This was a super fun, quick read. I think I swallowed the whole thing up in about two hours. That said, it gives a lot of bang for your buck in terms of what it teaches in that time. Unlike other pop-math books, this is definitely adequate for the lay reader, and I highly recommend reading it because of Hannah's witty style and fun treatment of the subject.
A few representative summaries:
"The message for making yourself appear more attractive is clear. When going to a party to talk to potential partners, choose a friend to go with you who is as similar-looking to you as possible, except slightly less attractive. Having them there will make you seem like a better option."
"If you can handle the occasional cringe-inducing rejection, ultimately, taking the initiative will see you rewarded. It is always better to do the approaching than to sit back and wait for people to come to you. So aim high, and aim frequently: The math says so."
"As long as some people thing you're beautiful, you're much better off having some other people thank that you're ugly than having everyone think you're just quite cute."
"Why are there so many fantastic women in their thirties all competing for a seemingly tiny pool of eligible bachelors? When a weak bidder comes across a man that she likes, she is likely to pull out all the stops to compete for his attention. A strong bidder, on the other hand, confident that she presents a good match for any man, is less likely to go all-out, knowing that another, better man is probably waiting for her just around the corner. Seeing disinterest from the more attractive woman, the man will then settle down with the woman who shows him the most attention, taking him out of the dating pool. ... The result is the eligible bachelor paradox, and it comes with a clear, if slightly harsh take-home message: No matter how hot you are, if your goal is partnership, don't get complacent."
"Say you start dating when you're fifteen years old and would ideally like to settle down by the time you're forty. In the first 37 percent of your dating window (until just after your twenty-fourth birthday), you should reject everyone; use this time to get a feel for the market and a realistic expectation of what you can expect in a life partner. Once this rejection phase has passed, pick the next person who comes along who is better than everyone before you."
"The most successful relationships are the ones with a really low negativity threshold. In those relationships, couples allow each other to complain, and work together to constantly repair the tiny issues between them. In such a case, couples don't bottle up their feelings, and little things don't end up being blown completely out of proportion."
Funny, cohesive, readable, and relate-able. Great read!
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