Although the title of the book could be quite misleading, it is a classic work that explores the nature of love. Drawing on a combination of psychology, philosophy and sociology, Fromm answers the catchy refrain of the song "What is love? Baby don't hurt me..." and presents a profound analysis of love and its implications for human existence.

The book describes several kinds of love (motherly, brotherly,...). It is quite an in-depth analysis. In some cases the ideas presented here seem too "stramodern" but in the end the central idea is still something I personally resonate with a lot. It forces one to take responsibility and take life into our own hands in the sense that we need to realize that our relationships are a result of our choices and actions - and that therefore instead of passively waiting for love to strike, one can go out and commit to becoming a loving person. As with the ways of having and being, the transition from passively receiving love (as we initially are as infants) to actively giving love is a fundamental change in our outlook on life, a stage in the lifelong process of growing toward personal integrity, freedom, and responsibility as adults who have the means to consciously work toward securing our happiness in life.