No emotion is as linked to human history as love. Based on psychological theory and scientific research, this book follow the course of love both throughout history and over the entire course of people's lifetimes.

Preface; Part I. The Composition of Cupid's Arrow: What Is Love?: 1. A three-component view of love; 2. Seven kinds of love; 3. Many different triangles of love; 4. Measuring the triangle of love; Part II. Aiming Cupid's Arrow: Love over Many Lifetimes: 5. The prehistory of love; 6. The history of love revealed through culture Robert J. Sternberg and Anne E. Beall; 7. The history of love revealed through literature Robert J. Sternberg and Susan Hayden; Part III. Firing Cupid's Arrow: Love in our Lifetime: Beginnings: 8. The role of childhood and adolescence; 9. The role of adulthood; Part IV. Cupid's Arrow in in Flight: Love in our Lifetime: Middles: 10. The role of reward; 11. The course of relationships; Part V. When Cupid's Arrow Falls: Love in our Lifetime: Endings: 12. Decay of relationships; 13. Dissolution of and new beginnings for relationships; Notes; Index.