Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari ** (of 4)

Aziz Ansari does his best to analyze dating in the age of social media, internet, and cell phones. He discovers it is difficult to find a perfect companion, while overlooking the possibility that there are no perfect mates. Relationships require care and feeding if they are to flourish.

Ansari partners with sociology professor Eric Klinenberg, who is an under-acknowledged co-author, and together they run some focus groups to learn more about dating and romance. Their one observation of note is that we are in an age when internet research has persuaded nearly everyone that with enough googling, a shopper can always find a better deal (or having made a final decision, be stuck with regrets when higher quality at lower cost does appear.) This carries over to choosing a partner. Why continue past a first or second date when a dating app contains hundreds, if not thousands, of potentially better choices? Because of the Internet, it may be more difficult than it was before to settle on settling.

The book is intermingling of academic literature reviews, in-person interviews, Ansari's observations of audiences attending his stand-up performances, and Ansari's signature wise-cracks. Unfortunately, none of the portions are done well enough to stand on their own, and together their sum is no greater than their parts.