Mating In Captivity

Why does desire so often fade just when a relationship becomes safe and comfortable? Esther Perel, a couples therapist, takes on this puzzle in Mating in Captivity, a frank and sometimes contentious look at intimacy, commitment and sex. She argues that the things that make a home stable and the things that keep erotic interest alive pull in different directions, and that couples who ignore this tension tend to blame themselves or each other. Drawing on her work with couples in her clinical practice, Perel asks what it would take to keep passion alive inside a long-term partnership. Rather than offering a quick fix, she examines how closeness, security and routine interact with longing, mystery and play, and why wanting someone is not the same as loving them. The book was first published in 2006. This edition from HarperCollins India carries a new cover.