A psychologist's view of the 3 essential core ingredients of love: intimacy, passion and commitment.

This original and lucid account of the complexities of love and its essential role in human well-being draws on the latest scientific research. Three eminent psychiatrists tackle the difficult task of reconciling what artists and thinkers have known for thousands of years about the human heart with what has only recently been learned about the primitive functions of the human brain. A General Theory of Love demonstrates that our nervous systems are not self-contained: from earliest childhood, our brains actually link with those of the people close to us, in a silent rhythm that alters the very structure of our brains, establishes life-long emotional patterns, and makes us, in large part, who we are. Explaining how relationships function, how parents shape their child’s developing self, how psychotherapy really works, and how our society dangerously flouts essential emotional laws, this is a work of rare passion and eloquence that will forever change the way you think about human intimacy.

Religious believers understand the meaning of their lives and of the world in terms of the way these are related to God. The conceptual models whereby this relationship is described therefore play a key role in the conceptual designs which theologians produce to express the faith of the community of believers. Vincent Brümmer examines the implications of using the model of love in this context and looks at a number of the most significant views of the nature of love: exclusive attention (Ortega y Gasset), ecstatic union (nuptial mysticism), passionate suffering (courtly love), need-love (Plato, Augustine), and gift-love (Nygren). All these views are shown to interpret love as an attitude rather than as a relation between persons. In the final chapters a relational concept of love is developed, and it is shown how all the various attitudes discussed in the previous chapters have a role to play. Finally, the implications are addressed of using the model of love as a key model in theology.

Theology has constantly wrestled with the nature of God's love and what it means for how God relates to the world. In this comprehensive canonical theology of divine love, John C. Peckham argues for an account that avoids the errors of both voluntarist and experientialist theologies and faithfully represents the full biblical witness.

In the final installment of the True Love series, we meet Rebecca, Melanie's younger, supermodel sister at the end of yet another failed relationship. Inspired by her sister's new marriage and beautiful family, she decides it's finally time to make a change and leaves New York for the midwest. A handsome Scot, Wickham Dunmore, enters her life by chance. Can Rebecca see herself with a small-town firefighter after living the glamorous life in New York? He's kind, gorgeous and loving, but he's hesitant to have a physical relationship. Her self-esteem is shattered by the rejection. He begs for her understanding, but why does this intensely sexual man hold back? Wickham can't revisit the mistakes of his past, but he's drawn to Rebecca more than anyone he's ever met. He must be honest with her about the man he once was and the man he aspires to be. He introduces her to his former self, and invites her to share a new sexual journey. Will Rebecca accept him once she finds out the truth or will she run back to the familiar men of her past? Enjoy all the touching, funny and sensual moments of Rebecca and Wickham's love.

An exploration of human behavior examines the innate aspects of love, sex, and marriage, discussing flirting behavior, courting postures, the brain chemistry of attraction, divorce and adultery in societies around the world, and more. Reprint.

The moment I heard Ryder’s voice I was a goner. As a photographer, I was used to working with beautiful people, but Ryder Williams was the most perfect male specimen that had ever stood before me. I knew without a doubt it would take no time at all for him to be the next big thing... or for him to steal my heart. Model and photographer, we shouldn’t cross that line, but there was no stopping the passion we felt. Nothing else mattered. Not the age difference. Not that he was a client. Not even our pasts. After my assistant caught us together, he was gone. I tried to put him out of my head, until fate threw him back into my life and my bed. Time and time again we’re brought together, should I keep fighting or finally accept what my heart wants?