Wired For Love: A Neuroscientist's Journey Through Romance, Loss and the Essence of Human Connection

Description

From the world's foremost neuroscientist of romantic love comes a personal story of connection and heartbreak that brings new understanding to an old truth: it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. At thirty-seven, Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo was content to be single. She was fulfilled by her work on the neuroscience of romantic love; how finding and growing with a partner literally reshapes our brains. That was, until she met the foremost neuroscientist of loneliness. A whirlwind romance led to marriage, to sharing an office at the University of Chicago. After seven years of being inseparable at work and home, she lost her beloved husband following a devastating battle with cancer. In Wired for Love, Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo tells not just a science story, but also a love story. She shares revelatory insights into how we fall in love, and why; what makes love last; and how we process love lost - all grounded in cutting-edge findings in brain chemistry and behavioural science. Woven through it all is her moving personal story, from astonishment, to unbreakable bond, to grief and healing. Her experience and her work enrich each other, creating a singular blend of science and lyricism that's essential reading for anyone looking for connection.

STEPHANIE CACIOPPO, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and the director of the school's Brain Dynamics Laboratory. She is the first female president of the Society for Social Neuroscience, an international field dedicated to understanding how biological systems implement social behaviours in modern society. She is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Society for Social Neuroscience. Named a "Rising Star" by the Association for Psychological Science for her "outstanding contributions to the science of psychology in the areas of research, teaching, and/or application," Cacioppo has won several other prizes and awards for her teaching and research on the neuroimaging of love and clinical case reports.

'This meditation on love is deep in every sense: in scientific richness, in human insight, and in moving personal involvement' Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works 'When John and Steph met it was electric, consuming, forever. One might even say 'wacky' from the start. But then their love grew to be inseparable, collaborative, joyous and infinitely inventive. And while their scholarship and devotion to science hit new levels, it was their bond in love that was a joy to know. This book captures that joy' Michael Gazzaniga, author of The Consciousness Instinct 'Anyone looking for love would be well advised to read her expert tips on how to spark romance and make it last. Don't offer anyone your heart. Offer them your brain and enjoy the fireworks' - Daily Mail 'Cacioppo's writing becomes more intimate as her life story stitches closer to her research. Her conclusion is enchanting and uplifting ... A beautiful testament to romantic love, scientific passion and the endless possibility of connection' Kirkus 'Filled with a little something for everyone, Wired for Love is a unique take on a memoir that will take you on a journey of grief and healing with a reminder to keep your heart open to all the beauty and pain that life might bring' Mindful 'Cacioppo blends memoir and science in her debut, an enlightening testament to love's ability to enhance one's life ... Readers will be both fascinated and moved' Publishers Weekly '...an engaging guide through the scientific portions of the book, and her own experiences of connection and loss enrich the narrative. Together, these intertwined strands of science and personal narrative make for a sprightly, illuminating book' BookPage