Eve Rodsky: Fair Play

Do you find yourself taking on the lion's share of all the thankless, invisible but time-consuming work in the home? Fair Play is the first book that shows you that there can be a different way: a way to get more done, with less fuss, in a way that feels more balanced. Eve Rodsky is changing society one relationship at a time, by coming up with a 21st-century solution to an age-old problem: women shouldering the brunt of domestic responsibilities, the mental load, the emotional labour. Everything that is required to keep the fridge full, the children's homework in their bags, and the household running. The unequal division of all this invisible work in relationships is a recipe for disaster, but no one has offered a real solution to this dilemma, until now. Eve Rodsky was tired of always being the one who has to remember to buy loo roll, or to book the family's dentist appointments, or to send the thank you cards - all while working full time. So Eve decided to do what she does every day as an organisational management consultant: Organise. She conducted original research with more than 500 couples to figure out What the invisible work in a family actually is and How to get it done effectively and all in a way that makes relationships even stronger. Fair Play identifies the 100 main tasks in any relationship, and then divides those tasks fairly (not necessarily equally) so that both parties contribute their fair share. If we don't learn to rebalance our home life and reclaim some time to develop the skills and passions that keep us unique, then we risk losing our right to be interesting, not just to our partner, but to ourselves. Getting this right isn't a luxury, it's a necessity for a happy, lasting partnership. Part how-to guide for couples, part modern relationship manifesto, Fair Play offers an innovative system with a completely original lexicon to discuss how relationships actually work… and how we can make them work better.