It’s not that he’s just not that into you—it’s that there’s not enough of him. Using a combination of demographics, game theory, and number crunching, financial and tech journalist Jon Birger explains America’s curiously lopsided dating and marriage market—and what every single, college-educated, heterosexual woman needs to know.
Call it the man deficit. The shortage of college-educated men is not just a big-city phenomenon frustrating women in New York and L.A. Among young college grads, there are four women for every three men nationwide, except in those pockets, like Silicon Valley, where the economy is driven by a primarily male job market.
And this numbers game has wider implications. Birger shows how this unequal ratio explains the college and post-college hookup culture; the decline in marriage rates; even the seemingly paradoxical problem that the more attractive the woman is, the more difficult it can be for her to find a partner. He reaches back to explore the origins of the college gender gap—a combination of the pill, Title IX, and developmental differences between boys and girls.
Then there’s what to do about it, from what college to attend (any with strong sciences and math), to where to hang out (in New York, try a firemen’s bar), to where to live (Colorado, San Jose, Seattle), to embracing the power of the marriage ultimatum—it works.
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Praise for Date-onomics
“A fascinating look at romance and what’s going on with the mating rituals of homo sapiens today. This book will surprise and enlighten you.”
AJ Jacobs
Author of New York Times best-sellers The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All“The modern single woman looking for love will read this book and finally understand where the men are—and aren’t—and then quickly pass it along to all her well-meaning friends and family who just can’t understand why she’s still single. Jon Birger takes the reader on a well-researched and fascinating journey to prove why it’s not her; it’s the Date-onomics!”
Melanie Notkin
Best-selling author of Savvy Auntie and Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness“Birger offers a compelling answer to the question, ‘Where are all the good guys?’ I would have said ‘Argentina.’ But now I’m thinking of heading to Aspen. Read Date-onomics and find out why.”
Kristen Newman
Author of What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding and former co-executive producer of CBS hit comedy How I Met Your Mother“The author…provides fascinating evidence to show how and why dating and mating culture in America has changed in the 21st century.”
Kirkus Review
“Think Freakonomics and Moneyball if you run across Date-onomics, a by-the-numbers book on dating that argues advice-givers serving up tips for women on how to a find a man have it all wrong.”
Associated Press
“Birger offers a compelling argument backed by plentiful data… Recommended, especially for singles and those who advise them.”