Dr. Christine B. Whelan explodes that myth in her new book, “Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women.”

With positive research and wise advice, Whelan relates to bright women why they have the upper hand in the marriage market — and in every other arena of life.Through her research, Whelan discovered that “90% of high-achieving men want a woman who is as or more intelligent than they are.”

This book is a must-read for female who are SWANS (Whelan’s term for Strong Women Achievers, No Spouse).

For the men who prefer brains, you too should read this book so that you can learn more about your future wife.

If you are sick of the dating scene because you have encountered one too many jerks, then reading How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk: Fool-Proof Ways to Follow Your Heart Without Losing Your Mind (McGraw-Hill; Hardcover; 288 pages; $22.95) by Dr. John Van Epp should be at the top of your “Must-Have” list.

Van Epp gives you the tools to focus on the crucial characteristics of a loving, lasting relationship. These easy-to-use techniques will help you to:

• Ask the right questions to inspire meaningful, revealing conversations with your partner
• Analyze your partner’s level of conscientiousness–considered the window to the soul
• Judge character based on compatibility, relationships skills, friends, and patterns from family and previous relationships
• Resolve your own emotional baggage so you’re ready for a healthy relationship
• Open your eyes to problems in the relationship and stop giving a jerk too many chances
• Identify–and break–destructive dating patterns that prevent you from finding a life partner

Van Epp recommends a three month probation period before getting serious about a relationship. Behaviorial patterns don’t surface until around the third month,  and they not only appear, but are recognized  as a pattern.

Ladies, realize your worth and demand it the next time you meet someone new.