Hodder Press scoops Ruth Feldman’s book on the science of how we bond 

Hodder Press will publish Synchronized: The Science of How and Why We Bond, the first book by world-leading psychologist and neuroscientist Ruth Feldman.  

Hodder & Stoughton editorial director Anna Baty bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Sarah Levitt at Aevitas Creative Management in an exclusive submission. In the US, Caroline Sutton bought North American rights at auction in a significant six-figure deal for Avid Reader Press (S&S). Synchronized will be a lead title for Hodder Press in 2026. 

The publisher said Synchronized will be the first book to explain the science of how and why we bond through the concept of "biobehavioural synchrony", a term coined by Feldman to describe the biological process of how our brains, bodies and behaviours co-ordinate to enable us to form social bonds with other human beings. “Feldman’s research shows that these bonds are so deep that we alter each other’s biology; during moments of synchrony our hearts tick together, our brain rhythms align, and social hormones are released in tandem,” the publisher said.  

“In a world where we spend more time with screens than with people, Feldman argues that we are in dire need of a new understanding of our relationships and their importance for our health, happiness and resilience.” 

Feldman said: “I’ve studied synchrony for 30 years. My lab is unique in its multidisciplinary approach to answering a single question: what are the neurobiological and behavioural support systems that enable us to form intimate bonds, and how do these connections make us human? Today this question feels even more urgent, as we stand on the verge of losing our most fundamental human skill: connecting. I’m thrilled to be working with Hodder & Stoughton and Avid Reader Press to share my three decades of research on the power of synchrony to make us feel at one with another and at one with the world.” 

Baty added: “It’s hard to overstate the importance of Ruth Feldman’s work: synchrony touches the very basis of what makes us human. The science is beautiful, heartbreaking even. Through life-long studies of all kinds of relationships, Synchronized will reveal the magic of synchrony at work in our lives, with takeaways for parents and children, friends, lovers and enemies. Ruth is a genuine pioneer and a personal hero of mine, so it’s an incredible honour to be bringing her stunning research to an audience who urgently need this book – all of us.”