Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America by McCarthy, Andrew

A moving and provocative exploration of male friendship and loneliness, from New York Times bestselling author, filmmaker, and actor Andrew McCarthy as he crisscrosses the country to reconnect with his friends.

"You don't really have any friends, do you, Dad?"

A seemingly innocuous, if direct, question from Andrew McCarthy's son left him reeling. McCarthy did have friends, but like so many other men, the necessities of modern adult life had forced his friendships to the background. At one point his friends had been instrumental in broadening his horizons, bolstering his courage, providing safe harbor. Now, McCarthy found himself questioning what had happened to those friendships, whether he needed them, what he valued, and what he had to offer. A simple question had become a moment that demanded a reckoning.

Who Needs Friends charts McCarthy's journey over nearly ten thousand miles behind the wheel, following him on often-unexpected travels through Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Rocky Mountains with one driving purpose: to reconnect. Along the way he talks to countless men about their male friendships, from cowboys and blues musicians to preachers and rootless teens. What began as a simple desire to catch up with a few friends turned into a deep exploration of the challenges and rewards that men experience in forming bonds with each other.

In McCarthy's own words, "It turns out that guys have a difficult time with friendship." But that's not the way it needs to be.

Author: Andrew McCarthy
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 03/24/2026
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.86lbs
Size: 8.46h x 5.83w x 1.14d
ISBN: 9781538768945

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/26/2026
Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2026
Booklist 03/01/2026

About the Author
Andrew McCarthy is the author of four books, Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain, Brat: An '80s Story, Just Fly Away, and The Longest Way Home -- all New York Times best sellers. He is an award-winning travel writer and served for a dozen years as an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler. Best known as an actor for the past four decades, Andrew has appeared in such iconic films as Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero. He lives in New York.