Summary
Strauss stumbles across the community while working on an article.[3] Intrigued by the subculture, he starts participating in the online discussion groups, mainly out of frustration with his own romantic life. As he becomes more and more involved in the romantic community, Strauss attends a bootcamp conducted by a man identified only as “Mystery.” The bootcamp consists of Strauss and other participants approaching women, and then Mystery and his counterpart Sinn giving them corrective advice on their behaviors, body language, and what to say. Strauss learns habits that, as he sees it, are often basic — and should have been taught to him by society in the first place.
The book then narrates the journey of how Strauss goes through the stages of becoming a pickup artist, description about members of the community and how Strauss befriends many of them, particularly Mystery. A good deal of the book focuses on how to obtain the elusive upper hand, or just hand, in a relationship. Strauss advocates various methods — mostly from the point of view of heterosexual men. He offers further guidelines for the process of seduction, which include preparing things to say before going out and telling groups of women surreptitiously impressive stories. He also uses “false time constraints” (a reason that the conversation could end very soon) to put the woman of interest in a situation where she must convince the man she is interesting, discusses how to very slowly increase the amount of physical contact, and more.
Strauss tells the story of his success, the spreading of the romantic community itself, and his life at “Project Hollywood,” a high-end mansion and a lifestyle plan shared by Strauss, Mystery, Playboy, Papa, Tyler Durden, Herbal, and other members of the seduction community. He details how rivalries and animosity between members of the community lead to Project Hollywood’s collapse and documents the start of “Real Social Dynamics” with Tyler Durden and Papa. By the end of his story, Strauss concludes that a life of nothing but picking up women is “for losers,” and he advocates incorporating pickup artist methods into a more balanced life.
Strauss mentions his experiments with sleeping habits, personal grooming tips, and encounters with celebrities such as Scott Baio, Tom Cruise, Andy Dick, Paris Hilton, Courtney Love, Dennis Rodman, and Britney Spears.
According to Strauss, the clandestine society of men he describes here take wagers in clubs and bars throughout the Western world over just who can chalk up the most Casanova-like quantities of pickups and seductions. But this isn't merely for the thrill of an army of sexual conquests -- all of this is coded and organised according to an almost military-style ritual, with an elaborate series of rules and regulations that the participants rigorously follow. Strauss went undercover in this glamorous world, and learned the secrets of these top-drawer seducers. But, for him, there was a useful corollary affect: Strauss found himself transformed from a nerdish, unconfident journalist into a silver-tongued Lothario, quite the equal of many of the ladykilling males he had been enjoying the company of. For him, the ultimate accolade was being noted The World's Number One Pickup Artist -- and then he made the mistake of setting his sights on a woman who could give every bit as good as she got.
The world of excess presented here is not one most of us move in, but (if the truth were told) it has its irresistible attractions. Strauss wheels in such celebrities as Tom Cruise and Courtney Love, and this unblushing peek into a secret world where sex and seduction are treated with cool scientific detachment is mesmerisingly readable. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reviews:
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, 18 Oct 2011
By Imogen
Format:Paperback
By Mr. E. Goody
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is primal a chat up / pick up book but if you delve beneath the surface the technics are useful in everyday life like getting a job. It is all about making someone like you without them realising you are controlling the situation. I am far to old now to be chatting up your ladies but I am sure it would have some effects and even if you don't end up together (for life) it is a good way of making new female friends. Not sure it works the other way round, maybe men are to thick?
Why not give it a read?
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