Does matchmaking on the basis of literary tastes actually work? “Yes and no” would be the most accurate answer available. Alikewise.com user China Ma went on two dates with women he met through the site. The first one had a successful outcome; the two built a good rapport after talking about how much they both like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Conversely, his date with the second woman was boring. Those two were stuck searching for conversation because the only thing they had in common was a shared enjoyment for Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea.
Alikewise launched because its co-founder, Matt Masina had ended a relationship. After professing a desire for a woman who has read The Black Swan, he and partner Matt Sherman took this seed of an idea and created the site. In accordance to their mission, the site matches participants specifically based on their reading tastes.
Psychotherapist Dennis Palumbo hypothesizes: “As we get older, we want a kind, caring person who cares how we feel,” he says. Not necessarily someone who has read The Cornish Trilogy…I’ve had patients say to me, ‘What am I going to do if he doesn’t read?’ or ‘His idea of reading is James Paterson.’ It’s a big concern.” (Via the Wall Street Journal)