I’ve really enjoyed some of Andrew McCarthy’s books. The former Brat Pack actor turned author’s memoir Walking with Sam is one of my favorite reads of 2026. So I came to Who Needs Friends excited. Male development and male friendships, how men build and maintain them, is a topic I find fascinating, and I thought McCarthy would explore it all in an interesting way.
The book is part road trip memoir, part cultural investigation. McCarthy sets out across the country after realizing how out of touch he’s become with most of his longtime male friends. Along the way he talks to strangers about their own friendships, or lack thereof, and weaves in research and data about male connection.
I liked it but didn’t love it. Tonally it’s trying to do too many things at once – memoir, journalism, something almost self-help-adjacent – and never quite settles into any of them. It’s at its best when it focuses on his friendship with Seve, which gets the most page time and earns it.
Good on audio, as always as McCarthy is a strong narrator. Go in knowing you’re getting thoughtful musings on a topic rather than expecting to come away having really learned something, and you’ll enjoy it more. And if you haven’t read Walking with Sam yet, go pick that up immediately!
