Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women (Hardcover)

~ Dr. Christine B. Whelan (Author)
Key Phrases: blast email, success penalty, new survey data, New York, San Francisco, Harris Interactive (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A new way for women to blend their accomplishments in the work world with romance, marriage, and motherhood."

-- Susan Shapiro Barash, author of Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth About Women and Rivalry --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review

"For as long as I can remember, single, professional women have been told that their chances of getting married were smaller than their chances of being hit by a bus. Christine Whelan has now shattered that myth once and for all."

-- Heather Boushey, PhD, economist, Center for Economic and Policy Research

"A compelling case against the widespread belief that educated women risk lonely, impoverished lives."

-- Viviana A. Zelizer, Princeton University, author of The Purchase of Intimacy

"A new way for women to blend their accomplishments in the work world with romance, marriage, and motherhood."

-- Susan Shapiro Barash, author of Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth About Women and Rivalry

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1 edition (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743290399
• ISBN-13: 978-0743290395
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #613,278 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Quesionable Research, February 4, 2007

By	S. Dinkins "full-time instructor at a university" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In addition to short narratives (which prove nothing), the surveys have built-in response bias -- which skews the results. Read through the questions and ask yourself "Of the thousands of people surveyed, which man is going to admit that he prefers a less-threatening woman of lower intelligence?" In a survey, who wouldn't claim that they would like to date a smart person? This book would have been much more credible if the author had used quanifiable sources of information, including IQ tests, SAT scores, etc. not only for the person that they were surveying, but to document who they were married to. And the "wishful thinking" questions don't provide any real information. After all, who isn't "open" to marrying up? I'm not basing my life strategies on some pie-in-the-sky thinking that those surveyed told a researcher. Better to look at who they HAVE dated instead. Research that asked "How would you rate the last person you had a significant relationship (one year or longer)? Answer: below average intelligence (below 100 IQ), average intelligence (100 IQ), above average (up to 130), genius (130 - 150), or super genius (150 and up). And asking someone if they think they are "high achieving" could mean anything! In the county where I live right now, not being in jail is considered super-achieving!! Did they ask about property, investment, or earnings? Did they rate professions on a scale to achieve this survey answer? Not that I could find. Every good researcher knows that past experience is the BEST indicator of performance.

I'm a college professor. Any paper we publish or give at a conference has to have quantifiable research or we're laughed out of the discipline. We have to reveal more about our research and when others find that our questions encourage biased answers, our research is refused publication, our reputations are tarnished, and we are often drummed out of education. I wish this held true for "pop" writers. With their ability to reach millions of readers, they should be EVEN MORE responsible with research. Very disappointing!

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Irrelevant for me, maybe not for others, March 27, 2007

By	Kathleen B. OLeary "KBO" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

To be fair, I am not the target audience for this book. I'm in my early twenties and have at no point in my life believed that my intelligence would be a barrier to finding a lasting relationship. While I agree that smart men marry smart women, I felt that the methods Whelan used to arrive at this conclusion were flawed. I agree with the reviewer below who suggested that there was an inherent bias in the research. Additionally, I felt as though the same points were being repeated over and over throughout the book without sufficient evidence to back them up. I kept thinking I had already read a particular section but soon realized the book was perpetually rehashing the same ideas.

A recurring thought I had while reading the book was that smart women (whether you're measuring by IQ, academic achievement, or professional success) may be accepting the myth that men are intimidated by their intelligence in order to shift the blame for failed relationships onto another person. The smart women I know who have trouble finding partners (and there are not many of them) are in this position not because men can't handle being with an equal, but because they base their interactions with men on pop psychology and he advice in self-help books. If one good thing comes out of this book, maybe women will realize that if it's not their intelligence that's the problem, it must be something else.

Additionally, the book seems at times almost disdainful of women who've chosen an alternative path--by which I mean staying home to raise a family. My understanding was that feminism had moved past that point. It is just as valid for a man to choose a spouse based on qualities such as kindness, dependability, and morality as to marry someone who is intelligent, educated, or knowledgeable about politics. In fact, I believe that a truly smart woman is one who is a package deal--who balances her drive and ambition with concern for others and the ability and desire to nurture loved ones. I would look for the same in a man.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Original and interesting, May 7, 2007

By	Super Walker - See all my reviews

This is a great book: it provides firm evidence that debunks the myth that successful women will struggle to find partners. In a great combination of social science research and interesting interviews, Whelan demolishes the oft-cited view that being successful will deter potential mates: great news for all the women out there who've been told they must choose between achievement and marriage.

If the previous reviewer had read past p.75 he might also have noticed that the one thing this book does NOT do is argue that being successful is an excuse for not finding a partner (ie, he was SO intimidated by me that he dumped me). In fact, one of the things that makes this book so great is that it points out that one of the reasons for the persistence of this myth is that women can buy into it as an excuse.

Great book!