• The Science of Love

  • By: Robin Dunbar
  • Narrated by: Eric Brooks
  • Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (8 ratings)

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The Science of Love  By  cover art

The Science of Love

By: Robin Dunbar
Narrated by: Eric Brooks
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Publisher's summary

A scientific exploration of some of humanity's most puzzling questions: What is love? Why do we fall in (and out) of love? And why would we have evolved to feel something so weird, with so many downsides?

Whether you live for Valentine's Day or are the type to forget your wedding anniversary, love is, quite simply, part of being human.

In The Science of Love, renowned evolutionary anthropologist Robin Dunbar uses the latest science to explore every aspect of human love. Why do we kiss? What evolutionary benefit could there be to feeling like you would die for your mate? If love exists to encourage child-bearing and child-rearing, why do we love until death do us part (and beyond)? Is parental love anything like romantic love? Dunbar explores everything science has discovered about romance, passion, sex, and commitment, answering these questions and more.

Robin Dunbar is a prominent anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist whose work has been featured in Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point and many other books.

©2012 Robin Dunbar (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Bridges the gap between the biological explanations for humans' romantic behaviour and the psychological, historical, social and evolutionary contexts that help to shape it. Dunbar excels at taking obvious and familiar information - men prefer curvy women; women prefer men who dance well; older women rarely reveal their ages in lonely-hearts columns - and explain[s] the complex and often unexpected evolutionary science that lies behind it all." (The Economist)
"As well as looking at the science of attraction - what happens in our brains when we fall in love - Dunbar offers an engaging analysis of the differences between the sexes in their choice of life partners. Dunbar covers familiar ground, such as our inclination towards partners who resemble our parents, and how passion tends to wane three years into a relationship, but he always offers a refreshing take. The Science of Love is an empowering read. Only by better understanding why we act in certain ways or what is prompting a particular emotion can we make the necessary choices to improve our love lives." (The Independent)

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