Is love a uniquely human endeavour? Is romantic love universally felt - or is it a cultural phenomenon? Love is a topic of concern to many, yet it is rarely understood. To aid the understanding of this complex subject, this volume provides a focused overview of love - primarily romantic love.

The authors move from an initial consideration of love as a part of close relationships to provide a historical context for love; they then present the most recent empirical work on the topic and point the way towards exciting and innovative research and applications. Although written primarily from a social-psychological perspective, it draws material from other disciplines such as sociobiology and family studies.