By Daniella Snyder

I’m Daniella Snyder, a graduate student at Villanova University, and your ‘Cat in Falvey Library’s Stacks. I’ll be posting about academics– from research to study habits and everything in between– and how the Falvey Library can play a large role in your success here on campus!

Happy Valentine’s Day, Wildcats! Whether you’re celebrating with your sweetheart, your gal pals, or your dog…the day is meant to be filled with love, happiness, and appreciation for those you love the most.

This week, I pulled some books out of the stack that attempt to demystify the mysterious and elusive feeling of love: why we feel it, how it affects us, and why it matters at all. There’s a book for every person’s unique interests, including computer science, economics, mathematics, chemistry, history, sociology, and psychology. This week, curl up with a good book to learn what love is all about.

Source: Amazon.com

Love: A History by Simon May

May covers over 2,500 years of human history in his book, offering an in-depth and critical historical look at love. May turns to cultural studies, philosophy, literature and more, dissecting love and all its forms.

Source: Amazon.com

The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm

Social psychologist Erich Fromm gives a sociological overview of the cultural forces influencing the way we think about “true love.” Then, he shares how we can best carry out the “pragmatic art” of loving others, which involves discipline, patience, courage, and other daily practices.

Source: Amazon.com

Consuming the Romantic Utopia: Love & the Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism by Eva Illouz

Illouz, a sociologist, believes that feelings of love are subconsciously influenced by social trends, and in particular, capitalism and consumer culture. In Consuming the Romantic Utopia, Illouz explores the ways in which modern capitalist societies have endorsed “grand ideals of love” upon us, in books, magazines, television, movies, and music.

Source: Amazon.com

The Mathematics of Love: Patterns, Proofs, and the Search for the Ultimate Equation by Hannah Fry

Fry writes a “compulsively readable examination” behind the statistics of love, from dating to divorce, and everything in between. Fry uses mathematical patterns to predict the unpredictable: love.

Source: Amazon.com

Chemistry Between Us by Larry Young, Ph.D and Brian Alexander

Young and Alexander explore the theory of love that we often ignore: the chemicals in our brains that drive attraction, sexual orientation, and desire.

Source: Amazon.com

Data, A Love Story: How I Cracked the Online Dating Code to Meet My Match by Amy Webb

Webb writes about her own experiences with the modern online dating work, and how she found true and lasting love. This book is a perfect read for anyone trying to find love in our current technological world.

Daniella Snyder’s favorite book about love? all about love by bell hooks.