The Attachment Effect

Now Available!

A revealing look at how and why we relate to others—and how we can improve our closest connections

The psychology of attachment is having a moment. Why is this concept, widely accepted for decades, suddenly in the news? Because people are discovering how powerfully it sheds light on the mystery of how we relate to each other—and why these patterns tend to repeat themselves over the course of our lives.

Fascinated by the subject, award-winning journalist and author Peter Lovenheim embarked on a journey to explore the science of attachment and how it underpins our complicated connections to each other. Through a compelling narrative that combines personal stories with scientific research, along with personal insights into his own intimate relationships, Lovenheim brings the attachment process to life and reveals how our earliest bond shapes our entire lives.

Learn more about The Attachment Effect
Reading group guide

Peter Lovenheim on Washington, DC — WJLA News at Midday

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Praise for The Attachment Effect

“Does a magnificent job of revealing how attachment manifests at the workplace, in friendships, religion, and even politics.”
—Amir Levine, M.D., author of Attached

“Every reader will find this book about attachment enlightening and, above all, moving… An easy, absorbing read.”
—Dr. Sue Johnson, author of Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love

“This richly informative, deeply researched, touchingly personal, and always readable book . . . explores the hows and whys of our complicated connections”
—Judith Viorst, author of Necessary Losses

“The Attachment Effect is an accurate, engaging, and beautifully written account of attachment theory and research…”
—Phillip R. Shaver, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of California Davis

“This remarkable book can be read in several ways. Each makes us more informed and better off.”
—Amitai Etzioni, author of The New Golden Rule: Community and Morality in a Democratic Society

“Cogent, informative, well written….artfully lays out how styles of attachment shape behavior in many different settings and people (including the author himself).”
—Joan Jacobs Brumberg, professor emerita of Women’s Studies and Human Development at Cornell

“An incisive work that can guide everyone to have a better relationship with every individual who matters in their lives.”
—Nicholas Gage, author of Eleni and A Place for Us

About Peter

Peter Lovenheim is an author and journalist whose articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Parade, The Washington Post, and elsewhere. He teaches nonfiction writing at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. His six previous books include In the Neighborhood (winner of the First Annual Zócalo Public Square Book Prize).

Upcoming Events

September 12
Presentation: The Attachment Effect
Lunch & Learn
Temple Micah
Washington, DC

October 28
Jewish Book Festival
Rochester, NY

November 2
41st Annual Book Fair and Authors’ Night
National Press Club
Washington, DC

More upcoming events here

National Press Club in Washington, DC

Peter Lovenheim speaks about The Attachment Effect at a National Press Club Headliner Book Event, June 7, 2018
Photo credit for all: Al Teich, National Press Club

Peter’s earlier books

In the Neighborhood:
The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time

With an open mind and a curious spirit, Lovenheim takes us inside the homes, minds, and hearts of his neighbors and asks a thought-provoking question: Do neighborhoods still matter—and is something lost when we live as strangers next door?
Read more…

Peter Lovenheim: Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf

Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf:
The Story of One Man, Two Cows, and the Feeding of a Nation

Portrait of a Burger is the true story of Lovenheim’s hands-on journey into the dairy and beef industries as he follows his calves from “conception to consumption.”
Read more…