Supply and Demand

The motif of supply and demand, as it pertains to being a factor in relationships, appears throughout the book. As Julie and her friends begin talking, it is clear that meeting people in New York City is difficult. Even Alice, who quits her full time position as an attorney with Legal Aid to approach dating like a job, has not met Mr. Right. Though, she is going to all the right spots for singles, there are not enough good, single men to meet the demand.

As Julie tours the world, she runs across the notion of gender droughts, too. For example, the male drought reported in Australia seems to be true. The supply of men falls short of meeting the demand for them by women. Both Julie and Georgia meet men who are in their 30s who date women whose ages are 19 and 20. The...