Hard as it is to believe, during the early Twentieth Century, a whole school of mental health professionals decided that unconditional love was a terrible thing to give a child. The government printed pamphlets warning mothers against the dangers of holding their kids. The head of the American Psychological Association and even a mothers' organization endorsed the position that mothers were dangerous—until psychologist Harry Harlow set out to prove them wrong, through a series of experiments with monkeys. Host Ira Glass talks with Deborah Blum, author of Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection. (10 minutes)

Act One. Love Is a Battlefield.

Alix Spiegel tells the story of a couple, Heidi and Rick Solomon, who adopt a son who was raised in terrible circumstances in a Romanian orphanage, unable to feel attachments to anyone...and what they do about it.  (27 minutes)

Song: "Loveless Town," Sarah Blust


Act Two. Hit Me with Your Best Shot.

Dave Royko talks about the decision he and his wife faced recently about his autistic son's future, and whether he should continue to live with the family.  (19 minutes)

Song: "I Wanna Be Loved," Buju Banton