A General Theory of Love
by Thomas;Amini, Fari;Lannon, Richard Lewis
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Book Reviews of A General Theory of Love
Book Review: A truly remarkable contribution to our knowledge
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an outstanding work, something which will grab your attention and make you rethink a lot of your assumptions. In the end, if it hits you as it hit me, it will become one of the rare books you give to friends.
It's very hard to summarize, but it may help people to understand some members of the new generation, who say, "I can live without sex, but I can't live without love." Love, and good emotional relationships in general, are simply critical to human happiness.
I'll tell you, this made me think back on all the embittered folks I have known who love to say things like, "There is no love" or, perhaps worse, "I don't understand what people say when they use the word 'love,' but I do understand sex." Everyone of those people is a lonely, bitter unhappy man, dragging himself through an empty life, and trying to convince himself that numbers make you happy (number of dollars in the bank, number of sexual encounters, number of expensive toys, etc.) In reality, a loving and supportive network of friends and family can make all the difference.
Well, I'll stop. Highest possible recommendation!
Book Review: Good overview of psychobiology of relationships
Summary: 4 Stars
As noted in the introduction, the three co-authors represent three distinct generations of psychiatrists: Amini is the oldest was educated when Freud was supreme; Lannon the age of behaviorialism; and Lewis, the youngest, was educated in the age of neurobiology and pharmacology. Together they have written very balanced book. While the focus is on the neurobiology of emotions and human relationships, they also deal with older Freudian theories in an effective way (that is, extracting some of the insights, while rejecting the hocus pocus). One quibble I have is that, in contrast to some other reviewers, I find the writing only mediocre. The author (it seems that Thomas did most of the writing) constantly strains to use metaphors and five-dollar words for every topic, and it quickly got annoying. It would have been much better if the author had settled for plainer language instead of some English teacher's version of elegant writing. However, you'll get used to the author's style. It's a minor distraction since the substantive content of the book is very worthwhile.
Book Review: Must read for coaches, therapists, doctors!
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this book! It is extremely well written and understandable for the layperson. I think that the title is a little misleading; as a businessperson I normally would not be interested in the subject of 'love'. The book is about emotions, and that, as introduced by Daniel Goleman, is a critical factor in the workplace. The book explained many phenomena that I intuitively believed but never had a scientific explanation for why I thought it was true. The authors blow away many of Freud's theories that never made sense to me and replace them with theories about "who we are as mammals" that make sense. I disagree with the reviewer that was frightened by the last chapter. I think that the authors are "right on" regarding their concerns about the influence of "Western Cartesian" thinking on medicine, parenting, and learning. This is why I think every coach, therapist, doctor, and businessman should read this book. Even if you don't agree 100% with the theory, it will challenge the way you have been.Book Review: Out of date and lots of blah blah blah
Summary: 1 Stars
I was given this book for Christmas and wandered through it in the hope there might be something new of interest. Instead, the authors reviewed Freud's largely discredited theories, moved on to behaviorists, and then settled on attachment behavior as the basis for all human development. The discussion of the evolution of the limbic brain and our attraction/avoidance to the non-limbic reptiles was interesting, although it left out birds on the evolutionary chain. Also, the most interesting parts of the limbic brain were left unexplored. The effect of hormones, neurotransmitters, the role of cortisol in stress reactions, and much more was completely abandoned. Even in 2000, early PET scans of brain activity were aavailable and more could have been made of these results.
Don't select this book if you have a medical background of any kind, or if you are a woman. In either case you will be frustrated or angered by the narrow approach taken here. Incidentally, did you know fathers bear no responsibility for anything?
Book Review: A Gernal Theory of Love
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great book if you are interested in the development of human intimacy--be it raising children, finding the love of your life, or connecting with people in the workplace. As a leader, you will learn valuable information about how to anticipate and handle emotional responses (both yours and team members') when complicated situations arise.
The book reveals how we communicate and how we develop silent rhythms with other people. After reading it, you will be far more attuned to patterns of intimacy. You'll also be more apt to recognize when intimacy is absent.
"A General Theory of Love" is a short read, but thick with content. It is not one of those books that after the first three chapters, you know all there is to know about the subject. Every chapter is fresh and builds on the previous ones, so you will really want to read to the end. A General Theory of Love