Content Warning: This section of the Study Guide discusses depression, anxiety, suicide, self-harm, addiction, violence, and other public health concerns.

Together begins with a brief Author’s Note Vivek Murthy wrote in March 2020. Murthy notes that he was initially motivated to write the book based on his observation of “social disconnection” over several decades and that he hoped to highlight the health impacts of those trends while fostering stronger social bonds. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread around the globe, leading to the closure and shutdowns of schools, businesses, and other institutions, “getting close enough to breathe on another person became synonymous with danger” (7).  

Noting that further isolation seems inevitable in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, Murthy prescribes four lessons he learned while writing the book: spending daily time with loved ones, focusing that time on one’s company (rather than screens or other distractions), connecting with the self through solitude, and helping others. 

Murthy describes the beginning of his first term as the United States surgeon general in 2014. While he expected to focus on and address concerns such as smoking and tobacco use, obesity, mental health, and vaccination in his role, he applied his experiences as a physician who focused on building relationships and decided to listen to US constituents before choosing areas of focus.