What is Not "Just Friends" by Shirley P. Glass about?

Not "Just Friends" by Shirley P. Glass is a comprehensive guide to understanding and healing from infidelity, particularly emotional affairs that begin as innocent friendships. The book explores how close bonds can cross boundaries even in strong relationships, detailing the stages of emotional affairs, warning signs, and the trauma of betrayal. Glass provides step-by-step guidance for both betrayed and unfaithful partners through the process of rebuilding trust, recovering sanity, and restoring intimacy after an affair.

Who should read Not "Just Friends" by Shirley P. Glass?

Not "Just Friends" is essential reading for couples dealing with infidelity, therapists working with betrayed partners, and anyone seeking to affair-proof their relationship. The book addresses both the betrayed spouse and the unfaithful partner, making it valuable for couples working through recovery together. Even individuals in seemingly strong marriages should read this book, as Shirley P. Glass emphasizes that good relationships aren't immune to affairs and that preventive awareness is crucial for long-term relationship health.

Is Not "Just Friends" worth reading in 2025?

Not "Just Friends" remains highly valuable despite being published in 2002, with therapists and couples consistently praising its practical insights and research-backed approach. The book's core principles about emotional boundaries, trust rebuilding, and affair prevention are timeless, though some readers note the workplace affair focus feels dated in today's remote work environment. Many reviewers recommend reading it before marriage or during serious dating as a preventive measure, with several stating they wish they had discovered Shirley P. Glass's insights earlier.

Who is Shirley P. Glass and what are her credentials?

Shirley P. Glass, PhD, was a renowned clinical psychologist and marriage therapist who specialized in infidelity for over 25 years. She conducted extensive research and case studies on extramarital affairs, becoming a leading authority on emotional infidelity and relationship betrayal. Glass was also the mother of Ira Glass, host of NPR's This American Life, who provided the book's opening quote: "You know you're in trouble when the word 'just' appears before the word 'friends.'"

What is emotional infidelity according to Not "Just Friends"?

According to Shirley P. Glass in Not "Just Friends," emotional infidelity is a close emotional relationship with someone outside your primary partnership that threatens the romantic bond, even without physical intimacy. Glass defines it through deep emotional connections, shared secrets, and intimacy that should be reserved for one's partner. The book emphasizes that emotional affairs can feel equally or more damaging than physical adultery because they involve giving away emotional energy, vulnerability, and intimate thoughts that create distance from one's committed partner.

What are the warning signs of an emotional affair in Not "Just Friends"?

Not "Just Friends" identifies key warning signs including increased secrecy about communications, emotional distance from your partner, and spending excessive time texting or talking with someone outside the relationship. Shirley P. Glass highlights behaviors like sharing intimate thoughts with a friend before your partner, looking forward to interactions more than time with your spouse, and becoming defensive when questioned about the friendship. The book emphasizes that when you start hiding interactions or downplaying their significance by saying they're "just friends," boundaries have likely been crossed.

How does Not "Just Friends" help rebuild trust after infidelity?

Not "Just Friends" provides a step-by-step roadmap for rebuilding trust through transparency, accountability, and open communication about intentions. Shirley P. Glass recommends the unfaithful partner voluntarily share details about their whereabouts and interactions while minimizing contact with the affair partner. The book guides couples through establishing new boundaries, addressing the betrayed partner's hypervigilance, and creating strategies for demonstrating dependability over time. Glass emphasizes that healing requires the betrayed partner to fully process their emotions with support from loved ones or therapists.

What boundaries does Shirley P. Glass recommend in Not "Just Friends" to prevent affairs?

Shirley P. Glass emphasizes establishing clear boundaries in opposite-sex friendships and workplace relationships through transparency and open communication with your partner. Not "Just Friends" recommends sharing details about friendships, avoiding one-on-one situations that could lead to intimacy, and recognizing when emotional needs are being met outside the primary relationship. The book advocates for "windowed walls" rather than walls between partners—being transparent about outside relationships while maintaining appropriate walls with others. Glass stresses that healthy relationships require active maintenance and clear agreements about what constitutes appropriate friendship behavior.

Not "Just Friends" Summary, PDF, EPUB, Audio

Not "Just Friends"

Shirley P. Glass

Relationship

Self Help

Psychology

Overview

Key Takeaways

Author

FAQs

Dubbed "the godmother of infidelity research" by The New York Times, Dr. Glass reveals why good marriages fail. Can friendship cross invisible boundaries? Discover why Oprah featured this groundbreaking work that transformed how therapists - and couples - understand modern betrayal.

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Not "Just Friends" isn't just a book — it's a masterclass in Relationship. To help you absorb its lessons in the way that works best for you, we offer five unique learning modes. Whether you're a deep thinker, a fast learner, or a story lover, there's a mode designed to fit your style.

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@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco

BeFreed Brings Together A Global Community Of 200,000+ Curious Minds

See more on how BeFreed is discussed across the web

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

1.5K Ratings4.7

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Not "Just Friends"

Shirley P. Glass

Relationship

Self Help

Psychology

Overview

Key Takeaways

Author

FAQs

Explore Your Way of Learning

Quick Summary9min

Feel the book through the author's voice

Deep Dive42min

Turn knowledge into engaging, example-rich insights

Flash Card10 insights

Capture key ideas in a flash for fast learning

Fun19min

Enjoy the book in a fun and engaging way

More Like This

The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity

The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating

Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray

32 sources

The Chemistry of Betrayal: How Modern Love Dies and Revives

BeFreed

28 sources

Crossing the Friendship Line

19 sources

When Friendships Break Your Heart

Key Takeaways

The Invisible Threat to Your Marriage

00:00

Imagine discovering that your spouse's "innocent" friendship has been hiding something devastating. In today's connected world, affairs rarely begin with sexual attraction-they start with friendships that gradually cross boundaries. This pattern has become so common that psychologist Shirley Glass found 82% of unfaithful partners had affairs with someone who started as "just a friend." The workplace has become particularly dangerous territory, with 62% of unfaithful men and 50% of unfaithful women meeting their affair partners at work. What makes these relationships so threatening is their gradual evolution. They develop incrementally through small boundary violations that go unnoticed until participants find themselves sliding down a slippery slope. The progression follows a predictable pattern: two people begin sharing work concerns and casual conversation, then gradually start confiding personal struggles and marital dissatisfactions. Emotional intimacy deepens before any physical lines are crossed. Glass's brilliant "walls and windows" metaphor perfectly captures what happens. In healthy marriages, partners maintain windows of transparency between them while building protective walls against inappropriate outside relationships. Affairs reverse this arrangement-creating walls of secrecy that shut out the spouse while opening windows of intimacy with someone else. When a friend knows more about your marriage than your spouse knows about your friendship, you've already crossed a dangerous line.

The Myth That Leaves Every Marriage Vulnerable

Living a Double Life: The Affair's Progression

The Earthquake of Discovery

Rebuilding Trust: The Path Forward

Protecting Your Marriage: Seven Essential Strategies

From Crisis to Transformation

Explore Your Way of Learning

Quick Summary

Not "Just Friends" Summary in 9 Minutes

Break down key ideas from Not "Just Friends" into bite-sized takeaways to understand how innovative teams create, collaborate, and grow.

00:00

Flash Card

Top 10 Insights from Not "Just Friends" in a Nutshell

Distill Not "Just Friends" into rapid-fire memory cues that highlight key principles of candor, teamwork, and creative resilience.

Fun

Not "Just Friends" Lessons Told Through 19-Min Stories

Experience Not "Just Friends" through vivid storytelling that turns innovation lessons into moments you'll remember and apply.

00:00

Personalize

Experience Not "Just Friends" in your own way.

Ask anything, pick the voice, and co-create insights that truly resonate with you.

From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco

BeFreed Brings Together A Global Community Of 200,000+ Curious Minds

See more on how BeFreed is discussed across the web

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco

BeFreed Brings Together A Global Community Of 200,000+ Curious Minds

See more on how BeFreed is discussed across the web

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

1.5K Ratings4.7

Start your learning journey, now

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Not "Just Friends" by Shirley P. Glass Summary

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Similar books to Not "Just Friends"

More Like This

Key Takeaways

The Invisible Threat to Your Marriage

The Myth That Leaves Every Marriage Vulnerable

Living a Double Life: The Affair's Progression

The Earthquake of Discovery

Rebuilding Trust: The Path Forward

Protecting Your Marriage: Seven Essential Strategies

From Crisis to Transformation

Quick Summary Mode - Read or listen to Not "Just Friends" Summary in 9 Minutes

Flash Card Mode - Top 10 Insights from Not "Just Friends" in a Nutshell

Fun Mode - Not "Just Friends" Lessons Told Through 19-Min Stories

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Download Not "Just Friends" PDF

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More Like This

Key Takeaways

The Invisible Threat to Your Marriage

The Myth That Leaves Every Marriage Vulnerable

Living a Double Life: The Affair's Progression

The Earthquake of Discovery

Rebuilding Trust: The Path Forward

Protecting Your Marriage: Seven Essential Strategies

From Crisis to Transformation