If ever there was a man to adhere to the policy of “Do as I say, not as I do,” he is Neil Strauss, notorious pickup artist and author of the book “The Rules of the Game.”
After being tutored by VH1 pickup artist Mystery, Strauss wrote a book specifically designed to enable the reader to win the affection of any woman he desires. It sounds sleazy, but this is where it gets tricky — it really isn’t.
The first part of the book is a 30-day course on becoming adept at “openers,” “hooks” and “loops” so that by the end, you can meet women and dazzle them with your skills.
What this course actually is, though, is a self-help book meant to make a man more self-confident. The skills pitched by Strauss work for any situation. They are designed to make you a better conversationalist, more interesting to be around and more comfortable with yourself. The picking-up-women aspect is almost secondary.
While the book’s not entirely sleazy, the tools Strauss forces you to earn (and he does make you earn them) can be used for good as well as evil. The book warns, “With great power comes great responsibility,” and though the line may be cheesy, the second and third sections of the book make its relevance apparent.
It’s up to the reader how literally to take everything this book proposes. It is undoubtedly full of ideas and practices that can help men overcome their insecurities and shyness when it comes to encountering the opposite sex. For anyone struggling in these areas, the book is recommended.
That said, it also serves to caution that there should be a balance between following the proposed script on its pages and allowing one’s personality to shine through.
“The Rules of the Game” is incredibly interesting. Just follow Strauss’ words more than his actions.
Pickup artist's book aims to increase male self-confidence in social settings
'Rules' does more than simply increase reader's ability to talk to women
Published: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Updated: Thursday, November 19, 2009
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