A QUESTION OF AGE
Jacinta Parsons, ABC Books, $34.99
We’ve had too many chirpy books about being a woman and making the most of the autumnal years. This isn’t one of them. Parsons rages: “On dating apps, men’s desirability peaks at 50 years of age and women’s at 18.” She has a point. Men have everything to look forward to as they acquire pleasing twinkly lines around the eyes, and the steady trajectory of income that permits sensible planning and rising status.
Parsons offers insight into how we discard valuable women when it comes to rewards at the workplace, at home and out there where romance happens. Her conclusion is that we should help girls before they become women. But will they accept guidance? In an earlier chapter, she declares that teen girls see