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.

Genre:

Andrew McCarthy is the author of four books, Walking With Sam, 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-larger at National Geographic Traveler magazine. Andrew has directed scores of television shows, his recent documentary, BRATS, debuted at #1 on Hulu. He is perhaps best known as an actor for the past four decades, appearing is such iconic films as Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero. He lives in New York.

February 23 2026

WHO NEEDS FRIENDS by Andrew McCarthy (Excerpt)

I was seated at the kitchen table drinking a cup of weak tea. The dog was asleep in the corner. My twenty-one-year-old son sat cross-legged on the floor, messing with his electric guitar, telling me a funny story about a dating disaster involving one of his good friends. “Rocco’s a fool,” I said with affection…

Read full article

Andrew McCarthy

About the Author

Andrew McCarthy is the author of three books, 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-larger at National Geographic Traveler magazine. Andrew has directed scores of television shows, but is best known as an actor for the past four decades, appearing is such iconic films as Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero. He lives in New York.

Learn more about this author

Who Needs Friends

Format

Format:

Buy from Other Retailers:

Genre:

WHO NEEDS FRIENDS by Andrew McCarthy (Excerpt)

Andrew McCarthy

About the Author

×

Contributors

Formats and Prices

Price

Format

Format:

Buy from Other Retailers:

Description

Genre:

You May Also Like

Featured Post

WHO NEEDS FRIENDS by Andrew McCarthy (Excerpt)

Andrew McCarthy

About the Author