Life & Love: A Book of Embraces

By combing through 60-odd years of photographs and defining the word""embrace"" loosely, the editors of Life have produced a pleasing little gift book just in time for that infamous February holiday. In 87 photos, about a third of which are in color, brothers hug, veterans are welcomed home, children cling to animals and lovers kiss. Rather than organize the photos chronologically, the editors wisely chose to group the images thematically: one spread features a photo of newlyweds kissing juxtaposed with one of a couple celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary; another contrasts childhood courtship in 1964 (a boy kisses a tiny pre-debutante's hand) and 1994 (a 6th-grade girl towers over her dance partner). Keillor's thoughts on Midwestern reserve,""the small sweet gesture of an arm slipped around your waist"" and the pleasures of his first kiss make a fitting and heartwarming introduction.