Work it, baby?
Honey Money The power of erotic capital
by Catherine Hakim
This is the book that’s got everybody talking, blogging and tweeting.
The premise being – should you work what you’ve got, to get ahead?
The publishers sum up the book:
Why do some people seem to lead charmed lives? They are attractive, but also lively, friendly and charismatic. People want to be around them. Doors open for them. The answer, this book shows, is in the power of erotic capital – the overlooked human asset that is at the heart of how we work, interact, make money, succeed and conduct our relationships.
Catherine Hakim’s groundbreaking book reveals how erotic capital is just as influential in life as how rich, clever, educated or well-connected we are. Drawing on hard evidence, she illustrates how this potent force develops from an early age, with attractive children assumed to be intelligent, competent and good. She examines how women and men learn to exploit it throughout their lives, how it differs across cultures and how it affects all spheres of activity, from dating and mating to politics, business, film, music, the arts and sport. She also explores why erotic capital is growing in importance in today’s highly sexualised culture and yet, ironically, as a ‘feminine’ virtue, remains sidelined.
Honey Money is a call for us to recognize the economic and social value of erotic capital, and truly acknowledge beauty and pleasure. This will not only change the role of women in society, getting them a better deal in both public and private life – it could also revolutionize our power structures, big business, the sex industry, government, marriage, education and almost everything we do.
The Guardian gives a not terribly surprising negative review, although Will Self, also writing in the Guardian, is more ambivalent and, perhaps, balanced.
The Daily Beast focus on the author herself, and Deborah Ross in The Independent approaches the subject with her usual surreal humour, riffing on the theme of spending her erotic capital.
Whatever your views, you need to have a view on the hottest topic of the moment – should you work it, baby?
Available at Amazon for £11.40.
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