Robots capable of social engagement help with loneliness as well as cognitive functioning, but the robot itself doesn't have to engage directly—it can serve as an intermediary for human communication.
Fowler was convincing and entertaining rather than authoritarian and angry, and a lifetime's lonely erudition (he was painfully shy) shows through on every page.
As the clouds roll in, a leisurely round of golf can become a terrifying dice with death—out in the open, a lone golfer may be a lightning bolt's most inviting target.