Who got game?

I got game
she's got game
we got game
they got game
he got game
it might feel good
or sound a little somethin
but fuck the game if it ain't saying nothin

A little Public Enemy there for you. But, seriously, I just finished reading The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists. I know it's been out for a while but I saw it on my boyfriend's shelf a few months ago and my interest was immediately piqued; my boyfriend definitely does't seem the type who would read a manual on seducing and picking up women. He told me it was actually an interesting story so I would read a chapter here and there when I was at his place until it got to a point when I had to abduct the book and take it home.

As a woman, there were obviously times when I was enraged by the objectification and manipulation of women so rampant amongst the pickup artists (PUAs). However, my rage was joined by a feeling that this could never happen to me, that I am not like those other women. I'm sure this is a common sentiment amongst women reading this type of book (although I can't honestly say how true it is). As a journalist, I was so intrigued by Neil Strauss's years-long dedication to understanding and dominating this underground society and the witty yet poignant way in which he chronicles his experiences. He vividly paints the "peacocked" characters within the community while exploring the internal elements that make each PUA and, accordingly, each PUA's theory, so different.

It's shocking how intelligent and even brilliant so many of these master pickup artists are - I can only imagine what they could have achieved in other fields. But a central idea in the book is that, at it's prime, studying with the PUAs not only improved your chances with women but also opened you up socially in all areas of life. When it went well, these otherwise socially awkward, introverted men ended up more confident, more gregarious and more comfortable standing out in a crowd. When it went poorly, they became social robots unable to discuss or think about anything other than the game. In the end, this became so rampant that Strauss had to fuck the game.

Strauss alternates between a narrative of his experiences as a student and a master PUA, traveling around the world and living at Project Hollywood (PUA central in LA) and actual posts taken from the dominant medium of communication for PUAs - web forums. Having an interest in psychology and anthropology, this was definitely up my alley as a cultural exploration and a study in human nature. Overall, I give it a thumbs up.