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Rating: 
Summary: Counting the ways of the heart.
Review: "We have the great fortune to live on a planet abounding with humans, plants, and animals," poet Diane Ackerman (A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES, 1990), writes in her Introduction to this book; "and I often marvel at the strange tasks evolution sets them. Of all the errands life seems to be running, of all the mysteries that enchant us, love is my favorite" (p. xxiii). Once again demonstrating her talent for blending the disciplines of history, anthropology, psychology, literature and natural science, Ackerman turns her attention here to the subject of love, "the great intangible" (p. xvii). In counting the ways of the heart, she reveals through a historical survey of Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, and Modern times that our attitudes about love are truly as old as the pyramids, and she also examines the evolution, psychology, and chemistry of love, the differences between men and women when it comes to love, monogamy and adultery, love-thwarted attachments, and aphrodisiacs and eroticism. While it may not live up to the standard Ackerman set in A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES, in addressing what it means to love from a variety of different perspectives, this book is nevertheless quite fascinating. G. Merritt
Rating:
Summary: Counting the ways of the heart.
Review: "We have the great fortune to live on a planet abounding with humans, plants, and animals," poet Diane Ackerman (A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES, 1990), writes in her Introduction to this book; "and I often marvel at the strange tasks evolution sets them. Of all the errands life seems to be running, of all the mysteries that enchant us, love is my favorite" (p. xxiii). Once again demonstrating her talent for blending the disciplines of history, anthropology, psychology, literature and natural science, Ackerman turns her attention here to the subject of love, "the great intangible" (p. xvii). In counting the ways of the heart, she reveals through a historical survey of Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, and Modern times that our attitudes about love are truly as old as the pyramids, and she also examines the evolution, psychology, and chemistry of love, the differences between men and women when it comes to love, monogamy and adultery, love-thwarted attachments, and aphrodisiacs and eroticism. While it may not live up to the standard Ackerman set in A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES, in addressing what it means to love from a variety of different perspectives, this book is nevertheless quite fascinating. G. Merritt
Rating: 
Summary: As Addictive as Love Itself
Review: I first heard Diane Ackerman talking about this book on an NPR talkshow. I was so impressed that I went out and bought a copy that day. I was not disappointed. Ackerman's human, non-academic yet poetic style is immediately accessible and almost hynotic at times. Coupled with an interesting, universal subject matter, it makes this a book worth reading and reading again. Closing this book is, in many ways, like closing the door on a love affair: you wish it wouldn't end, but you have fond memories. The plus with this book is that you can do it all over again, and again, and again.
Rating:
Summary: clear and readable
Review: I read this to be entertained, and I was. Like her other books, this one was clearly written, easy on the eyes, clever, witty, and packed with interesting out-of-the-way information. It's a pleasant and well-composed discourse through the history of romantic love in the West. If you come to it from that point of view, you might like it. If a criterion of a good read is that the author inspires in you some of the emotions she describes, then most of the book succeeded for me: at times I wondered what she'd be like on a date.... Parts of the book get into human instincts. While there's evidence for these--the rooting instinct in babies, for instance--we need to bear in mind that human instincts are heavily modified by time, place, and personality. The maternal instinct, for example, is painted in ideal colors: the loving mother mirroring her baby. We've all seen that; but some of us have also met mothers who hate their children (or, worse, feel indifferent toward them) and whose maternal instinct never sees the daylight. We shouldn't follow Freud's old 19th Century slippage from psychology into biology unless we're prepared to ignore the social and spiritual roots of human motivation. I appreciate the author's knack for collecting a lot of information on a given topic, then giving us the best fruits of her learnings in breezy and often poetic language.
Rating:
Summary: clear and readable
Review: I read this to be entertained, and I was. Like her other books, this one was clearly written, easy on the eyes, clever, witty, and packed with interesting out-of-the-way information. It's a pleasant and well-composed discourse through the history of romantic love in the West. If you come to it from that point of view, you might like it. If a criterion of a good read is that the author inspires in you some of the emotions she describes, then most of the book succeeded for me: at times I wondered what she'd be like on a date.... Parts of the book get into human instincts. While there's evidence for these--the rooting instinct in babies, for instance--we need to bear in mind that human instincts are heavily modified by time, place, and personality. The maternal instinct, for example, is painted in ideal colors: the loving mother mirroring her baby. We've all seen that; but some of us have also met mothers who hate their children (or, worse, feel indifferent toward them) and whose maternal instinct never sees the daylight. We shouldn't follow Freud's old 19th Century slippage from psychology into biology unless we're prepared to ignore the social and spiritual roots of human motivation. I appreciate the author's knack for collecting a lot of information on a given topic, then giving us the best fruits of her learnings in breezy and often poetic language.
Rating:
Summary: A true treasure & a staple of your library
Review: This book is amazing. If you haven't read Ackerman before, I suggest starting with _A Natural History of the Senses_. Then read this book. Ackerman is a very talented writer. Even if the subject isn't entirely interesting, her words and their rhythms are. This subject, however, is very interesting. Ackerman muses on myths (such as Dido) and history (such as Napoleon and Josephine), but also explores instincts and preferences (why women love horses and the influence of pheromones). This book is romantic, historical, sexual, poetic, challenging, and completely beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: Love through the ages...
Review: This book is not only a natural history of love, but also an important look at the psychological development of Western man. Ackerman doesn't really delve into Eastern or tribal love rites (only briefly and then simply by conjecture at the beginning). She does go in depth into the phenomina of Courtly Love. I particularly enjoyed a few Greek and Egyptian love poems written thousands of years ago. It makes one realize that even though technology advances, empires rise and fall, the fundimental nature or human psyche---particularly in regards to love, is a classic and timeless pursuit. This book made me want to love more deeply.
Rating:
Summary: Love through the ages...
Review: This book is not only a natural history of love, but also an important look at the psychological development of Western man. Ackerman doesn't really delve into Eastern or tribal love rites (only briefly and then simply by conjecture at the beginning). She does go in depth into the phenomina of Courtly Love. I particularly enjoyed a few Greek and Egyptian love poems written thousands of years ago. It makes one realize that even though technology advances, empires rise and fall, the fundimental nature or human psyche---particularly in regards to love, is a classic and timeless pursuit. This book made me want to love more deeply.
Rating:
Summary: Ackerman's best!
Review: This is easily Ackerman's best work to date and actually the first book of her's that I read. She was initially introduced to me when I read a chapter of this book in an anthropology class in college. I quickly rushed out and purchased the whole thing. It is an account of love through the ages and how and why we, as humans, are affected by and experience love. I am not sure why one reviewer found it was unresearched! It is clear that Ackerman spent much time researching and collecting information on a large and ambiguous concept. Highly recommended!
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