Unhooked Generation: The Truth About Why We're Still Single - Hardcover

Straus, Jillian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1401301320 ISBN 13: 9781401301323

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2006

Synopsis

"If every man and woman under 40 who is not in a happy, committed relationship reads Jillian Straus's shocking, heartbreaking, and persuasive exploration of love among the Unhooked Generation, far fewer romances will end in tears. This book will give readers the aha! of recognition they have been waiting for. Unmissable." --Naomi Wolf

Unhooked Generation is about single men and women in their 20s and 30s who are having unprecedented difficulties finding love. Based on 100 in-depth interviews, Jillian Straus examines the obstacles facing unattached women and men in an age when all the choices we have, somehow, manage to decrease our chances of finding a mate.

While cell phones, text messages, e-mail, BlackBerries, speed dating, and internet dating all conspire to create a sense that there are endless options, a culture of "consumer sex" and casual hook-ups make settling down feel like settling. And as the age of first marriage goes up, the level of expectation climbs right along with it, and we start subjecting prospective mates to "the checklist." From the collapse of courtship and the death of romance to the overriding media message that single life is sexy and married life is boring, we have a culture of mixed emotions about the very concept of marriage.

Confronted by a host of factors that other generations never considered in their search for love and commitment, the "unhooked generation" faces a potholed road to romance. Rich with compelling personal stories, and leavened with wit and sharp observation, this is a book that clarifies this confusing, compelling issue as no other book has--and in its final chapter offers concrete advice for addressing the problem.

About this title

About the Author

Jillian Straus was born in 1973 and grew up in Los Angeles. She received a B.A. and an M.A. at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She began a career in television production at ABC NEWS. She then spent eight years producing programs for The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she interviewed thousands of men and women about their lives and their relationships. She is a Fellow of the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, training young women in communications. She lives in New York City.

From Publishers Weekly

Straus, a producer for The Oprah Winfrey Show, has lived an independent life typical of her Gen-X peers. But in this perceptive book, based on interviews with 100 heterosexual singles across the country, she concludes that the myriad choices enjoyed by 20- and 30-somethings have led to a sense of hopelessness and cynicism about relationships and a deep fear of commitment that's often felt as a "fear of settling." She lists cultural factors that place obstacles in the way of intimacy, among them an obsessive focus on independence and career, the aftereffects of feminism, and reliance on distancing new technologies such as instant messaging and online personals. Straus writes in a lively style replete with buzzwords, yet offers tough conclusions. While both men and women have impossible expectations, Straus observes that Gen-Xers prefer to "upgrade" rather than work on a relationship. And the compulsion to have lots of casual sex with attractive partners conflicts with the goal of finding a mate. The book ends with stories of couples who have succeeded in finding and keeping love. Straus argues convincingly that in order to open yourself to love, you cannot keep your options open—you have to commit all the way. (Feb. 8)
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Edition details

• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1401301320
• ISBN 13: 9781401301323
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272