Why We Need Love

by Simon Van Booy

Provocative and eye-opening, Why We Need Love is one of three slim selections of philosophical texts and excerpts—along with Why We Fight and Why Our Decisions Don’t Matter—introduced and contextualized by acclaimed author Simon Van Booy (Love Begins in Winter, The Secret Lives of People in Love).

Genres: Nonfiction, Poetry, Philosophy, Essays

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 24, 2010

About the author

Simon Van Booy is the award-winning, bestselling author of more than a dozen books for adults and children, including The Illusion of Separateness and The Presence of Absence. Simon is the editor of three volumes of philosophy and has written for The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, and the BBC. His books have been translated into many languages and optioned for film. Raised in rural North Wales, he currently lives in New York where he is also a book editor and a volunteer E.M.T. crew chief.

Reviews

[Ashley]

I enjoyed quite a few of the excerpts, but really wish there was more analysis, or commentary from the editor.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories, essays, poems, quotations, and paintings seeks somewhat effectively to answer an age-old, universal question regarding the necessity of love in its various forms.

I especially enjoyed "Love is Being There" from True Love by Thich Nhat Hanh, "somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond" by E.E. Cummings, and an excerpt from "On Love and Loneliness" by Jiddu Krishnamurthi. Of course, I enjoyed rereading "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry for the first time in many years. My perspective on it is much deeper in adulthood.

I could have done without the opening selection, a large chunk of "Silas Marner" by George Eliot (yawn), and a bawdy passage from Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales." While the former is duller than dirt, the latter didn't seem to add any value to this compilation.

[Debbie Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually don’t start a review with a criticism but in this case I will.
Simon, why after your excellent introduction, did you start this collection with Silas Marner? I was made to read the book at school and I although I remember I didn’t enjoy it, I decided I would read the excerpt again. Gosh it dragged! I read this book on my iphone so the “book” wasn’t actually put aside but my kindle wasn’t opened again for weeks!
After I finally struggled through Silas Marner I came to Adrian Henri’s stirring poem, Without You, an Oscar Wilde quote, the classic O Henry story, The Gift of the Magi and many more articles, poems and stories covering different aspects of love and all its contradictions. This is an enjoyable collection and my favourites are the short story “A Painful Case” from Dubliners by James Joyce and an essay that I probably would never have read except for this book - Theodor Reik from “The Need to Be Loved”.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pace was a bit uneven -- too much Krishnamurti, not enough Thich Nhat Hanh. Still, it's an overview, and the idea is to inspire the reader to explore or revisit, so it's hard to be too critical. Why haven't I read more Willa Cather? "Paul's Case" was something I should have read in high school, but I'm happy to get to it now.

[Sara Habein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review at Glorified Love Letters.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and will be reading it again. Highly recommended for anyone. Simon Von Booy is one of my new favorite writers and I'm seeking out all of his material. You should too.

[Amanda Stecco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the different passages and the idea of this book, but I wish the author made more commentary and elaborated on certain ones. Would've given it a little more depth.