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wicked_sassy's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this, but there were enough flaws that it distracted from the overall premise of the book. For example, the author's description of one participant includes "her shoulder-length brown hair frames a pale complexion and a sweet but somewhat sinister smile that conveys her confident and mischievous side." Weird. Or another participant as "lives in Berkeley, is petite and professional, dressed in a sleeveless green shirt and a long patterned skirt that fits with the local style." A hippie who lives in Berkeley?! Arcane anthropological find that is not. Anyway, a decently interesting read, but shouldn't be a priority on anyone's to-read list.
aml44's review against another edition
2.0
An interesting topic, but I really did not appreciate the author's descriptions of the people he interviewed. Do I care if someone has "muscular arms" or a "large frame"? No. And stating that a man is "short and pudgy with yellow teeth" is unkind as are several other of his less than useful comments. The research is worth looking at, but this is not an enjoyable read.
rjkamaladasa's review against another edition
3.0
Written by a married man, Going Solo was a pleasantly optimistic take on the rise of singledom throughout the world. I learnt a few interesting facts in the first few chapters but the last chapters seem to be filled with anecdotes and what a bunch of people had to say about their experience with living alone. The problem with trying to build a thesis with this kind of evidence is that people tend to justifify how they live as a result of hindsight bias, there will be anchoring biases depending on which questions are asked first, there will be Focusing illusions due to the attention of events in life rather than non-events, and the list goes on.
The book could have gained much more appeal if there was more research done on the economics (how consumer markets have shifted due to the) rise of singledom.
The main take home point that I took from this book is that singledom, with the current ethical climate, is not going to be an accepted political force that easily. Even when they outnumber the married population. Why? I'll leave that for your imagination.
The book could have gained much more appeal if there was more research done on the economics (how consumer markets have shifted due to the) rise of singledom.
The main take home point that I took from this book is that singledom, with the current ethical climate, is not going to be an accepted political force that easily. Even when they outnumber the married population. Why? I'll leave that for your imagination.
beachybookstack's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting look at the rise of single living (for a variety of reasons). I'm not one of those people but I now feel that I have better perspective as to what sorts of challenges and discriminations that someone who lives alone would face. I couldn't help but think of my neighbor, an elderly widow, as well as my grandparents. Living alone appears to not disrupt society as many fear, but instead enable people to enjoy solitude from being "always on" (another good book btw).
It's not an overly scientific read. There's plenty of time decoted to interviews with singletons and a few transnational comparisons towards the end.
I was left feeling as though I should be open to helping or at least visiting my elderly friends and family more often than I do. The book really solidifies my belief that staying socially active is hugely important to the aging process. Human contact makes a huge difference.
It's not an overly scientific read. There's plenty of time decoted to interviews with singletons and a few transnational comparisons towards the end.
I was left feeling as though I should be open to helping or at least visiting my elderly friends and family more often than I do. The book really solidifies my belief that staying socially active is hugely important to the aging process. Human contact makes a huge difference.
val_eris's review against another edition
2.0
For all that this book cites statistics, it continually mentions things that aren't true for the generational demographics it describes. Its general tone is that younger people who live alone are doing so to enjoy a "second adolescence", playing kickball and having sex. It's not true. Based on recent surveys, Gen Z and millennials are having later and less sex than any of the generations before. While discussing urban life, he constantly brings up the social trends in New York-- Brooklyn's kickball leagues, Greenwich village's bohemian, Manhattan beach surfers... the perspective is biased towards proportionally wealthy urban people. It creates a narrative of young adults that are immature or at least pleasure and independence motivated. The truth is that the majority of traditional markers of adulthood are not within reach for many people in these generations, whether they desire them or not. By the end of the introductory chapters, I was expecting to be told to just stop eating so much avocado toast and buying Starbucks.
wonder_kinder's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this look at the changing demographic of America with a growing population of people who live alone. the discussion of elderly living alone is important, but I felt like it was given significantly more attention than the other alones. I would recommend this to not only folks who live alone, but those trying to understand those of us that do and enjoy it.
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 The sort of social science book that reiterates its points again and again. The main argument is a good one, though: rather than bemoaning the lonely American and wringing our hands over the ways that modern life appears to be more isolated and fragmented, we should address the real problems (which, conveniently, there are real solutions to.) The real problems are elderly people living with little support in communities that don't offer Meals on Wheels visits or have pedestrian-friendly places to go. The real problem is that no one can count on having an okay place to spend their final days; instead everyone has to fear running out of money and living in a privatized, understaffed, horrific nursing home.
Besides that, the author talks about how people have never lived alone in such numbers before, because it has never before been possible for most people. He interviews mostly middle-class people about their choices and what they enjoy about living alone, and he also interviews some residents of a New York SRO (single-room occupancy) building, people who are generally poor and marginalized.
Besides that, the author talks about how people have never lived alone in such numbers before, because it has never before been possible for most people. He interviews mostly middle-class people about their choices and what they enjoy about living alone, and he also interviews some residents of a New York SRO (single-room occupancy) building, people who are generally poor and marginalized.
leslielu67's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting stats on how and why solo living is appealing, and what it might mean for housing options (in cities, specifically, not small towns). Living alone is not the same as lonely living. Also, our devices have helped us remain connected so have fueled “living alone collectively”.
chefd's review against another edition
4.0
This book took at look at the way singles live - singles meaning never married, divorced or widowed and how the minority is slowly becoming the majority.