John Archer presents a ground-breaking new synthesis of material from evolutionary psychology, ethology and experimental psychology on the process of grief. He argues that grief is a natural reaction to losses of many sorts; to the death of or separation from a loved one, but also to other aspects of life which are important to the individual. In contrast to much prevailing literature on the topic, "The Nature of Grief" does not regard grief as an illness to be cured or a psychiatric disorder. Instead, it shows how common an experience it is, throughout all human cultures and clearly present in the animal kingdom.