Dollars and Sex audiobook cover - Dating can feel emotional and mysterious, but this gentle exploration shows how technology, opportunity, and changing “markets” quietly shape who meets whom, who commits, and why modern love often looks so different from the past.

Dollars and Sex

Dating can feel emotional and mysterious, but this gentle exploration shows how technology, opportunity, and changing “markets” quietly shape who meets whom, who commits, and why modern love often looks so different from the past.

Marina Adshade

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Categories:
PsychologyPersonal DevelopmentEconomics

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Dollars and Sex
Economics of Promiscuity+
Sexual Supply and Demand+
The Online Dating Market+
The Business of Marriage+
Monogamy vs. Polygamy+
Divorce and Inequality+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
According to the book, how do economic principles relate to our choices regarding love and sex?
  • A. They prove that romantic decisions transcend the harsh logic of supply and demand.
  • B. They heavily influence our romantic decisions, similar to how they dictate our buying decisions.
  • C. They only apply to marriage and long-term partnerships, not casual dating.
  • D. They are largely irrelevant today, though they dictated marriages in previous generations.
Question 2 of 7
Why did the rate of premarital pregnancies actually increase after the introduction of safe and reliable contraceptives?
  • A. Contraceptives were initially too expensive for the average unmarried woman to afford.
  • B. Cultural attitudes became so conservative that people stopped using contraceptives properly.
  • C. The lowered financial and social risks of pregnancy led to a dramatic increase in overall sexual activity.
  • D. The failure rate of early contraceptives was exceptionally high compared to modern standards.
Question 3 of 7
How does the law of supply and demand affect sexual activity on modern college campuses where female students outnumber male students?
  • A. It creates a 'buyer's market' for men, leading women to lower the 'price' of intimacy to compete for scarce partners.
  • B. It creates a 'seller's market' for women, allowing them to dictate stricter terms for relationships.
  • C. It causes heterosexual men to have less sex because competition among women drives them away from the dating pool.
  • D. It leads to higher rates of virginity among female students because they choose to opt out of the market entirely.
Question 4 of 7
What economic problem do many online dating sites create by relying on strict quantitative criteria like age and height?
  • A. They create an 'inflated market' where users are overwhelmed by too many perfect matches.
  • B. They cause 'buyer's remorse' by encouraging people to settle for the first match they get.
  • C. They lead to a 'monopoly' where only the wealthiest users can find successful matches.
  • D. They create a 'thin market' where it is difficult to find suitable partners because the pool is drastically reduced.
Question 5 of 7
From an economic standpoint, why does marriage make good business sense for a household?
  • A. It guarantees a dual-income household, which is strictly necessary to survive in modern economies.
  • B. It enables two people with complementary skills to satisfy household demands more efficiently than either could alone.
  • C. It allows couples to entirely avoid the financial risks of the dating market.
  • D. It provides significant tax benefits that outweigh the costs of raising children.
Question 6 of 7
According to the text, what major economic shift contributed to the decline of polygamy in favor of monogamy?
  • A. The rising cost of real estate made housing multiple wives too expensive for wealthy men.
  • B. Agricultural societies passed strict laws against polygamy to control population growth.
  • C. The Industrial Revolution created a demand for smart children and educated wives, giving women more financial independence.
  • D. Women began earning more than men in factories, completely reversing traditional gender roles.
Question 7 of 7
How does economic inequality within a community typically affect marriage stability?
  • A. It strengthens marriages as couples bond over shared financial goals and budgeting.
  • B. It has no significant effect on marriage as long as both partners maintain steady employment.
  • C. It only causes divorce among the wealthiest families who argue over asset management.
  • D. It creates status anxiety, leading families to take on debt to keep up appearances, which causes stress and increases divorce rates.

Dollars and Sex — Full Chapter Overview

Dollars and Sex Summary & Overview

This narration reframes dating, sex, and marriage through an economic lens—looking at incentives, tradeoffs, and how changing technology and social norms reshape relationship choices. Along the way, it explores why casual sex became more common, why college dating can feel lopsided, and how online filters can accidentally screen out great matches.

With a calm, supportive tone, the script invites listeners to reflect on “market value,” timing, and environment—not as harsh judgments, but as practical ways to understand constraints and expand options. The goal is not to tell anyone what to choose, but to offer a clearer map of the forces influencing modern relationships.

Who Should Listen to Dollars and Sex?

  • People who feel confused or discouraged by modern dating and want a clearer, more practical framework.
  • Listeners curious about how technology, education, and income trends shape relationships and marriage patterns.
  • Anyone making decisions about commitment, marriage, or staying single—and wanting to think through tradeoffs with kindness and honesty.

About the Author: Marina Adshade

This audio script is a warm rewrite of a provided summary that references the work of economist Marina Adshade, PhD, and findings from researchers and economists including Pew Research and Jeffrey DeSimone. It presents those cited ideas in an accessible, supportive narration style.

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