the grouch reads and recommends

The Grouch Reads:
Aaron Ben-Ze' ev, Love Online: Emotions on the Internet
Cambridge University Press, 2004

I can freely recommend this book to anyone who uses the internet.

It seems to me that some of the puzzling or surprising features of internet communication are simply amplified in the case of online love affairs--the topic of Ze'ev's book.

Ze'ev, a philosopher, has a particular theory of the emotions (presented in his 2000 book "The Subtlety of the Emtions". ) I've not read that book, but have read a later book, co-authored by Ze-ev, and know something of the theory from that source.

Ze'ev sees emotions tied up with problems, or crisis situations. Hence insofar as love online involves uncertainties (will s/he send me a message today?) it will be more emotional.
That's not a good way to characterize his overall view, but it gives some idea of what he's up to.

To repeat: I don't claim to have fairly summarized Ze'ev's basic view, but only mentioned part of it.

I've only read two chapters of the book, but it seems to me that he is noticing and describing some features of internet communciation in general, not merely the case were two individuals share erotic fantasies.

In any case, I wanted to write this note mainly to recommend the book.

Perhaps, someday, I shall have to read his earlier book and try to say, in broad outline,
something about his view of emotions.

Or, perhaps, I shall try to say more in the future, as I continue to read Love Online.