The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm - Non-fiction

Erich Fromm, author of The Art of Loving discusses the meaning of love in a non-traditional manner.  He rejects the notion of "falling in love" as it is not a true sense of being in love. The genuine art of loving needs to be separated from the emotional effect of being in love. Fromm delves deeper into the process of loving. It is a skill that needs to be learned and developed in its many forms and over a period of time.  

The author illustrates the importance of loving oneself before one can love another. It is a process of knowing, caring, respecting and taking responsibility for oneself. Only once there is self-love can one project genuine love to another; be it to a neighbour, sibling, parent or another individual.  He promotes loving all mankind to obtain that higher level of true love. 

The title encapsulates the theme of Fromm's take on being in love. It is an art form that needs to be cultivated through discipline, concentration and patience in all aspects of life. 

The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm is an extraordinary enlightenment on the topic of love.