Why We Love
The Definitive Guide to Our Most Fundamental Need
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- €3.99
Publisher Description
In this entertaining and accessible exploration of love, Oxford anthropologist Dr Anna Machin dives into the science behind the myriad types of love that exist in the world, including romantic love, parental love, friendships, love for pets, football teams, religious love and even love for our smartphones.
Through original research brought to life by interviews and case studies, and encompassing such fascinating areas as polyamorous relationships, parasocial (love for a celebrity) and sacred loves, this book argues that it is time to stop putting romantic love on a pedestal. By exploring the science that illuminates the benefits of all our different close relationships, Dr Anna Machin encourages us to reconsider the importance of love in our own lives, to interrogate our own experiences, and to reconnect with the heart of what it really means to be human.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Love sits at the center of human existence, according to this sharp survey from anthropologist Machin (The Life of Dad). Aiming to give "the expansionist answer" to the question of why humans love, Machin considers 10 topics, or "answers," to the question. She covers the science behind each—her reasons for love include survival, in which she explains the "evolutionary quirk" that results in human babies being born with a brain that's not yet fully developed and thus needing extensive care; motivation ("the power of love enables us to cross what appear to be impossible hurdles"); and addiction, in which Machin explains why love can feel obsessive and akin to an opioid high (thanks to oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and beta-endorphins). There's also attachment, which impacts psychology and behavior, and control, which, Machin writes, is unique to human love, that "arguably our greatest and most intense life experience can be used against us." Machin draws from plenty of studies of both the human and animal worlds, and her personal interjections are energizing: "Human love is awe-inspiring. I believe it defines our humanity." This provocative account is a fitting tribute to its subject.
