Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection

Deborah Blum

Jul 2011 · Sold by Basic Books

About this ebook

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.

About the author

Deborah Blum is the New York Times bestselling author of The Poisoner's Handbook. She also won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992. Her second book, Sex on the Brain, was a New York Times Notable Book for 1997. She lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin.