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A practical and scientific guide to what happens in our bodies and minds when we fall in love from qualified doctor Emilia Vuorisalmi, Finland’s leading voice on the science of love.
Most of us know what it feels like to fall in love, but very few of us actually understand the hormonal changes that drive the way love makes us feel. In Crazy For Love: What Falling in Love Does to Your Brain, Vuorisalmi combines deep scientific research with personal anecdotes and heartfelt advice to demystify the process of love.
Love is crazy, but it’s not stupid. In fact, there is a scientific explanation behind every stage of love that we experience: from the combustion of hormones to each sensory experience we have. Outlining a simple “love map”, Vuorisalmi explains how our backgrounds, personalities, and environments determine when, how, and with whom we fall in love. It is through understanding our own, unique love maps, says Vuorisalmi, that we can better understand why we act the way we do when it comes to relationships and love.
Guiding readers through practical examples, Vuorisalmi explains why it’s time to take love into our own hands. She explains how understanding the way we love helps us to better understand ourselves, as well as others, leading us to make better decisions in the future.
Following Vuorisalmi’s kind, non-judgemental advice, readers will learn to ride the highs and lows of love with a heightened sense of control. From navigating the emotional turmoil of a break up to communicating within relationships, Vuorisalmi teaches readers that the first step to taking control of their own behaviour is learning to accept themselves.
The book addresses questions including:
Emilia Vuorisalmi (b. 1979) is a qualified doctor as well as a television personality, public lecturer, and Finland’s leading non-fiction writer on the science of love. Vuorisalmi has a well-established media platform boasting thousands of readers, listeners, and followers. Over the past five years she has reached a significant audience through her blog as well as a weekly podcast. Emilia often appears on television as a leading expert and she has published two non-fiction books. Her 2016 non-fiction book Crazy For Love: What Falling in Love Does to Your Brain (Sekasin LOVEsta, Otava 2016) became an immediate bestseller in Finland. Emilia currently lives in Helsinki with her two children.
Finnish PDF
Full English translation
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“I wish I had read CRAZY FOR LOVE when I was younger, back when I was heartbroken and had lost my appetite and I felt so confused. Back when I fell for someone who wasn’t interested in me at all. Or when a burning passioned turned cold and suddenly the whole feeling faded entirely. This book helped me understand loving yourself and loving your partner from a brand new perspective, which doesn’t rely on thinking about relationships in terms of reproduction.” — Virva Jakkula, Koillis Sanomat newspaper
“The topic is dealt with comprehensively, from navigating initial infatuation to well-established relationships. It’s all about what happens when a person falls in love and which hormones affect which emotions. The chapter ‘The hormones behind your emotions’ was especially interesting and it touched on the effects of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, endorphins and noradrenaline in the body… Emilia Vuorisalmi writes about scientific issues in a way that is easy to read. The book is gripping from beginning to end and the reader is never left feeling that they didn’t understand what they have just read… I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in love and how it affects us.” — Sivuja ja silmukoita literary blog
“This is a well-written and interesting book, which uses scientific terminology. At points it made me laugh as I recognised my own experiences and realised that they are now unique to me, but typical of people. Still, we are all individuals and our relationships all have their own quirks.” — Kanervanvarpu literary blog
“Crazy for love or not, this is an accessible self-help book. The topic is handled in plain language, allowing readers to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses. After all when it comes to love, weakness is the toughest thing to handle. It takes us right to the edge of love.” — Kristiina Komulainen, radio presenter
“Falling in love and infatuation are not the same thing. One is a state of intoxicating stress and the other is the foundation of life. Both are important. If you understand the biology of infatuation, you can also learn to love… I’ve been waiting for Dr. Emilia Vuorisalmi’s CRAZY FOR LOVE for a long time. It was worth the wait.” — Jari Sarasvuo, TV presenter
