Single but Dating: A Field Guide to Dating in the Digital Age

Goldstein, a sex and relationships counselor in Australia, parlays her personal and professional experience in the field of romance into an empowering how-to manual for young women looking to play the field. Goldstein, an “open-minded heterosexual female who predominantly dates men,” gears her advice toward her own demographic. Her goal is to combat the negative associations of the label “single” by encouraging readers to navigate their personal lives with confidence and self-awareness, with the goal of happiness. The book fits in the traditional confines of relationship self-help, with exercises and lesson plans at the end of each chapter, but Goldstein’s advice is refreshingly modern and unapologetically candid. The chapter on confidence encourages readers to reflect on the relationship between their sense of self-worth and the media they consume. The chapter on sex explores the fluidity of sexuality while also addressing logistics—for example, she writes that the style of pubic hair is a personal choice that “is more about our body confidence than about a partner’s pleasure.” The best chapters deal with manners and how technology changes the way people date, flirt, and communicate. Goldstein keenly observes that online dating makes us “distracted and disposable.” Her book is filled with practical tips, and is a much-need antidote to the ills of dating today. (Apr.)