The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating

by David M. Buss

The lifelong convergence of interests between two genetically unrelated individuals may be the most extraordinary feat in the evolutionary story of human mating.

It is a crowning achievement of humankind that two unrelated individuals can bring all of their individual resources into a lifelong alliance characterized by the remarkable emotion of love. This happens because of the tremendous resources that each person brings to the relationship, the bounty of benefits that flow to those who cooperate, and the sophisticated psychological machinery that we have for forming enduringly valuable mateships.