Attachment and Love

How do we choose a partner? Why are men attracted to young, beautiful women, whereas women are attracted to men who seem able to offer security to them and their offspring? The criteria underlying these choices are not determined solely by taste and interest; they relate to a clever strategy adopted by our species in order to achieve reproductive success. In this new edition, updated to the findings on the influence of attachment on sexual behavior, the author explains the biological roots that guide our affective and sexual relationships, debunking a popular set of commonplaces regarding the contrast between "falling in love" and "being in love", and between passion and devotion. Following the twists and turns of couple bonds, we understand different ways of expressing love, without forgetting what happens when love is unfaithful, ends or gets sick with jealousy.

Grazia Attili is an evolutionary psychologist and taught Social Psychology at "La Sapienza" University in Rome.