We are the ultimate social animal. Our intimate relationships are the most important thing in our life, often, more important than life itself--insofar as we would die for those we love.

But at a time of unprecedented social and technological change, the path to the intimacy that we seek has been confused, leaving us more connected and yet more alone and uncertain than ever before.

Even if you have already determined your destination, even if you have already set sail, this book should help you to navigate the storms and doldrums that lie ahead, and, more important still, to question the very purpose and value of your journey.

A tour-de-force: erudite, funny, and even wise. --Prof Anthony Synott, author of The Body Social and Re-Thinking Men

About the author

Dr Neel Burton is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and wine-lover who lives and teaches in Oxford, England. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College in the University of Oxford, and the recipient of the Society of Authors' Richard Asher Prize, the British Medical Association's Young Authors' Award, the Medical Journalists' Association Open Book Award, and a Best in the World Gourmand Award. His work has featured in the likes of Aeon, the Spectator, and the Times, and been translated into several languages.

Contents

Preface

1. Monogamy

2. Polygamy

3. Polyamory

4. Gender fluidity in gods and heroes

5. Gender variation and same-sex relations in precolonial times

6. The gay revolution

7. Sex, love, and marriage in Ancient Egypt

8. The oldest gays in history

9. Sex, love, and marriage in Ancient Rome

10. The history and psychology of the orgy

11. Love in the Bible

12. Marriage in the Bible

13. Homosexuality in the Bible

14. The meaning of Adam and Eve

15. The history of love

16. The psychology of romantic love

17. The challenges of intimacy

18. The philosophy of trust

19. The philosophy of forgiveness

20. The history of kissing

21. Valentine schmalentine

22. The 7 types of love

23. The philosophy of lust

24. The psychology of sadomasochism

25. The magic of masturbation

26. What we can learn from loners

27. The monastic alternative

28. The philosophy of friendship

29. Touch hunger

30. The history of the wedding in the West

31. A feminist critique of marriage

32. The psychology of the bachelor party

33. The rise and demise of divorce

34. Are married people healthier?

35. The future of the family

36. Should we have children?

For Better For Worse - häftad, Engelska, 2020