A hilarious, eye-opening tour of the new romantic landscape, from one of America's sharpest comic voices and one of its leading sociologists.
In the old days, most people would find a decent person who lived in their village or neighbourhood, and after deciding they weren't a murderer, get married and have kids - all by the age of 22.
Now we spend years of our lives searching for our perfect soul mate and, thanks to dating apps, mobile phones and social media, we have more romantic options than ever before in human history. Yet we also have to confront strange new dilemmas, such as what to think when someone is too busy to reply to a text but has time to post a photo of their breakfast on Instagram. And if we have so many more options, why aren't people any less frustrated?
For years, American comedian Aziz Ansari has been aiming his comic insight at dating and relationships, and in Modern Romance, he teamed up with award-winning sociologist Eric Klinenberg to investigate love in the age of technology. They enlisted some of the world's leading social scientists, conducted hundreds of interviews, analyzed the behavioural data, and researched dating cultures from Tokyo to Buenos Aires to New York City. The result is an unforgettable picture of modern love, combining Ansari's irreverent humour with cutting-edge social science.
Industry Reviews
Ansari has pulled it off: a thinky book that's funny, too * Esquire * Always-hilarious Aziz Ansari proves you can be smart and funny at the same time. Not only did I laugh my ass off, I really learned stuff. Where was this book when I was 22 years old? -- Steve Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics Entertaining and illuminating... It's refreshing to hear a modern male voice on the subject of love and sex -- Barbara Ellen * Observer * Modern Romance is just like Aziz Ansari himself-charming, thoughtful, reasonable, and able to distill the madness of the world into something both sane and wildly funny * Dave Eggers * Laughing is my second least-favorite thing in the world after thinking. This book was torture. Not a page passed without an unwanted eruption of giggles or insight. Aziz is funny as hell, and smart as shit -- Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Eating Animals Ansari is perfectly positioned to recast himself as our modern dating guru ... In contrast to the sex-obsessed PUAs and the wedding-crazy dating gurus, Ansari approaches relationships like an actual human being * Slate * Unlike the sortabiographies of his peers, or the cash-in Christmas toilet books so big with British comedians, Ansari has gone academic... It's insightful, and built to resonate with anyone ever left wondering why [someone] never texted back -- Nosheen Iqbal * Guardian * Thought-provoking... a light-hearted tour through the minefield of dating in the age of the smartphone -- Helen Lewis * Guardian * Riotously funny... a zingy and satisfying read. It will make you laugh, nod in agreement and ultimately feel better that you are not alone in trying to navigate the uncertain world of romance in the 21st century -- Katie Harrington * Irish Examiner * So refreshing * Evening Standard * Ansari and Klinenberg elegantly capture the entirely new ways that singles communicate, court, and find love today. Modern Romance is a captivating read, with deep insight into history, science, and culture, and loads of wit and charm. Along the way, you may even collect some valuable tips for finding a soul mate -- Helen Fisher, Senior Research Fellow, The Kinsey Institute; author of Why Him? Why Her? An unexpectedly serious work about the challenges and pitfalls of looking for love in the Digital Age * Vanity Fair * Eye-opening... The most thorough examination of dating in 2015... Unlike many of the books penned by comedians these days, [Modern Romance] is a real book with real science and very real, extensive research in it * Salon * It's the voices that will have you reading this remarkable book in one sitting! The voices of old people who married someone who lived in their apartment building or the building next door and the voices of the young people who check out hundreds of romantic possibilities a night, with so much choice that choice becomes impossible. And then there is the voice of Ansari himself, funny, of course, but also deeply compassionate. This book defines serious fun -- Sherry Turkle, Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and author of Alone Together and Reclaiming Conversation A sprightly, easygoing hybrid of fact, observation, advice and comedy -- Sarah Lyall * The New York Times * It's hard to think of another celebrity book that also feels like breaking news... Aside from the jokes, the science of Modern Romance holds water, and is absolutely fascinating * The AV Club * A lively look at love, marriage and the oddities of mating in the 21st century * Economist * Full of interesting facts and fun details and illustrations, Modern Romance is an engaging and very funny read for anyone who has ever been in love - or planning to be -- Alice Charles * Huffington Post *
