A group of sad guys with a variety of unresolved issues pick up women. They make up their own slang and cobble together techniques loosely based on psychology as well as pseudo scientific bullshit.

Most of the books details them bitching and moaning about everything. It’s a tedious read. Needed a stricter editor. ( )

Definitely the best non-fiction book I have read so far. It did not however teach me anything about meeting women and is certainly not meant it. The book had a very solid structure and never felt directionless. Though the book ended properly, I still fear that most of the books in this genre cannot have reasonable endings (because "life goes on"), so I will still steer clear of non-fiction. ( )

See, I've been putting off reading this for a long time (even when I read all the other Neil Strauss books a couple of years back), because I knew this would happen. I would enjoy it, and now what? Now I'm a person who actually enjoys The Game of all fucking books. How do I live with myself?

Tbf, everyone sells this book as 'that book that teaches guys to be mean to women to get laid' and that's not really what it is. It's not surprising people think that, because it was sold to EVERYONE like that, and the author himself is extremely douchey about it in the beginning of the book. But that's the point, of course. You gotta pretend, you gotta get into it to really get to the bottom of what it's about.

And yes, parts of it is about negging and doing dumb shit, but when you get down to it, the PUAs have really only figured out three things: 1) women like to have sex almost as much as men, 2) if you actually talk to women about interesting things and don't creep on them all night your chances of having said sex will increase with 1000% percent and 3) ... okay I don't have a good third thing but point two is long enough to count. But really, that's all there is. Talk to women, give them space to breathe occassionally and take a chance and you're good to go. Oh wait, the third thing is confidence!! Act like people are gonna like you and they probably will.

It's not rocket science.

But ofc, these dudes can't leave it to that, because you can't take 1500 dollar per workshop by only selling those three points, so they add all the unnecessary shit, like long scripts, stupid clothing and magician acts because it's not a lifestyle if it's not dumb. And if it's a lifestyle and online, lonely dudes are gonna find it, and two years down the road you're gonna realize that you did get a lot of sex women but you also found yourself in the gigantic online group wank with a bunch of other dudes. You won't have made any lasting or interesting connections.

And that's the point everyone who shits on this book misses, that in the end Neil Strauss doesn't find his girlfriend by playing The Game. Yes, playing the game put them in each other's spheres, but that's how it is with life experiences, they will change you. But it wasn't negging or scripts or fancy hats that made them find each other, it was being social, interesting and real. It's not exactly subtle in the end, but of course, people want to have opinions.

Don't get me wrong, the book is gross in many ways, but not everything has to be pretty. Sometimes you meet some fucked up but interesting characters along the way, and that's a good story to read.

I would like to read a follow-up to this, not about hard it was for Neil Strauss to form lasting relationships afterwards like he did, but how this book has shaped the insane incel culture and male entitlement that is now rampant online. I have feeling those things are deeply linked. ( )

Psychologically horrifying, tastelessly taboo, yet 100% fascinating sociologically. This book is one of the ultimate epitomes of a book that you can't put down even though it disgusts you, and one that can help guys know which of their friends are misogynist jerks. Hint: anyone who recommends it for its message and tips, not its actual content. ( )

Dropped the book a few chapters in. The book reads messy and desperately needed an editor. From where I was in the book I couldn't tell of this was an endorsement for pickup artists or to mock them. ( )