Table of Contents

Preface: The Difficulty of Being a Scientist-Interested-in-Physical-Attraction. What Pythagoras Unleashed Upon the World. What is Beautiful is Good. Darwin, Sexual Selection and the Peacock’s Tail. The Naked Woman and Man. Of Hourglasses and Triangles: Human Body Weight and Shape. The Venus of Willendorf, Rubens and Milking Huts. Welcome to the Mating Market. No One is an Island. What Future for Physical Attraction?

About the Author

Viren Swami is an evolutionary and social psychologist. He is the author of academic papers on, among other things, interpersonal attraction, gender roles and cross-cultural differences. He is also the author of The Missing Arms of Vénus de Milo, and has translated works of literature by George Orwell, Jorge Luis Borges and Franz Kafka into Malay.

Adrian Furnham is an organisational and applied psychologist, management expert and Professor of Psychology at University College London. In addition to his academic roles, he is a consultant on organisational behaviour and management, writer and broadcaster. He is a prolific writer for both the popular and academic press, and one of the most quoted contemporary experts in his field.

Reviews

"Physical appearance deeply influences our personal and social lives. In this compelling scientific story, the beauty of this volume shines as the authors illuminate the nature and nurture of physical attraction." - Thomas F. Cash, University Professor of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA "The adroit selection of historical and literary quotations that begin each chapter presage the range and depth of coverage of the literature on physical attractiveness. This a scholarly treatment that will be of interest and accessible to a wide audience." - Professor Louis G Tassinary, Texas A&M University