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Book Cover for: The Science of Love, Robin Dunbar

The Science of Love

Robin Dunbar

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.

  • Draws on the latest scientific research to examine the many aspects of love--passion, commitment, intimacy, hugging, kissing, monogamy, cheating, and more--and explain why we have evolved to behave as we do
  • Filled with fascinating insights into specific human behaviors and experiences, from the European air kiss on both cheeks to the phenomenon of love at first sight
  • Written by Robin Dunbar, a prominent anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist whose work have been featured in Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point and many other books

Book Details

  • Publisher: Trade Paper Press
  • Publish Date: Nov 1st, 2012
  • Pages: 320
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.61in - 5.81in - 1.14in - 1.05lb
  • EAN: 9781118397657
  • Categories: Teaching - Subjects - Science & TechnologyLife Sciences - Evolution

About the Author

ROBIN DUNBAR is currently Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University and a Fellow of Magdalen College. His principal research interest is the evolution of sociality. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1998. His books include "The Trouble with Science," "an eloquent riposte to the anti-science lobby" ("Sunday Times"), and "Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language." "The Human Story" was described as "fizzing with recent research and new theories" in the "Sunday Times" and "punchy and provocative" by the "New Scientist." "How Many Friends Does One Person Need?: Dunbar's Number and Other Evolutionary Quirks" was published in 2010.

More books by Robin Dunbar

Book Cover for: Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships, Robin Dunbar
Book Cover for: How Religion Evolved: And Why It Endures, Robin Dunbar
Book Cover for: Human Evolution: Our Brains and Behavior, Robin Dunbar
Book Cover for: Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language, Robin Dunbar
Book Cover for: Evolution: What Everyone Needs to Know(r), Robin Dunbar
Book Cover for: Thinking Big: How the Evolution of Social Life Shaped the Human Mind, Clive Gamble
Book Cover for: How Many Friends Does One Person Need?: Dunbar's Number and Other Evolutionary Quirks, Robin Dunbar
Book Cover for: Human Evolutionary Psychology, Louise Barrett
Book Cover for: Evolutionary Psychology: A Beginner's Guide, Robin Dunbar
Book Cover for: Reproductive Decisions: An Economic Analysis of Gelada Baboon Social Strategies, Robin Dunbar