SummaryA groundbreaking exploration of our most complex and
mysterious emotion Elation, mood swings, sleeplessness, and obsession—these
are the tell-tale signs of someone in the throes of
romantic passion. In this revealing new book, renowned
anthropologist Helen Fisher explains why this experience—
which cuts across time, geography, and gender—is a force as
powerful as the need for food or sleep. Why We Love begins by presenting the results of a
scientific study in which Fisher scanned the brains of
people who had just fallen madly in love. She proves, at
last, what researchers had only suspected: when you fall in
love, primordial areas of the brain "light up" with
increased blood flow, creating romantic passion. Fisher
uses this new research to show exactly what you experience
when you fall in love, why you choose one person rather
than another, and how romantic love affects your sex drive
and your feelings of attachment to a partner. She argues
that all animals feel romantic attraction, that love at
first sight comes out of nature, and that human romance
evolved for crucial reasons of survival. Lastly, she offers
concrete suggestions on how to control this ancient
passion, and she optimistically explores the future of
romantic love in our chaotic modern world. Provocative, enlightening, and persuasive, Why We Love
offers radical new answers to the age-old question of what
love is and thus provides invaluable new insights into
keeping love alive.
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