As she questioned her motivations for her own marriage, she pondered women’s roles and options. Now back “out there” in the dating scene, she became keenly aware of the messages directed toward single women — messages that appeared disparaging and illogical, yet hailed from reliable sources such as the local bookstore’s self-help section. Drawing on the data of other academic researchers and firsthand accounts of many women, Anderson wrote It Just Hasn’t Happened Yet as an effort to provide a logical counter-message of encouragement.