The Scientification of Love

Book excerpt: Love has been the realm of poets, artists, and philosophers throughout history, until recently, where it has been studied from a number of scientific perspectives. What the scientists are missing, argues author Michel Odent, is that love is vital as a strategy for the survival of the human race. Aggression and domination are no longer what we need to have an evolutionary advantage. What we need is the capacity to love. With a foreword by Miriam Stoppard, The Scientification of Love weaves together data from a multitude of disciplines, offering a number of insightful and exciting explanations and making the case for the adoption of radical new strategies for human survival. With maternal love as the prototype for all types of love, the book examines the short, but critical, time just after birth which has long-term consequences for our future capacity to love. The Scientification of Love looks at love holistically and in terms of the hormones which affect it in different parts of life, helping us to understand the conflict between civilization and the natural state of the human race. Originally published in 1999, revised in 2001, and now released in paperback for 2014, this controversial and fascinating book by the world renowned Michel Odent - an influential pioneer in the history of childbirth and health research - is still truly groundbreaking. [Subject: Psychology, Family Studies]