Book excerpt: DATING PHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYONE Speed dating, online dating, group blind dating, dating consultants... A booming dating industry is catering to an ever-increasing number of single adults in the twenty-first century, with the market for a mate now pulling in more than a billion dollars a year in the United States. So, how do we successfully attempt to navigate the dating minefield? Progressing from the first flirtatious moment of eye contact to the selection of a “mate,” Dating – Philosophy for Everyone includes a number of playful yet relevant essays for anyone who has dated, is dating, or intends to date again. It offers fascinating philosophical explorations of topics such as: The taboos of dating and how to play the dating game Should science teach men how to attract women? The problem of having too much choice The vicissitudes of dating and mating are explored from a number of perspectives, all of which will help demystify coupling in the twenty-first century for those young daters just entering the fray, and those veterans returning to the game.