As part of the NPR Books Summer of Love series, Lynn Neary digs into the history of the romance hero, the difference between alpha and beta heroes, and why Heathcliff is really kind of a jerk.

Alpha, Beta Sigma: Understanding the Greeks. No, I’m not referring to some new fraternity here, ... In that case, at worst, I might get a couple of broken chairs, ...

Many alpha women took on that beta role as they were not allowed to question it. An alpha couple is in the best position to show others how equality can be achieved in a relationship.

The Alpha woman/Beta man partnership goes against cultural traditions that we’ve all been taught. But it’s a relationship dynamic that holds huge promise for relationships of the twenty-first ...

Alpha and beta are two different parts of an equation used to explain the performance of stocks and investment funds. Beta is a measure of volatility relative to a benchmark, such as the S&P 500.

Alpha females are seen as bitches; Alpha males as Lamborghini-driving James Bonds, while their Beta counterparts are weak, lily-livered wimps. No more, says Dr Rhodes.

Alpha measures a manager's skill in adding value to a portfolio beyond market gains. Beta assesses how a stock or fund's volatility compares to the market average. High alpha and low beta indicate ...

Separating a single portfolio into two portfolios -- an alpha portfolio and a beta portfolio -- affords an investor greater control over risk.