Author Thomas David Kehoe listens to his heart and his mind.

In his new book, Hearts and Minds: How Our Brains Are Hardwired for Relationships, he discusses the hows and whys of love and relationships. He claims that the human way of thinking abstractly can actually be a barrier to forming healthy emotional connections.

Kehoe discusses ways in which relationships change with age. He says, for example, that “young men and women fall in love with mirrors of themselves, [and] mature men and women love their real partners.”

He divulges the secrets of how to move from a casual relationship to a serious one. He even suggests ways that conflicts can strengthen the bond between partners.

Hearts and Minds has received praise from authors of other relationship books, including John Gray (author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus), but it isn’t a typical dating advice book. Kehoe also goes into the biology of love and emotional connections.

In one of his chapters, entitled “The Evolution of the Human Brain,” he goes into detail about the makeup of the brain that would make any biology teacher proud. “The limbic brain,” he writes, “…produces emotions. Emotions facilitate relationships. Mammals, unlike reptiles, care for their young.”

Kehoe goes into some heavy stuff for a dating-advice book.

Hearts and Minds will be published May 4. Pick it up for an entertaining read, scientific research or just some good, old-fashioned dating advice.