Common wisdom has it that love is fragile, but leading psychoanalyst Mitchell argues that romance doesn't actually diminish in long-term relationships--it becomes increasingly dangerous. Mitchell shows that love can endure, only if couples become aware of their self-destructive efforts to protect themselves from its risks.
Common wisdom has it that love is fragile, but leading psychoanalyst Stephen A. Mitchell argues that romance doesn't actually diminish in long-term relationships--it becomes increasingly dangerous. What we regard as the transience of love is really risk management. Mitchell shows that love can endure, if only we become aware of our self-destructive efforts to protect ourselves from its risks. "Those who read this book will love more wisely because of it."--Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon "[A] work on romance that is rich and multi-layered."--Publishers Weekly "Cheerful, open, and humane--you'd definitely have wanted him as your analyst."--Judith Shulevitz, The New York Times Book Review "[T]houghtful, compassionate, and profoundly optimistic."--JoAnn Gutin, Salon.com