The PBS host and best-selling author of Walking the Bible and Abraham presents a revelatory account of Adam and Eve's symbolism as central figures in Western imagination and their role in shaping humanity's deepest feelings about relationships, family and togetherness. --Publisher. Since antiquity, one story has stood at the center of every conversation about men and women. One couple has been the battleground for human relationships and sexual identity. That couple is Adam and Eve. Yet instead of celebrating them, history has blamed them for bringing sin, deceit, and death into the world. In this fresh retelling of their story, New York Times columnist and PBS host Bruce Feiler travels from the Garden of Eden in Iraq to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, from John Milton's London to Mae West's Hollywood, discovering how Adam and Eve should be hailed as exemplars of a long-term, healthy, resilient relationship. At a time of discord and fear over the strength of our social fabric, Feiler shows how history's first couple can again be role models for unity, forgiveness, and love. Containing all the humor, insight, and wisdom that have endeared Bruce Feiler to readers around the world, The First Love Story is an unforgettable journey that restores Adam and Eve to their rightful place as central figures in our culture's imagination and reminds us that even our most familiar stories still have the ability to surprise, inspire, and guide us today. -- Provided by publisher.

Introduction. The first couple : why Adam and Eve still matter -- 1. First comes love : how Adam and Eve invented love -- 2. Meet cute : who was present at the creation? -- 3. The Devil made me do it : what we do for love -- 4. Chore wars : who needs love? -- 5. That look in their eyes : how sex became evil, then unbecame it -- 6. The other woman : the dark side of love -- 7. Family affair : are we our children's keepers? -- 8. The love you make : bless the broken road -- Conclusion. Afterlife : what Adam and Eve can teach us about relationships.