us to be accepted and loved for who we are and make a difference in the world…

Family physician and counsellor Dr. Winfried Sedhoff opens the book with the recital of his depression-sodden months during his post-graduation training, which he spent holed up in a one-bedroom rental in Sydney after resigning from his job and mulling over his deepest fears and emotional pains only to realize a new sense of belonging. The knowledge he gained at the time built the basis of many books he wrote later. In The Friendship Key, Sedhoff explains how man has keenly exaggerated his need for power and wealth, so much so that his inner unleashed beast has endangered himself, the people he loves, and the society as a whole. A ruthless pursuit of prosperity and status had changed man’s priorities and distanced him from the things that really makes his life worthwhile: most important among them is having meaningful relationships. As a social animal, man’s desire to be valued, noticed, appreciated, heard, sameness, validated /approved, respected, cared for, supported, and protected: his desire of the Ten Desires, is copious. Sedhoff makes an intelligent case for the “Ten Desire” rule: how by giving others validation, notice, approval, and support, we make them feel valued. The book offers eye-opening insights to help readers sort out their priorities and build meaningful relationships, build-up business success to global standards, eliminate injustice, hate, and racism and bring communities together, and ultimately rid governments of corruption by restoring them to the people. While every argument Sedhoff put forward will not appeal to the reader, a compelling case can be made for the curative potential of bestowing others with “the Ten Desires” (which we ourselves expect from others), and its powerful ability to bring inner peace and lasting happiness for one’s own self. In The Friendship Key, Sedhoff rightly argues that many of the qualities that make a person unearth a sense of belonging also represent the best in human nature. Sedhoff’s narrative is a captivating blend of history, tribal society, ethnology, psychology, and personal reminiscence. This well-crafted, thoughtful consideration of the damage done by isolating ourselves against individual and social alliances and following the golden rule of The Ten Desires to find a sense of belonging will reward readers’ attention. The historically accurate facts and clear-eyed insights Sedhoff deploys in the book make it both an informative and engrossing read.