On Love

Sound Bite

The multifaceted topic of love is examined from all angles in an ongoing conversation between two thoughtful characters, Director and Handsome. Over coffee, over wine, over a certain stretch of time, they explore together the apparent and not-so-apparent nuances of friendship, attraction, respect and romance, why opposites attract and why common ground too is so necessary to us as we chart our course through life. While they're at it, they also compare notes on how to identify and approach a possible prospect and how to make the project a pleasure for everyone involved.

About the Book

In this captivating conversation, two smart people discuss what love is and why it needs to be pondered to be appreciated. Is love merely attraction, or a boost to our ego? Do some people really "fall in love all the time"?The book is not just abstract philosophy - Nick offers some good advice for singles as well as for people who are keen to keep their love alive. Once you find your One, how do you keep the magic going?Both characters are looking for the love of their lives, and they understand that the best way to find something is to be clear about what you want. So, while they consider what aspects are most important ' looks, character, brains? Money? - And they also discuss a philosophical place to stand in while conducting the search.It takes courage to start a conversation when you feel you may have a lot at stake, and it takes courage to walk away from 'good enough' in order to be free to find 'the One.' How do you get close without being burned? How do you avoid hurting another person?The ideas in this book are presented in short snippets that can be read in just a few minutes at a time, or all in the course of one long and lovely evening. Pull up a chair and join the conversation!

Introduction

This book consists of one long conversation between Director and Handsome on the topic of love.Who are these characters? Why don't they have traditional names?Director is the one constant throughout the books I've written. He is a philosopher, and he does what you might expect a philosopher to do. Handsome appears only in this book. He is, as you might guess, handsome.From Director's name we gather that he, well, directs. When I first conceived of him, I saw him as working in a company as a manager. That happened to be at a time when I, too, was working in a company as a manager. But, and I can't stress this enough ' Director isn't, and never was, me. None of my characters are me. None of my characters are anyone else in real life, for that matter.Director is my idea of a philosopher. As such, he helps lead the conversations in my books. His name reminds us that he is often directing, even when he does so in less than obvious ways.And isn't this how it once was? Someone named Weaver wove. Someone named Baker baked. So it is with my characters.But what does Handsome do? He simply is; he is handsome. Naming him Handsome allowed me to keep present to the reader his looks throughout the conversation, as happens in life. But after a while, ideally, the name becomes merely a name. One forgets, or rather discounts the fact, that the other is good looking (or bad looking, or passing indifferent). One focuses simply on what is said.And what is said is meant to be basic, simple. In my opinion, this is how we get to the fundamental. Accordingly, there is no prerequisite for a good understanding of this book.I found the above quote from Francis Bacon, though it may seem dated, to be especially appropriate because of what it says about perfecting mankind. My book is about love in general, but I trust you'll sense an underlying concern with what he calls friendly love.I hope you enjoy it.' Nick Pappas

Table content

Introduction1. Play2. Handsome3. Roughly Matched4. Beautiful Minds5. Superior6. Appreciation, Equality7. Roles8. Self-Esteem?9. Attraction10. Nothing11. Something12. Best13. Handsome, 214. Truth15. Choice16. Growing17. Saving It18. Attraction, 219. The Intimacy of Growth20. The End21. Growth Defined22. Outward23. Friends And Wholes24. Wings25. Fleeting Love26. Melting27. Sun28. What It Is29. Hate30. A Suggestion31. Intense, Opposed32. Insecurity33. Balance34. Jealousy35. Protection36. Doubt37. Love, Relationships38. Integrity39. At First Sight40. Director41. Force42. Massive Objects43. Orbiting44. Mass45. The Ideal46. A Model47. The Source48. Helping49. Education50. Power51. Fame52. Summing It Up53. Love Me For Me54. Profoundly Un-Profound55. Faking56. Infatuation57. Fleeting Love, 258. Appreciating59. Good, Better, Happy60. Fulfillment61. Better and Happy62. Love63. In Love64. Tragic65. Light and Sparkling66. The Game67. A Problem68. Deep and Clear69. Friends and Lovers70. At Bottom71. Muck72. Ground73. Circles74. Bad Circles75. Ambassadors76. Together77. Teaching and Learning78. Harmony79. Different Strings80. Closer� 81. Silence82. Peace83. Moving84. Those Shoes85. Excited By Excitement86. Money Can't87. Free88. A New Dance?89. Touch90. What If91. Luck92. Ears, Eyes93. The Nose94. Meant To Be95. Simmers and Boils96.�  One And Only One97. Release98. No Madness Here99. Fools100. At First Sight, 2101. The Wrong Kind Of Love102. The Leap103. The Ones104. Ending It105. Vigor106. Common Sense107. Ignorant108. Pain109. Beautiful110. Something Else111. Soul112. Help113. Clues114. Make Good116. Scaring Them Off117. Mistake, Next Step118. Gentleness119. Anything Else?120. Need to Know121. What's Good For Me122. Why Not123. Sparks124. Worth It125. Believing In Love126. Understanding127. The Lists128. Lies and Untruths129. Bonds130. Purity, Foundation131. Falling Apart132. Friends133. The One?134. A Debt Of Gratitude135. In Common136. Normal, Philosophical137. Philosophy138. Philosophy's House139. Walking Away140. A Mind of Your Own141. Domination142. Born To Be143. Planning144. More Than Luck145. Flirting146. Serious147. Weight148. Laughter149. Air150. Rekindling151. The Comic152. The Tragic153. Stronger154. Ambition155. Music156. Pretension, Reason157. Love the Music158. A Love Who Loves159. Appreciation160. Degrees of Unique?161. End�