Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

A stand-up comedian probably wouldn’t be your first choice to write a study on the trials of dating in the new millennium, but Aziz Ansari (best known for his role on Parks and Recreation) joined forces with sociology professor Eric Klinenberg for this one-of-a-kind guide to dating, mating, cheating, and etiquette. The result is a book full of solid research andsnarky commentary.

Ansari and Klinenberg found out that there is a generational difference of opinion on whether it’s okay to break up with someone via text message, but romance is changing in other ways, too. Years ago, young people didn’t spend a decade or more searching for a soul mate when they could just settle down in a companionable marriage with the boy or girl next door. Ansari notes that his own parents had an arranged marriage that has lasted happily for more than 35 years, but maybe because online dating has introduced him to so many women he would have never made contact with before, making a decision to settle down forever with one person is harder than ever.

 Modern Romance is funny, irreverent, and full of insight about love in the modern world.

Reviewed by Lynn Heitkamp