Erotic Capital

Averse as I am to ponificating on the merits or otherwise of a book I haven't even read, I will make an exception in the case of: "Honey Money: The Power of Erotic Capital" by Senior research fellow at London School of Economics, Catherine Hakim.

As per Hakim, erotic capital can be described as a "combination of beauty, sex appeal, skills of self-presentation and social skills" and should be exploited by women in the workplace at all times in order to earn
15% more than their dowdier, less-attentive-to-their-appearance workmates.

Since the book was released in the last few months, I've gorged on the delicious, divisive on-line debate generated by "Honey Money."- lurker that I am. 

And while I swirl somewhere between:
(a) being horrified that the shallow premise of 'good looking is best' is being touted as a viable concept that should be taught to young girls -whah? (Hakim cites a well known "fashion model" who has exploited every cosmetic enhancement possible to make millions as being a fine example of good use of erotic capital)
and
(b) being horrified that such an obvious and well-worn concept (i.e. better looking people are more successful than ugly ones) is the subject of a widely reviewed book. How on earth did Hakim generate sixty thousand words on the subject? 

I accept with cheerful resignation that in my workplace, exploiting erotic capital is something of which I can only dream.