LiegentCheap Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, and Monogamy
Why are modern relationships increasingly unstable despite unprecedented sexual freedom? Mark Regnerus reveals how three technological revolutions — contraception, internet pornography, and online dating — have created "cheap sex" that fundamentally disrupts traditional romance. The problem extends beyond individual disappointment: men no longer need commitment to access sexual relationships, women face increased competition for marriage-minded partners, and society experiences declining marriage rates alongside male underachievement. Regnerus maps how this divided mating market operates through economic principles, showing why cheaper sex paradoxically produces less satisfaction and emotional connection. This short offers a framework for understanding why contemporary romance feels broken and what these changes mean for society's future.
Mark Regnerus is a sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin who studies how technology and cultural changes affect modern sexuality and relationships. His research examines the economics of romantic behavior, focusing on how innovations like contraception, pornography, and online dating disrupt traditional mating patterns. Regnerus combines empirical data with sociological theory to analyze the unintended consequences of sexual liberation on marriage, gender dynamics, and family formation.
Chapters
Similar books
If you liked this book, you'll probably like these books as well.
How to be a Conservative
Roger Scruton
Modern conservatism rests on the appreciation of values under threat.
21:46 min
The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters
B.R. Myers
North Korea is fundamentally ethnonationalist — a fact the West neglects to its own detriment.
20:53 min
Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
Christopher Ryan
Is monogamy a method of societal control, perverting our most basic biological nature?
23:01 min
Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty
Abhijit Banerjee
Fighting poverty requires implementing proven solutions, not out-of-touch ideologies.
20:50 min
From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000
Lee Kuan Yew
One remarkable leader proves the power of tailored policymaking for national development.
41:12 min
Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids: Why Being a Great Parent Is Less Work and More Fun Than You Think
Bryan Caplan
We've been psyopped into believing children cost more and deliver less, sabotaging our own happiness.
19:16 min
San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities
Michael Shellenberger
Homelessness isn't an insurmountable problem, but rather a direct consequence of progressive policy.
20:56 min
The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West
Alexander C. Karp
The software century demands purposeful ambition, not just market-driven development.
24:16 min
The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age
James Dale Davidson
Is this the end of the Modern Age? Cyberspace threatens five centuries of state domination.
23:20 min
The Geometry of Genocide: A Study in Pure Sociology
Bradley Campbell
Genocide functions not as incomprehensible evil but as social control against perceived deviance.
22:05 min
The Network State: How To Start a New Country
Balaji Srinivasan
As modernity threatens liberty, governance must evolve from territorial into digital sovereignty.
26:10 min
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
This timeless dystopia parallels present day where screens threaten intellectual freedom.
10:21 min
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
J.D. Vance
Hillbilly-turned-VP nominee pays loving tribute to America's poorly understood white working class.
20:16 min
The Origins of Woke: Civil Rights Law, Corporate America, and the Triumph of Identity Politics
Richard Hanania
How bureaucrats, not culture, engineered America's obsession with identity politics.
21:28 min
Woke Eugenics: How Social Justice Is A Mask For Social Darwinism
Edward Dutton, J.O.A. Rayner-Hilles
Could today's cultural upheavals be society's unexpected saviors?
21:16 min
