Vanity Economics

An Economic Exploration of Sex, Marriage and Family

C. Simon Fan, Professor of Economics, Lingnan University, Hong Kong

This book presents an accessible and sometimes controversial economic exploration of numerous issues surrounding sex, marriage and family. It analyzes the role of ‘vanity’, defined as social status and self-esteem, in social and economic behaviors.

‘Vanity Economics is a very ambitious book. Its aim is to revisit the state of the art economic research on interpersonal relationships, both within the family and at the social level, through the lenses of a new, unifying concept: "vanity." The content is based on rigorous academic research that is made accessible to a wider audience. The book is in fact very entertaining and makes interesting reading even for nonspecialists, since it covers almost any conceivable topic touching the realms of sex marriage - including of course pre- and extramarital extensions - and social relationships from a provocative perspective. . . . the book can contribute to cultural economics by providing what, to my knowledge, is the first economic investigation of the influence of face on social interactions.’
– Graziella Bertocchi, Journal of Economic Literature