What do risk-adjusted returns, beta coefficients and strategic exits have in common with romance? According to Desi Duncker, quite a bit.

In his book "Asset Management: Relationship Lessons from Corporate Finance (and Other Fields)," Duncker draws an unlikely — but utterly compelling — line between boardrooms and bedrooms, offering readers a refreshingly pragmatic approach to relationships rooted in economics, business and behavioral science.

Duncker, a Harvard-educated investment banker turned corporate finance executive, takes readers on a deeply personal and often humorous journey through his own romantic highs and lows. Using case studies from his life and frameworks borrowed from finance, he explores how corporate principles can apply to everyday relationships — from dating apps to long-term marriages.

The premise? If we treat our personal lives with the same rigor and reflection we give our careers, we might make fewer emotional blunders and better long-term decisions. “Maybe I need to approach my romantic life like I do my corporate life,” Duncker writes. “Better yet, can I combine the two and leverage my learning?”

Each chapter offers a well-structured breakdown of relationship stages — from getting into one to managing and ultimately deciding whether to stay or go. Whether discussing “high-beta” versus “low-beta” partners (a stand-in for emotional volatility) or applying the Capital Asset Pricing Model to evaluate romantic prospects, Duncker brings intellectual heft without becoming abstract or inaccessible.

In fact, the book’s strength lies in its tone: frank but funny, clever without being preachy. Duncker’s self-awareness is evident as he recounts personal missteps — multiple marriages, casual flings and career crossroads — with humility and insight. His anecdotes, like skipping stand-up comedy because of the prep time, or his dating-induced epiphanies during job interviews, make the book highly relatable despite the academic-sounding metaphors.

While the book will naturally appeal to professionals who speak fluent Excel and MBA-speak, it offers real value for a broader audience. Duncker avoids self-help clichés and instead focuses on practical strategies: manage expectations, consider opportunity costs, plan for exit scenarios (both literal and emotional) and conduct a “premortem” to avoid future regret.

One particularly memorable section likens the concept of comparative advantage in trade to the domestic division of labor. Instead of sticking to gender roles, he urges couples to focus on who has the better “efficiency ratio.” It’s smart, succinct and surprisingly compassionate.

"Asset Management" succeeds as both a candid memoir and an insightful guide. It’s not a book about dating tricks or cheesy compatibility quizzes. It’s about aligning values, making rational decisions and understanding that love — like finance — is often about timing, patience and long-term value.

Whether you’re on your second marriage, navigating the dating pool in your 30s, or a finance geek curious about how CAPM might explain your last breakup, this book delivers both laughs and lessons in equal measure.