The Book of Love: The Old Farmer's Almanac Reconsiders Romance, Sex, and Marriage - Hardcover

Yankee Publishing, Inc.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679452605 ISBN 13: 9780679452607

Publisher: Villard, 1996

Synopsis

What do you get from The Book of Love? A fresh, irreverent, and enlightening look at everything that's important in romance, sex, and marriage: How the kidnapping of young Norse virgins led to the tradition we call honeymoon. Why it's good fortune if your wedding veil rips at the altar. How porcupines mate. How celebrities from Henry VIII to Bill Clinton to Bruce Willis have gone a-courtin' their future wives. How black widow spiders earned their name. How marriage affects your health (or at least keeps you from calling in sick). Why humans kiss better than any other species.
In short, just like its creators at The Old Farmer's Almanac - which has been offering the perfect combination of science, folklore, humor, and no-nonsense advice for more than two centuries - The Book of Love provides just the right mix of inspiration and fun. It examines how and why we fall in love, reports on some of the more bizarre incidents that have happened as a result, and - strictly in the interest of scientific research - takes a peek at how things have been done in other cultures, at other times, and by other creatures. (Hint: Humans are not the only ones who go a little crazy in the name of love.)

About this title

Review:

Admittedly, when it comes to love and romance, we'd all like to see into the future, and perhaps cast a spell or two to ensure that our love will last with an undying passion. The Book of Love, by the editors of the Old Farmer's Almanac, comes to the rescue and offers advice and wisdom for that great game of love. Collecting folklore, ancient customs, and more contemporary advice, this is a fun and jovial read, not to be taken too seriously. Here are chapters on falling in love, kissing, courtship, and--of course--sex. If you feel like you've been left on the shelf for far too long, fear not, here are five signs of an approaching marriage, courtesy of The Book of Love:

A cow lows during the night.
A mockingbird flies over the house.
A white dove comes near the house.
A spider dangles from her web.
A chicken comes into the house carrying a piece of straw.

If any of these actually happens and you do happen to tie the knot, you can keep the passion alive by eating Chattanooga beluga (a bluish-gray caviar at $500 a pound), or chocolate, which is one of the best aphrodisiacs on the market. These and other strange beliefs make for a somewhat freaky but entertaining read, suitable for hopeless romantics everywhere.

About this edition

• Publisher: Villard
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0679452605
• ISBN 13: 9780679452607
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 213