Smart Girls Marry Money: How Women Have Been Duped Into the Romantic Dream--And How They're Paying For It (Hardcover)

~ Elizabeth Ford (Author), (Author)
Key Phrases: Theresa Crenshaw, New York, Stone Age Girl (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Jean Icaza, Textbook Manager/Buyer, University of Connecticut
"Wow.  This book made me angry, then made me laugh, and certainly gave me pause for thought.  At times, I could not believe what I was reading and then upon reflection, I thought....Elizabeth and Daniela may be onto something here.  I could see this as a great book club choice....and can well imagine the debate that would ensue!  Great read.”

Product Description

Why does society applaud a girl who falls for a guy’s “big blue eyes” yet denounces one who chooses a man with a “big green bankroll”? After all, isn’t earning power more a reflection of a man’s values and character? Smart Girls Marry Money challenges the ideals and assumptions women have blindly accepted about love and marriage—and shows how they’ve done so at their own economic peril. In this brazen manifesto, authors Elizabeth Ford and Daniela Drake use cold hard facts, real science, and true stories to present a compelling case for why mercenary marriages make the most sense for future happiness.

Smart Girls taps into a growing, collective suspicion that the post-feminist world isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Female “empowerment” has women working hard to look sexier than ever, while carrying more than their fair share financially. Yet sadly, statistics prove that: not only do women continue to earn far less than their male counterparts, they also suffer far more economically when marriages fail. Ford and Drake think it’s high time that women get their heads out of the clouds and start caring about their own security—the kind that can be measured in dollars and common sense. With an irreverent, straight-talk tone, the authors serve up a sound case and intriguing strategy for how women can truly “have it all.” Sure to spark conversation and controversy, Smart Girls Marry Money will ultimately empower women with a new way to take control of both their economic and romantic lives.

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Product Details Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Running Press (May 4, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 0762435178 ISBN-13: 978-0762435173 Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #266,421 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Theresa Crenshaw, New York, Stone Age Girl, Stephanie Coontz, Ann Crittenden, Louann Brizendine, Nancy Etcoff, Maureen Dowd, Sigmund Freud, Survival of the Prettiest, Prince Charming, Leslie Bennetts, Girls Gone Wild, Marry Money, Smart Girls

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	82% buy the item featured on this page: Smart Girls Marry Money: How Women Have Been Duped Into the Romantic Dream--And How They're Paying For It 3.7 out of 5 stars (25) $12.21
	7% buy How to meet the Rich: For Business, Friendship, or Romance 4.4 out of 5 stars (11) $21.55
	5% buy How to Marry Money 4.8 out of 5 stars (25) $12.00
	3% buy How to Get a Rich Man: The Princess Formula 4.6 out of 5 stars (9) $11.21

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Customer Reviews

25 Reviews 5 star:  (15) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:  (5)           Average Customer Review 3.7 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book for women, but a must-read for wealthy men!, September 6, 2009 By  cindyinthewind (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews First of all, I wanted to mention that I did NOT mean to give this book a five-star review. I don't know what's wrong with the Amazon star system, but when I clicked the one-star "I hate it" option, it kept registering as a five-star "I love it." I tried again and again to change it, only to fail every time no matter what I did. So, please know, I'm sorry to have added to the five-star reviews of this book when I didn't want to. In short: I HATED it, and I think it's poison for the female brain, if all too exemplary of the kind of "advice" being offered to women today. Would I recommend this book to a woman? Not on your life! Far from being the witty, hilarious "feminist" (yeah, right!) tome or "satire" some reviewers have claimed it is (it doesn't come off as satire, it comes off as serious), this book tells today's "liberated chyk" (i.e., the young one whose idea of "feminine power" includes things like the power to get either a tattoo OR a Brazilian wax or both if she feels like it) that old-fashioned feminism sold her a bill of goods. In short, if she thinks she's going to be able to enter the working world and earn a lot of money on her own, she can forget it, because breaking the "glass ceiling" is so difficult as to not even be worth trying. As for marrying for love, forget that, because the size of a man's wallet is (they say) an indication of his character: the bigger the wallet, the greater the integrity the man has. Poverty is for losers, they imply, and if you marry a man with little money because you love him, all that's going to happen is either a) he'll live off your income for the rest of his life or b) he'll work hard, eventually become wealthy and successful, and then dump you and your kids for his trophy wife. Even a man who doesn't do that will stick you with raising the kids and taking care of the house, whether or not you also work 40 hours a week. I mean, it's not like you can get him up off his butt and make him contribute equally. Like breaking the glass ceiling, the "equal marriage" is also an unachievable dream, the authors say, so you might as well not even bother trying for it. So--what's a girl to do? Preferably while she's young (because, we are assured, youth and beauty are the only real assets a woman ever has)? Find a man with lotsa moola and marry him--fast! That's it! Problems solved for life! After marrying rich, she can kick back, enjoy life, spend as much money as she wants and never have to lift a finger to work again. Because even if her hubby dumps her--and they assure her this--no worries. I mean, she married him for his money anyway, right, and she's sure to get half of everything he's got. So she can take that and move on to the next man. Easy! The authors then advise every woman to drop her other interests and focus exclusively on making herself the most beautiful, youthful-looking woman possible, so she can attract money. After all, men are visual creatures and just as women marry for money, men marry for looks. They assure even "fugly" girls and older women that they too can play the game: they just need to get with the program and start focusing on their looks above all else. Of course, this is about the world's worst possible advice for women: it essentially tells them that working hard to attempt to achieve anything in the world (unless it's a prettier smile or a better figure) is useless, simply because it's difficult, and that having a marriage in which both partners love each other and support each other is a pipe dream not even worth attempting. It also teaches them that they need not work at all to justify their existence on the planet, and that the job of men is to work hard to support both themselves AND their women. It also teaches them that they need not love a man to marry him; he should be happy enough just having a hot-looking chick to poke that he pays the bills for her for the rest of her life. Yes, it's legalized prostitution--dressed in the guise of "do-me" feminism. So, ladies: to you, I would say: Don't read this book. However, if you're a man with money, and you actually want anything like true love in your life, I would strongly advise reading this book. True, maybe you're happy enough getting to poke hot chicks that you don't care--but if you harbor any old-fashioned notions of settling down and having kids one day with a gorgeous honey who actually, deep down in her heart, LOVES you for who you are and wouldn't drop you like you're hot if you lost all your money and success tomorrow--you would do well to open your eyes and read. It may hurt when the scales fall from your eyes and you realize that beautiful babe snuggling in bed next to you really IS only after your bucks--but forewarned is forearmed. If it's not already too late, you can make a phone call to your lawyer and make the necessary arrangements to ensure she doesn't clean you out and leave you brokenhearted AND broke. Good luck. 6 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The smart money's on this idea., September 4, 2009 By  Jessica Goodall - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I know some women will read this book and really get their feathers up about it. It's about marrying not only for love, but for money and comparability. It's about being smart and some of the ideas really hit home. It is a struggle in this economy for many single women and the idea of marrying a man with some money is enticing. That said, I am a true beleiver of marrying for love, first and foremost, and then for money, if necessary. Hey, I think this is a great concept, but I'm not sure it will work for me, but for others it might. Also liked Man Magnet: How to Be the Best Woman You Can Be in Order to Get the Best Man-A Guide To Dating (Revised Edition). 24 of 37 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Smart Men Should Read This...and Stay Single!, June 1, 2009 By  reader - See all my reviews This is a book which should give any man pause. The authors lay out a chilling yet convincing case for the woman about to make the "mistake" of marrying for love. The not-so-funny counterpoint, of course, is that the man who makes this same mistake is about to hand control of the rest of his life to a calculating liar. ("Liar" is the nicest term I can think of to describe someone who feigns love and sexual attraction in order to lure someone into a legal trap -- for the "smart women" of the title certainly aren't being open about their reasons for marrying. Marriage contracts are the only contracts which courts don't dare voiding for fraud, and this book persuasively lays out how grotesque that double standard can be.) The pink cover notwithstanding, the authors inhabit a dark world. You can't help thinking that "smart" women should be careful what they ask for. The "Rules" authors, of course, wound up divorced. And as brilliant as Machiavelli is regarded as being, it's worth remembering that he wrote "The Prince" in exile. Sometimes smart people outsmart themselves.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Why wasn't this written 20 years ago?? I wish this book had come out a long time ago; perhaps it would have been a strong enough influence to help me avoid long years of heartache, self-recrimination and debt. Read more Published 1 month ago by Melinda Thompson 1.0 out of 5 stars Smart girls don't marry for money 1) The myth that men make more money than women because of inequality has been disproven by clear and convincing research. Read more Published 2 months ago by Mrs. J 1.0 out of 5 stars Why Men Are Starting To Hate The Other Gender This book is trash, as is Marriage; and this shows why. Men to have a successful and happy life, get a vasectomy, never get married, and focus on yourself. Read more Published 2 months ago by Digitalmaster 1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the paper it's been printed on! This book was a complete waste of time. I'm glad it was a gift or I'd be pissed off having spent money on it. Read more Published 3 months ago by joshandjenn916 1.0 out of 5 stars Calling Marriage, what it REALLY is. Marriage = Prostitution (by any other name). Having not (yet) read this book, I must rely on (ALL) of the current reviews... Read more Published 4 months ago by Keith BR 5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book This book is so right on. I am so tired of struggling financially, waiting for Mr. Right who will sweep me off my feet. Read more Published 5 months ago by Shannon M. Miller 2.0 out of 5 stars Not what I was hoping for. Sad really. No doubt there are many good points being made, but since the case are fictional or composites I have to take it with more than a grain of salt... Read more Published 5 months ago by Richard A. Starr 1.0 out of 5 stars How Sad I'm sorry but this book and its writers are just plain depressing. The title says it all. This is what is wrong with today's society, and it gave me the creeps... Read more Published 5 months ago by Perry W. Chamberlain 5.0 out of 5 stars Not your mother's feminism A friend told me about this book, which is why I read it. This is definitely for the "younger crowd" - not the hidebound Women's Studies oldsters like me - but the post MTV... Read more Published 5 months ago by Harridan 5.0 out of 5 stars Smart Girls...read this book! This is a great read with a lot of "a-ha" moments. In my household, with three women between the ages of 14 and 50-something, it has sparked a lot of debate as well as laughter... Read more Published 5 months ago by Anne Teague Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (May 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762435178
• ISBN-13: 978-0762435173
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #266,421 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book for women, but a must-read for wealthy men!, September 6, 2009

By	cindyinthewind (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews

First of all, I wanted to mention that I did NOT mean to give this book a five-star review. I don't know what's wrong with the Amazon star system, but when I clicked the one-star "I hate it" option, it kept registering as a five-star "I love it." I tried again and again to change it, only to fail every time no matter what I did. So, please know, I'm sorry to have added to the five-star reviews of this book when I didn't want to. In short: I HATED it, and I think it's poison for the female brain, if all too exemplary of the kind of "advice" being offered to women today.

Would I recommend this book to a woman? Not on your life! Far from being the witty, hilarious "feminist" (yeah, right!) tome or "satire" some reviewers have claimed it is (it doesn't come off as satire, it comes off as serious), this book tells today's "liberated chyk" (i.e., the young one whose idea of "feminine power" includes things like the power to get either a tattoo OR a Brazilian wax or both if she feels like it) that old-fashioned feminism sold her a bill of goods. In short, if she thinks she's going to be able to enter the working world and earn a lot of money on her own, she can forget it, because breaking the "glass ceiling" is so difficult as to not even be worth trying. As for marrying for love, forget that, because the size of a man's wallet is (they say) an indication of his character: the bigger the wallet, the greater the integrity the man has. Poverty is for losers, they imply, and if you marry a man with little money because you love him, all that's going to happen is either a) he'll live off your income for the rest of his life or b) he'll work hard, eventually become wealthy and successful, and then dump you and your kids for his trophy wife. Even a man who doesn't do that will stick you with raising the kids and taking care of the house, whether or not you also work 40 hours a week. I mean, it's not like you can get him up off his butt and make him contribute equally. Like breaking the glass ceiling, the "equal marriage" is also an unachievable dream, the authors say, so you might as well not even bother trying for it.

So--what's a girl to do? Preferably while she's young (because, we are assured, youth and beauty are the only real assets a woman ever has)? Find a man with lotsa moola and marry him--fast! That's it! Problems solved for life! After marrying rich, she can kick back, enjoy life, spend as much money as she wants and never have to lift a finger to work again. Because even if her hubby dumps her--and they assure her this--no worries. I mean, she married him for his money anyway, right, and she's sure to get half of everything he's got. So she can take that and move on to the next man. Easy!

The authors then advise every woman to drop her other interests and focus exclusively on making herself the most beautiful, youthful-looking woman possible, so she can attract money. After all, men are visual creatures and just as women marry for money, men marry for looks. They assure even "fugly" girls and older women that they too can play the game: they just need to get with the program and start focusing on their looks above all else.

Of course, this is about the world's worst possible advice for women: it essentially tells them that working hard to attempt to achieve anything in the world (unless it's a prettier smile or a better figure) is useless, simply because it's difficult, and that having a marriage in which both partners love each other and support each other is a pipe dream not even worth attempting. It also teaches them that they need not work at all to justify their existence on the planet, and that the job of men is to work hard to support both themselves AND their women. It also teaches them that they need not love a man to marry him; he should be happy enough just having a hot-looking chick to poke that he pays the bills for her for the rest of her life. Yes, it's legalized prostitution--dressed in the guise of "do-me" feminism.

So, ladies: to you, I would say: Don't read this book. However, if you're a man with money, and you actually want anything like true love in your life, I would strongly advise reading this book. True, maybe you're happy enough getting to poke hot chicks that you don't care--but if you harbor any old-fashioned notions of settling down and having kids one day with a gorgeous honey who actually, deep down in her heart, LOVES you for who you are and wouldn't drop you like you're hot if you lost all your money and success tomorrow--you would do well to open your eyes and read. It may hurt when the scales fall from your eyes and you realize that beautiful babe snuggling in bed next to you really IS only after your bucks--but forewarned is forearmed. If it's not already too late, you can make a phone call to your lawyer and make the necessary arrangements to ensure she doesn't clean you out and leave you brokenhearted AND broke. Good luck.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The smart money's on this idea., September 4, 2009

By	Jessica Goodall - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I know some women will read this book and really get their feathers up about it. It's about marrying not only for love, but for money and comparability. It's about being smart and some of the ideas really hit home. It is a struggle in this economy for many single women and the idea of marrying a man with some money is enticing. That said, I am a true beleiver of marrying for love, first and foremost, and then for money, if necessary. Hey, I think this is a great concept, but I'm not sure it will work for me, but for others it might. Also liked Man Magnet: How to Be the Best Woman You Can Be in Order to Get the Best Man-A Guide To Dating (Revised Edition).

24 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Smart Men Should Read This...and Stay Single!, June 1, 2009

By	reader - See all my reviews

This is a book which should give any man pause. The authors lay out a chilling yet convincing case for the woman about to make the "mistake" of marrying for love.

The not-so-funny counterpoint, of course, is that the man who makes this same mistake is about to hand control of the rest of his life to a calculating liar. ("Liar" is the nicest term I can think of to describe someone who feigns love and sexual attraction in order to lure someone into a legal trap -- for the "smart women" of the title certainly aren't being open about their reasons for marrying. Marriage contracts are the only contracts which courts don't dare voiding for fraud, and this book persuasively lays out how grotesque that double standard can be.)

The pink cover notwithstanding, the authors inhabit a dark world. You can't help thinking that "smart" women should be careful what they ask for. The "Rules" authors, of course, wound up divorced. And as brilliant as Machiavelli is regarded as being, it's worth remembering that he wrote "The Prince" in exile.

Sometimes smart people outsmart themselves.