Christine Whelan - Publishing

Publishing

Whelan's first book, Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women, was published by Simon & Schuster in October 2006. In the book, Whelan coined the term SWANS, which stands for Strong Women Achievers, No Spouse.

Intended in part as a response to Maureen Dowd's 2005 book Are Men Necessary? When Sexes Collide, Whelan presented evidence contrary to the belief that an elite education and high income among women correlate with lower marriage rates. Using Census Bureau statistics, a commissioned poll of 3,700 men and women ages 25 to 40 and personal interviews, Whelan showed that while the stereotype was valid among previous generations, today a higher income and education in fact increases a woman's marriage chances, and that high-achieving women simply marry later in life.

Prior to conducting the research, Whelan originally intended for the book to be a pessimistic take on the marriage prospects of professional women, drawn from popular studies and personal experience. The book was initially conceived with the title Overqualified for Love.

Whelan's second book, Marry Smart: The Intelligent Woman's Guide to True Love, was published by Simon & Schuster on December 30, 2008. Whelan's third book, Generation WTF: From “What the #%$&” to a Wise, Tenacious, and Fearless You, will be published by Templeton Press in February 2011.