Publishers Weekly
01/17/2022
Neuroscientist Cacioppo blends memoir and science in her debut, an enlightening testament to love’s ability to enhance one’s life. She begins with evolution, explaining how humankind’s “primate ancestors” established pair bonds and positing that these precursors to romantic relationships created the necessary conditions for creating societies. She then breaks down the feel-good neurotransmitters generated by falling in love, and outlines a fascinating experiment she conducted at Dartmouth College called the “Love Machine,” which was intended to help a person decide between two potential suitors by measuring brain function in response to subliminal messaging. Among the findings was that people performed better on tests after seeing the name of the person they “undoubtedly loved.” Cacioppo also recounts her own love story: despite feeling like she’d “be alone forever,” she fell in love with fellow social neuroscientist John Cacioppo in 2011. They married shortly thereafter; four years later, John was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and, in 2018, died, an experience she uses to explore the healing power of partnership: People “literally feel less pain when their significant other is touching them or even just in the same room. That’s why I knew I could never leave John’s side.” Readers will be both fascinated and moved. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"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
"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
"...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
"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 Magazine
“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
"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
JUNE 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Jennifer Jill Araya guides listeners through an exploration of how we fall in love, how the neurochemicals involved with love reshape our brains, and how the brain deals with grief. The author, who is a neuroscientist well known for her study of emotions and the brain, approaches the material through her own experiences. This highly accessible audiobook is not only a love story, but also an exploration of the bizarre functions of the brain that create physical and emotional connections between human beings. Araya gives an emotionally balanced performance, expressing the joys of falling in love and the emptiness of grief. Her bright performance makes even the most complex discussions of the brain seem simple and easy to follow. V.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2022-02-03
A leading neuroscientist analyzes the “power of love”—“why it evolved, how it functions, how it can be harnessed to strengthen our bodies and open our minds.”
From plunging marriage rates to the challenges of pandemic dating, finding a fulfilling romantic relationship is fraught with challenges. According to recent data, half of single adults in the U.S. are not even on the dating market. Yet, as Cacioppo convincingly argues, “a healthy love life is as necessary to a person’s well-being as nutritious food, exercise, or clean water…we cannot realize our full potential as human beings without it.” In this book, a hybrid of memoir and popular science, she tells her own story of love and heartbreak and examines the scientific data from fields including neuroscience, sociology, anthropology, and economics. As one of the first researchers to use the tools of neuroscience to study love, the author has made numerous fascinating and unexpected discoveries despite skepticism from others in her field. She shows that not only does love make people feel good by triggering a cascade of neurotransmitters and chemicals; social interaction actually shapes the brain, improving cognitive function. On the flip side, loneliness is considered a risk factor for poor health that some scientists consider as serious as smoking. In engaging and clear prose, Cacioppo explains how the tangible effect of positive, loving feelings is evident in various situations: recovering from a stroke, thinking quickly, and even retaining a will to survive. Equally intriguing is the author’s discovery that love activates 12 regions of the brain, playing a more complex role than anyone had previously theorized. Each chapter builds on the last, and Cacioppo’s writing becomes more intimate as her life story stitches closer to her research. Her conclusion is enchanting and uplifting: Love leads us "to be true to ourselves, to reveal who we are.”
A beautiful testament to romantic love, scientific passion, and the endless possibility of connection.
