"The sexual revolution is justly celebrated for the freedoms it brought - birth control, the decriminalization of abortion, the liberalization of divorce, greater equality between the sexes, women's massive entry into the workforce, and more tolerance of homosexuality. ...Bruckner argues that our new freedoms have brought new burdens and rules - without, however, wiping out the old rules, emotions, desies and arrangements: the couple, marriage, jealousy, the demand for fidelity, the war between constancy and inconstancy. It is no wonder that love, sex, and relationships today are so confusing, so difficult, and so paradoxical. Drawing on history, politics, psychology, literature, pop culture, and current events, this book ... exposes and dissects these paradoxes. Bruckner traces the roots of sexual liberation back to the Enlightenment in order to explain love's supreme paradox, epitomized by the 1960s oxymoron of "free love": the tension between freedom, which separates, and love, which attaches. Ashamed that our sex lives fail to live up to such liberated ideals, we have traded neuroses of repression for neuroses of inadequacy, and we overcompensate: "Our parents lied about their morality", Bruckner writes, but "we lie about our immorality." "--Book jacket.

Grace and Luke are among the lucky few who find love early in life. At seventeen, both are equally certain that their love will last a lifetime. But when that love is cut short by forces beyond their control, Grace must answer the question of just how far she is willing to go to get back to Luke. But this is not the typical romantic tale. And just when you think you know where the story is going, you find yourself drawn into a whole new reality, where the fate of an entire world rests upon the choices of this one girl. Prepare to experience the adventure not only through the eyes of these two lovers, but also through the intertwined experiences of a group of remarkable dogs, as Grace's journey becomes so much more than her singular quest to return to the one she loves.

This book transforms! It surprises you. It intrigues you. Most of all it frees you! This is your invitation to value your self the way God values you, then discover the delightful impact it has on everyone else. You will experience how a Biblical love of self enhances your relationships. At first, The Love Paradox may seem absurd, but on reflection, it will actually produce a deep sense of satisfaction. Come on! Take the journey from what seems ridiculous to what is profoundly true. Lead others by loving your self. Join in the conversation at KarlGalik.com to explore the relationship between your personal well-being and its influence on your mission. Rev. Dr. Karl Galik Karl is a nationally recognized speaker, author and leadership coach specializing in the connection between personal well-being and success in life. His universal message has impacted a wide range of people including medical professionals, entrepreneurs, clergy and stay-at-home parents. He is a pastor with a Master's of Divinity and 29 years of pastoral experience. He has a second Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership. Karl has been married to Marilouise for over 35 years. Together they have three married children and four grandchildren.

The Paradox of Love addresses both the healing and wounding nature of the greatest of contradictions. The human longing for love is fraught with what Jung called the incalculable paradoxes of love. In this book of essays, McGehee studies the interpersonal and the intra-psychic dynamics of love, as well as its light and dark sides.

Why are there so few 'happily ever afters' in the Romantic-period verse romance? Why do so many poets utilise the romance and its parts to such devastating effect? Why is gender so often the first victim? The Romantic Paradox investigates the prevalence of death in the poetic romances of the Della Cruscans, Coleridge, Keats, Mary Robinson, Felicia Hemans, Letitia Landon, and Byron, and posits that understanding the romance and its violent tendencies is vital to understanding Romanticism itself.

Storytelling, a tradition that built human civilization, may soon destroy it Humans are storytelling animals. Stories are what make our societies possible. Countless books celebrate their virtues. But Jonathan Gottschall, an expert on the science of stories, argues that there is a dark side to storytelling we can no longer ignore. Storytelling, the very tradition that built human civilization, may be the thing that destroys it. In The Story Paradox, Gottschall explores how a broad consortium of psychologists, communications specialists, neuroscientists, and literary quants are using the scientific method to study how stories affect our brains. The results challenge the idea that storytelling is an obvious force for good in human life. Yes, storytelling can bind groups together, but it is also the main force dragging people apart. And it’s the best method we’ve ever devised for manipulating each other by circumventing rational thought. Behind all civilization’s greatest ills—environmental destruction, runaway demagogues, warfare—you will always find the same master factor: a mind-disordering story. Gottschall argues that societies succeed or fail depending on how they manage these tensions. And it has only become harder, as new technologies that amplify the effects of disinformation campaigns, conspiracy theories, and fake news make separating fact from fiction nearly impossible. With clarity and conviction, Gottschall reveals why our biggest asset has become our greatest threat, and what, if anything, can be done. It is a call to stop asking, “How we can change the world through stories?” and start asking, “How can we save the world from stories?”

The coauthors of the bestselling Peak Performance dive into the fascinating science behind passion, showing how it can lead to a rich and meaningful life while also illuminating the ways in which it is a double-edged sword. Here’s how to cultivate a passion that will take you to great heights—while minimizing the risk of an equally great fall. Common advice is to find and follow your passion. A life of passion is a good life, or so we are told. But it's not that simple. Rarely is passion something that you just stumble upon, and the same drive that fuels breakthroughs—whether they're athletic, scientific, entrepreneurial, or artistic—can be every bit as destructive as it is productive. Yes, passion can be a wonderful gift, but only if you know how to channel it. If you're not careful, passion can become an awful curse, leading to endless seeking, suffering, and burnout. Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness once again team up, this time to demystify passion, showing readers how they can find and cultivate their passion, sustainably harness its power, and avoid its dangers. They ultimately argue that passion and balance--that other virtue touted by our culture--are incompatible, and that to find your passion, you must lose balance. And that's not always a bad thing. They show readers how to develop the right kind of passion, the kind that lets you achieve great things without ruining your life. Swift, compact, and powerful, this thought-provoking book combines captivating stories of extraordinarily passionate individuals with the latest science on the biological and psychological factors that give rise to—and every bit as important, sustain—passion.