“Initially, I wanted to read this book to learn more about strengthening relationships in the work environment and those in my community, but I quickly realized that there were changes I could make in my personal life and with the ones I love and cherish the most. A couple of years ago my spouse and I adopted school-age children from the foster care system who had come from a hard past. It is quite the journey to parent children from hard places and the concepts in this book rang in my ears in support of training I have sat through to learn how to best help build relationships with my children and to help them feel safe. Even from the very beginning as it talked about laughter, my mind echoed the sweet words from my daughter, “Mommy, you should be more silly”. All throughout the book, I realized that each of the five concepts is something my own family has asked of me in their own way, I just didn’t realize what they were asking or how to make the changes. I have taken these simple five concepts to heart and have made big changes in my home and the immediate effects have been amazing. I’m so glad I bought the digital version where it is always with me and I can refer to pages I have highlighted and made comments to help me often remember how to show love for those who need me to be the best I can be.”

“Hopefully, the goal you will achieve after reading this book will be to not only say, “I am the person I want to be”, but to also be able to say “I am the person I DESERVE to be.” The author, who has long been interested in the personal development of individuals to extend their horizons beyond those usually found through social means and media, has reached into the much more significant, and–not–so–easily–come-by, desirable characteristics we should all strive to individually attain.

I found “Human Connection” to be practical and down to earth. Mr. Coombs suggestions were easy enough for all to achieve, and would help not only us, but those around us, to obtain objectives that would positively affect all our lives. Learning to evaluate our goals, both short and long term, by taking corrective action in our connecting and involvement with others is attained by being more aware of everyone’s perspectives. You’ll learn how to gain more in life from ALL points of view by his entertaining, anecdotal and stimulating ideas.

“Human Connection” resonates with a multitude of advice, examples and guidance on how to eliminate selfishness, fear, egotism and prejudice. We are channeled to recognize our own worth and the depth of influence we have on others. We ultimately come to the conclusion we have much to gain through changing our way of thinking, letting others learn from ‘our’ failures and victories, and engaging those around us to the benefit of all.

Sharing with love is a talent that is selflessly apportioned to everyone who reads this book. You’ll come away refreshed and self-confident of your own abilities to inspire others, as well as being enlightened yourself. Arthur Coombs has hit the nail on the head on how to be everyone’s best friend! I certainly wish he was mine.”

“Let me start by saying this is not the type of book that I typically read, but I am so glad I gave this book a chance. The author did an amazing job teaching and connecting with his audience from the very beginning. All of the “L”s we learned about (Laughing, Learning, Loving, Leading, and Living Large) we’re talked about using personal stories and life lessons learned from the author himself, making a greater (you guessed it!) connection. The writing style of this book was fabulous, making me feel like I was sitting down next to a friend having a chat instead of reading. I found myself laughing aloud at some stories and even tearing up with others. I was able to realize through reading this book the disconnect I have with some people and feel like I now have the tools to fix and build a better relationship with them. If you’re on the fence about this book, take the jump and read it. I promise you won’t regret it.”

This is not that kind of book.

However, the advice is sound. The idea of incorporating 5 “L’s” into different aspects of your life (family, leadership, etc.) is thoroughly discussed. He uses personal stories to get his point across and even throws in a few metrics and a little data to add credibility. It is a super easy airplane or beach day read, but lacks a little of the polish you would expect from this type of book – especially if you have read several others in this genre.

Still, if you are struggling with making connections, especially with difficult people, it offers valuable insights on how to build those relationships in practical ways. The personal inventory section was especially insightful and telling about Coombs as a person, but also as an exercise to gain personal insight into why you do the things you do.”