This Is Why You're Single

by Laura Lane, Angela Spera

Whether you're falling for that man child for the fifty-seventh time or text messaging your way to stalker status, dating can make you want to find a nice roomy hermitage on Airbnb and live a solitary, monk-like life.

Luckily, that frustration ends now.

This Is Why You're Single breaks away from your typical dating guide by taking a page from Aesop's playbook with hilarious modern-day dating fables paired with advice, entertaining quizzes, graphs, and illustrations. Dating will feel a whole lot more doable, a little less weird, and, well, actually pretty fun.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Self Help, Chick Lit

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

About the author

Laura Lane is an author, journalist, comedy writer and performer. She is the co-author of Cinderella and the Glass Ceiling (excerpted by The New Yorker) and This Is Why You’re Single (PEOPLE best new book, Kirkus starred review). Both books have been optioned for television and were adapted from stage shows she co-wrote and produced. Laura has contributed to three other books: she wrote a piece in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern Issue 59, was on the creative team for the book Coloring For Grownups: Holiday Fun and has an interview in the book Callings.

She’s written for The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, The San Francisco Chronicle, ESPN, Esquire, Vanity Fair, People, McSweeney’s and Cosmopolitan. Fun facts: Laura was born with one kidney and has double jointed shoulders. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Brittany McCann · Rating 2 out of 5]

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I am literally too old for this book or else, I don't live in NY and therefore can't understand. initially I picked this book up because I thought it was going to be hilarious, and also because in my single state sometimes you can find a morsel of good advice in a self help book.

I honestly hope no one takes this book seriously. the scenarios started out with mild chuckles abs quickly escalated to I'm pretty sure these women are crazy and should never give anyone dating advice. definitely not geared for anyone over the age of 25, and possibly hypocritical, both are comedians who obviously Excel at over the top skits. this book was lacking in humor and dating advice. the greatest thing I can say about the book is that it was laid out nicely and had good formatting. ...and this is why I'm single haha 2 stars.

[Kerrikoala · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not why I'm single. Clearly their target audience is a different kind of girl, because I could only relate to a few of the many scenarios they presented. Also, I thought this book was supposed to be funny. It wasn't.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not reasons that I'm single, but still will tickle your funny bone!

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

A friend told me that I had to read this book because it was sooooo funny. It wasn't.

[Denar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very creative and sometimes funny.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious. The comedic wit of this work walks right off the page, dances a jig, and, if you're not careful, may do a bit of twerking and go home with a stranger.

[Ally.Always.Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of it was funny but other parts were just kind of blah..

[Jessie Mekus · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a terrible book and a waste of my time.

[Gemini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I opened this book & basically couldn't stop laughing until the end. Pretty quick read too. It was pretty damn funny & yet so accurate at the same time. I may not be their young demographic but it's still amusing even though I can't relate to everything. Despite the title seeming so negative it really is a pretty hilarious book that the author does a good job at poking at real stuff that happens when dating or even attempting to. There were various sections of the book that speak to the process of online dating, when you meet them in person, things like ghosting (so obnoxious) & the aftermath of dating as well. So yes it's worth a good chuckle whether you're single or not. Plus you can compare notes to see the kinds of things you've experienced that are totally similar. You may also learn something too.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Is Why You're Single does for this generation of young singles what He's Just Not That Into You did for that generation. Covering the essentials of online dating and getting the nerve to confront your crush, Laura Lane takes a comedic approach of over exaggerated anecdotes to describe facing your fears and bagging your man. Often times over the top, this book doesn't give too serious of advice. Although it does have a great core message of loving yourself and gaining the confidence you need to find your life partner. The views are rather narrow on target audiences and once again I don't feel like this represented the sort of person and personality I have, but I still enjoyed it.

[Emilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious, upbeat take on self-help books, Lane and Spera combine that perfect back and forth that can be found on their podcast (highly recommend) to illustrate common reasons why individuals (especially women) are single in today's world. Whether it's unrealistic expectations or unintentional hang-ups, Lane and Spera help readers navigate dating in today's world and make us laugh along the way.

[Ashlee Wolfe · Rating 2 out of 5]

MEH. I couldn't finish reading this book...I really tried. I wanted to like it, but it tried WAY too hard. It was like one of those kids who wants to be liked so bad that they make stupid jokes all the time that no one really thinks is funny. Yeah, that was this book. It didn't offer any new groundbreaking thoughts/advice and weird analogies.

[Kayla Hollatz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good, light-hearted read that put a little bit of humor into my afternoons at the beach last week. A little over-the-top at times and didn't laugh out loud, but still a fine read when laying low.

[Carrie Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read it because I bought it a million years ago and never got to it. I am not the target audience of the book. 2 stars for some of the humor it included. I did not get much more than a few laughs from it.

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The random stuff you find in the library.
I thought this would be funny; it wasn't and it tried way too hard to be.

[Kristine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted so badly to DNF this, but as I’ve been listening to their podcast recently I felt obligated to read it. Funny/fluffy book.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a funny read. It really does cover all the ridiculous overthinking that can happen in relationships and flirtations. Some good advice mixed in with the hilarity. Quick read for a good laugh.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not funny, waste of time.

[Gail DeShields · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love their podcast, so I wanted to read (or in this case listen) to the book. I think the podcast is better!

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

definitely funny n i appreciated the sketch comedy influence, just a little too buzzfeed-millennial-call her daddy for me

[Lauren Mauck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed how the book was written. A story and then a what to take away from it. Didn’t read this in hopes of getting advice just something light to read.

[Siobhán Lucid]

Fun read nothing ground breaking bit I enjoyed it 👍🏻

[lee! · Rating 2 out of 5]

maybe i didn’t find this book funny because i am engaged. or maybe, it’s because i’m a lesbian. an engaged lesbian is probably not the targeted demographic. cool graphics though.

[Lynnaea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I Read It: Honestly the cover caught my eye at the library and the first story made me laugh!

Premise: A satirical take on modern dating. Each chapter tells a story about

What I Liked: I thought the whole presentation of the book was very creative but coherent. It's well-organized with each section containing a final "Moral of the Story" and the graphics are super cute. Some of the sections (like "The Interviewer and the Applicants - You're Still Hung Up On Your Ex" - told where you're the boss of a company interviewing your next employee/boyfriend) were hilariously on the nose. There's a description of picking out a boyfriend in a doll shop that is commenting on the overwhelming choices available thanks to internet dating that I thought was perfect. This book really brought out the humor of modern dating complications.

What I Didn’t Like: Not any real substance here. Even if you have the problems they're sort of mocking here, there's not substantial advice to help you overcome. This really shouldn't be viewed as a serious explanation of why you're single! Unless you are a 20-something in the New York dating pool maybe...

Verdict: Laugh-out-loud funny, but shouldn't be viewed as an actual self-help dating guide. 3.5/5

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stumbled upon the TIWYS podcast a few months ago, and absolutely loved it. I thought it was witty, funny, and they had some really cool special guests. That was why I was so excited to read the book that Lane and Spera were advertising. However, I'm sad to admit that this book did not meet my expectations. The first 60 pages, or so were pretty entertaining, but as I continued to read, I quickly realized that it was just the same thing over and over again. While it did have a few insightful things to say about modern dating, I feel like this book is more suited for comedic relief, rather than a self-help book.

[Shaina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked how the book was formatted and that the chapters were short, making it an easy read (Read it in less than 6 hours and I skimmed a few parts). The book had a few funny parts but I only related to two chapters in the whole book. This 'modern dating' isn't really something even I at 27 am up to par on nor am I that socially active. I also didn't really get any actual helpful dating advice. I feel like their podcasts and youtube might be worth checking out for the entertainment factor but this book didn't do it for me and wasn't what I was looking for.

If you are up to par on all the 'modern dating' ways of dating then this book is for you. If not, don't bother.

[Anna Kuhl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is much better if you imagine it as a series of SNL-style skits, ignore the "moral of the story" rubbish which can only be described as tedious, and acknowledge that the "advice" is bogus as well as patronising. Would have been great if it was half the size and focused solely on the women-be-crazy scenarios. Overall, it was okay, but it was funnier playing out in my head than it was on the page.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining collection of humorous anecdotes, mostly of the hyperbolic type, that examine the various pitfalls and pratfalls of singlehood. Think Sex and the City, without the storyline, and with only the slightest bit of helpful advice. A mostly funny collection, there were a couple of moments I laughed out loud, but I think I may be out of the demo for this one.

[Lisa Konet · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a quick read and some of it was very funny. I don't know if I would classify this as a self-help book for single woman, as their was many typical stereotypes and scenarios throughout the book. I would say this is more of a humorous book, but don't take much of the advice as fact.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

Funny concept, some genuinely great moments, but a lot of shit. It's worth getting from the library just for the "You Don't Know When to Sleep with Him" essay, but maybe skim the rest to see what else you like.