Talking about how ideas about love have changed throughout history, connecting with a dotted line the eras of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and modern times, American publicist and poet Diana Ackerman invites us to comprehend the “great incomprehensible” - love in all the diversity of its aspects. Exquisitely written and powerfully informed, this book is a true hymn to love. “How does love happen? How can it be understood in the context of evolution? What is the psychology of love? Are erotic and non-erotic love essentially the same thing? Who by nature loves more - a man or a woman? What is mother's love? How does love affect our health? Can we say that men and women have different sexual programs? How are lack of love and crime related? What is the chemistry of love? Are we naturally monogamous or are we born to cheat on our partner? How did the idea of love change from era to era? Do aphrodisiacs really exist? Do animals experience love? What are the customs and quirks of love? We are very lucky to live on a planet teeming with human beings, plants and animals, and I am often amazed at the strange challenges evolution poses for them. But of all the whirlwind of life, of all the secrets that fascinate us, I prefer love.” Diana Ackerman