I found this to be a very interesting read as I love psychology. The author is a lawyer who helps people who have some sort of psychological need in their legal cases in Boston. He compared writing about loneliness and connections to not being able to write about hunger without writing about food. I have been able to see for myself people of all ages experience being lonely. As the author says, Its not just elderly in nursing homes that experience. He gives examples of people from different backgrounds and ages that experience loneliness.
In this book there are 4 seasons of loneliness described. In the Spring, Seth Doe and Ashley Doe’s lives are ruined by incest and sexual molestation. They experience loneliness when a judge takes them from their family and they are placed in separate foster homes. Their adoptive parents then disown Seth and left him to fend for himself in the judicial system until he ages out.
Summer is about a man that was in the prime of his life and how he spent 15 years of his life in solitary confinement in Mao-era China. He is accused of being an American spy by people he trusted while trying to immerse himself into the Mandrin culture.
Fall is about a truck driver who fell asleep at the wheel of his semi-truck and killed a young twenty-six-year-old girl. His only friends were his books as he read literature and other extraordinary authors that keeps him from interacting with anyone in his life.
Winter is about a Professor who wrote about the history of love but forgot to find others in his life to love and to die all alone without any family.

This is an essential read! Freiberg has shared something that has the objectiveness of a law professor with the compassion of a social worker. The end result is a compelling work of different lives that all share the common theme of isolation, self-imposed or otherwise. Like peeling back layers of an onion, we get to experience the world as these individuals see it. No judgement or patronizing narratives but rather a matter of fact explanation of how people can become lonely in our modern society. It can be assuming that with so much social media and virtual and physical connections in society that isolation seems challenging to achieve. What Four Season of Loneliness displays is the reality that sheer will power and desire for human connections is not enough anymore to free certain individuals from self-imposed or even actual prisons.What I was left with from reading this book is the overwhelming sense that by our nature, humans are social beings. We crave and need human interactions in order to thrive, no matter how much we may be denied this. I've never been incarcerated, labeled a sexual deviant by society, nor disarmingly anti-social. By reading this book, I can empathize with others who can easily identify with these stories and reaffirm our necessity to belong in our society. If anything, it's a staunch reminder that the impact of isolation can start small, than quickly snowball into habit. I feel compelled to strengthen the bonds and relationships in my life today in order to reaffirm the vitalizing benefits of the company of others.

This was a hard book for me to read, but I couldn't stop. The stories were so depressing and hard to read about, but written so well and so thought provoking that I couldn't help but read and think about. I finished this book several weeks ago, but am still thinking about how I can reach out and find new people to interact with in my life. I was talking with my husband several days ago about something he heard on the radio about how only half of the people you think are your friends would consider you a friend back. It was depressing, and made me feel lonely, even though I don't even know if that's necessarily true personally. I have struggled with loneliness for several extended periods of time in my adult life. I live in an area that is extremely transient, and it seems like every 3-4 years I am forced to find new social interactions (I'm a stay at home parent, and not bound to an office with fulfilling adult interaction), which can be extremely hard for me (I'm very quiet, reserved and introverted). This book has helped me see that although I have been lonely, it hasn't been to the extent of others, and I can find ways to reach out to others to fill the need I have in myself (through playgroups, church, story time, and being brave!). This book will stay with me for a long time, and I appreciate Freiberg bringing to light something uncomfortable that I don't think we talk about enough.

J.W. Freiberg has written a book that describes Loneliness to a perfect T. He explains the difference between being alone and being lonely. And also the different ways one can feel lonely. Sometimes one can feel lonely even in a crowd of people. One can feel lonely because they have no connections to people...they feel lost and that no one cares and no one loves them. These people are by themselves in the world. There was the man who was imprisoned, not once...but twice. He was kept in solitary confinement for months...years. He learned how to be his own company, but it changed who he related to those in the outside world. Loneliness can come in all forms. The author tells the story of the truck driver who broke the law because it wasn't enforced by his company...in fact it was encouraged...in order to get where they're going on time. Because he broke the law, there was an accident that killed a young person. This truck driver spent so much time on the road. He was lonely. But he found his escape in books. All of these people handled their loneliness in different ways..some in healthy ways...some in destructive ways.This book is so well written that I was intrigued from the beginning. I would recommend this book to anyone!

``Four Seasons of Loneliness`` is undoubtedly the deepest, most meaningful book I have read in a long time. J.W. Freiberg takes us through four very unique experiences he encountered as an attorney cross sociologist. Please be forewarned that these stories are for the faint of heart; they dive deep into the realms of a person's psyche and explore the rawness of the spirit when exposed to certain surroundings. I gravitated to Freiberg's diction immediately and felt myself immersed into each story as if I knew the characters personally. If you are like me, you will find yourself wanting to reach out to overwhelm each of these people with loving kindness and show them that their experiences are the complete opposite of what living ought to entail. Reading this realm of horrendous human experience redefined my known spectrum of a human's ability to cope and adapt. I promise you that you will not want to put down this book.

In Four Seasons of Loneliness, a lawyer relates four cases that tie to the feeling of loneliness and isolation, each relating to the spring, summer, autumn, and winter seasons of life. By choosing stories and experiences that relate to different parts of the cycle of a life, Freiberg hints at the connections that are necessary for development, security, and happiness, and shows how destructive it can be on one’s life when we do not or cannot have healthy human relationships. The stories are sad and sometimes hard to read (one focuses on a child who has been sexually abused), but give insight into how circumstances beyond our control can conspire to create impossible situations for the powerful connections people so desperately need. Freiberg explores loneliness through these stories, and I think that these sometimes extreme cases can give insight into the way people become disconnected and the effects it has on us all.

I was immediately attracted this book. As someone recently diagnosed with depression and that struggles with loneliness, I was inspired and saddened by this book. It has a two-fold reaction as it immerses the reader in the deep emotions of the 4 cases. I was inspired to know that there are others out there suffering from loneliness, and as hard as this is to admit, that they are worse off than I. My circumstances are mild compared to the abuse, guilt, and isolation that the people in the 4 stories experience. That is also what deeply saddened me. I would consider myself an empath, and I could relate to the devastation that the cases faced. The one case told the story of a man in solitary confinement in Mao-ist China. I felt that was a great parable for all the cases, and for all who suffer from loneliness--- it is like living by yourself in a prison. This work is not for the soft of heart-- only in the sense that you will be affected by it. A solid read that makes you think and do a lot of soul searching.

This book provides the stories of four individuals and their different lives of loneliness. I believe most people can relate to this book in some way. We have all had a time in our life where we felt completely alone. I was able to relate when my husband was deployed during my entire pregnancy and left again shortly after having our son. We lived out in the woods so I have no friends anywhere close and he had gone back to Alaska since he was active duty army. It was one of the most challenging times of my life. I recommend this book to everyone, I hope that it would make each person reevaluate their personal relationships and find ways to improve not only their personal lives but of those around them. I have since joined a community moms club where we keep each company instead of being trapped in the house raising small children all day alone. Great Book!

For me this was an emotional read for me. It was also hard at some points because of the deeply harsh realities of the stories. As someone who has walked through so much, I figured it wouldn’t effect me this much. But it did because it’s a reminder that even with all of that, there are those who have suffered in different ways and have felt such a tremendous loss through actions, moments, trauma, etc. It’s hard not to feel some type of empathy or sympathy for at least one of the characters depicted within the book. I connected and it took me several days to finish the book because of it. It’s like having your feelings and words validated without having to share it. I felt a kinship and maybe even a better understanding of what it means to truly live on through things. Really it’s an exceptional book that helps guide you into finding a bit of peace.

This book was different than those that I usually read. I was unsure about it because it was reading abo how lonely some people have been and so I knew that I was going to be reading some sad stories and I am a sap. The writer wrote of four people who were lonely in four different ways. This shows how wide the idea of lonely is. I probably overthink it but would like to think that how the author got the idea of the four seasons of loneliness, besides the stories settings. In one general year (the idea of loneliness) there are four different seasons (multiple forms). I liked that at the end of the book the author tied the book together to encourage different relationships. I would recommend this book because I think that most people have either experienced a terrible season of loneliness or knows someone who has.

I loved this book. At first I wasn't sure I wanted to read it because I wasn't sure I wanted to read a book that might be depressing. However, Mr. Freiberg is is an excellent writer who shares four individual stories about four clients who were lonely in very different ways. But there was so much more to these stories. I was enchanted with the depth of the writing and how well the author detailed these four particular clients. And then at the end of the book Mr. Freiberg takes a few pages to remind the reader about the purpose of the book; to nurture your current connections and relationships, make new connections, take the time to volunteer, join a social club or community and just get out there. Again, great book. Loved it! Highly recommend it for the lesson of course, but also for some very interesting reading.

I liked the honesty that was showcased throughout the stories. My coworkers and I discussed the possibilities that are offered single people and married couples when it comes to finding what one wants in a relationship.
All my one coworker wanted was someone to talk to about things that interested them both. To have real discussions that are often lacking in our world full of technology.
I appreciated the viewpoints even though the stories were sad. They gave me a lot to think about in today's society and our relationships.

I know someone with a situation very similar to one in this book, which is why it struck a special chord with me. Reading this helped give me some insight to the situation and what they may be feeling, why they may do what they do and how I may be able to help them. The thing about loneliness is that it is defined differently by each person and it isn’t always easy to identify. While this was a sad read, I found something I could relate to in each of these stories shared and felt moved by each one. It also really put things into perspective for me and made me grateful for the people and opportunities I have in my life.

I will write a revue of this book but first know who I am. I am a sister of the author and I am a Ph.D. psychologist. Over the years we have discussed many of his cases and I have been fascinated by them. I have always said that when the time comes he should write a book! For once he listened to his big sister and followed my suggestion. I must say, in my wildest dreams the book he would write would never be THIS good !! All I can say is, read it, and you will be so glad you did !!

The stories in this were so poignant and heartbreaking that I had to remind myself that they were not just the creative masterpieces of an excellent writer, but the results of real life hardships. From the young man that was unfortunate enough to be born into a loving, but dysfunctional family to the men that retreated into reading and academics for comfort, I identified with the characters so much that I found myself wishing that the stories were not based on actual experiences. I believe we all find ourselves deeply alone in our private thoughts from time to time, and this book portrays the extent to which a person will reach to escape the chronic isolation that is not meant to be a part of our human condition. I was especially touched by the tragic realizations of the young man, the truck driver and the professor, and to note the tenacity and the calm spirituality of the imprisoned individual only begins to describe the depths of my admiration for him. In this day of superficial, technological relationships, this book is a humble reminder of the need to connect with others at a deep and meaningful level.

A truly thought provoking book. As someone who has suffered mightily at the hand of loneliness I related to every one of Mr Freiberg's stories.
His very thoughtful treatise on both love and loneliness makes this book an invaluable addition to my library.

Loneliness is a state increasingly acknowledged as a precursor for decline in both physical and mental health. The cases the author shares with us are riveting and provide us unique insights into the choices and circumstances that may lead one into a life of solitude. A book well worth reading and one I couldn’t put down.

This book is simply amazing. Food for thought at so many levels that it's hard to describe. An in-depth look at the human soul. A well written analysis on the impact of social isolation. But also a strong reminder for appreciating life and the opportunities for connection it offers along the way. As the author states, something we all need to constantly work on and never give for granted. Highly recommended read.

The author did a wonderful job with the compilation of these stories ! Each story touching in their own way , yet all fitting into the central theme.
Beautifully written and easy to read. This book was hard to put down, and left me wanting to read more . I hope the author has more stories and books to share soon.

A masterwork. In my mind, one of the most important books that I have read in quite some time. Beautifully written and a challenge to put down.

What a wonderful book! It was impossible to put down once started. The author shares 4 amazing stories with a very strong message to tie them all together. A must read!

If only these stories were not true. They keep you grounded.