Living together is like managing a business or an organization. This may not sound very romantic but it is the belief of the authors of a best seller in the US, which presents the concept of “spousonomics”. The title is self-explanatory “Spousonomics: Using Economics to Master Love, Marriage, and Dirty Dishes”
Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson, journalists from The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, present “a radical new idea: Every marriage is its own little economy, a business of two with a finite number of resources that need to be allocated efficiently.” (http://www.spousonomics.com/the-book/). Is it really a “radical new idea”? I believe that it actually reflects what our ancestors have known for a long time: very down-to-earth economic principles have justified prearranging alliances for many centuries. The concept of romance-based marriages is a recent “invention” in human history (maybe 200/300 years old?).
What is actually innovative is the codification of the links between economics and human relationships. The approach also represents an innovative way to teach economics. To get students’ attention to learn the fundamentals of supply and demand nothing beats “How to Have More Sex”. Well done!
This book shows, once again, that innovation is everywhere: in counseling couples as well as in teaching economics. Even launching a book like this one is a project that deserves pre-project analysis to maximize penetration rate and return on investment.
Raphael H Cohen