THE GREAT AMERICAN MAN SHORTAGE And Other Roadblocks to Romance

by William Novak ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1983

Yes, there are more eligible women than men, Novak concludes, both ""quantitatively and qualitatively""--and some single women may be thrilled with his championing their cause. Because women have a tendency to marry men a few years older, women born at the beginning of the baby boom (1946) are competing for a relatively small number of men born before the boom began. Plus: divorced men tend to remarry more quickly than women do; and when men remarry, they choose younger partners. To top it all off, there seem to be proportionately more gay men than gay women. Hence the women's lament that ""all the good ones are either married or gay."" Novak is on somewhat shakier ground when he contends that women are, in effect, more eligible emotionally than men because of their greater recourse to therapy and to supportive women friends. A common complaint among the 200 single, professional women Novak, interviewed, and the 300 from whom he received written replies, is that the men they dated were ""underdeveloped"" in the ""personal realm."" (But--countered some male interviewees--women can't expect them to be aggressive, successful men at work and switch gears to nurturance after-hours.) There's a list of qualities women would like to find: emotionally open and generous, self-confident, valuing of intimacy, respectful of women, etc. Some remedies? Lower your sights--younger and less successful men might be just fine. And try the more unusual meeting spots, like ""share-the-wealth"" parties where each woman brings a man with whom she's not romantically involved. A good resource book for those who find the ""shortage"" more than a little unsettling.

Pub Date: May 1, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Rawson/Scribners

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1983

Categories: NONFICTION