Liquid Love: On the Frailty of Human Bonds

US: Wiley, 2004. Paperback. Very Good. This book is about the central figure of our contemporary, 'liquid modern' times - the man or woman with no bonds, and particularly with none of the f ixed or durable bonds that would allow the effort of self-definition and se lf-assertion to come to a rest. Having no permanent bonds, the denizen of o ur liquid modern society must tie whatever bonds they can to engage with ot hers, using their own wits, skill and dedication. But none of these bonds a re guaranteed to last. Moreover, they must be tied loosely so that they can be untied again, quickly and as effortlessly as possible, when circumstanc es change - as they surely will in our liquid modern society, over and over again. The uncanny frailty of human bonds, the feeling of insecurity that frailty inspires, and the conflicting desires to tighten the bonds yet keep them loose, are the principal themes of this important new book by Zygmunt Bauman, one of the most original and influential social thinkers of our time. It will be of great interest to students and scholars in sociology and in the social sciences and humanities generally, and it will appeal to anyone interested in the changing nature of human relationships.