In this meticulously researched and masterfully written book, Pulitzer
Prize-winner Deborah Blum examines the history of love through the lens
of its strangest unsung hero: a brilliant, fearless, alcoholic
psychologist named Harry Frederick Harlow. Pursuing the idea that human
affection could be understood, studied, even measured, Harlow
(1905-1981) arrived at his conclusions by conducting research-sometimes
beautiful, sometimes horrible-on the primates in his University of
Wisconsin laboratory. Paradoxically, his darkest experiments may have
the brightest legacy, for by studying neglect and its life-altering
consequences, Harlow confirmed love's central role in shaping not only
how we feel but also how we think. His work sparked a psychological
revolution. The more children experience affection, he discovered, the
more curious they become about the world: Love makes people smarter. The
biography of both a man and an idea, The Measure of Love is a powerful
and at times disturbing narrative that will forever alter our
understanding of human relationships.