RE: Master thread for my book Game
I don't know how anyone couldn't opt for the black and white one, it looks brilliant. Anyway...
OK, so I got a bit carried away. I do a lot of driving so wrote this in bits by taking notes as I listened. I’m writing the below as if I’m writing to anonymous potential customers, not to guys on the forum. Just a note as to my tone of voice etc.
First off, thanks for writing the book. It’s an excellent compendium of advice built from years and years of approaches, interactions, and relationships. This is not a political book, so therefore strays from what Roosh has written about more recently — though it does obviously lay out the political and cultural (smartphones, SJWism) changes that have altered the landscape considerably since the release of Bang, and as such the psychologies and strategies needed, both internally and externally, to improve your chances in 2018 and the coming years. He’s also honest that today is way worse than the years of Bang for sleeping with and dating women — in typical Roosh style it is full of sometimes depressing (but accurate) observations delivered in his dry-humoured, deadpan style. This is obviously more noticeable in the audiobook version, read by himself.
He goes over the evolution of game over time, as well as some funny anecdotes about his formative years (such as showing a virgin some hardcore porn in order to try and get her to loosen up… it failed). He also warns of doing game (once competent – which he classes as around 10 new girls from cold approach) for ego reasons rather than for healthy relationships. This is a time-worn 38/39 year old Roosh speaking from his own personal experience. He also reveals he has a 100+ notch count, which I believe is the first time he has said this publicly. The chapter on inner game/beliefs expands on some of the ego questions and might be incredibly informative to a beginner, but to anyone with intermediate game or familiarity with manosphere writing it’s fairly familiar stuff. There are self-help tidbits, but with his familiar neomasculine slant, and an interesting part about the power of autosuggestion/self-affirmations (most infamously used by Cus D’Amato to make Mike Tyson believe he was a living God). It’s a good chapter as it’s obvious you should always keep working on your internal game, no matter how long you’ve been aware of its importance.
The chapter on ‘Pre-Game’ was interesting, and something I’ve not seen in material by other well-respected game teachers. I’m not going to go into it here, you’ll need to buy the book yourself. It also made be laugh, since he discusses body hair at length (pun intended). It’s basically a section on how to optimise your look physically, and is a refreshing departure from the magic bullet ‘looks don’t matter at all’ spiel of some other game gurus.
The next chapter deals with what Roosh calls the three types of attraction:
• Pre-Minute (how she responds to your look and initial intro)
• Post Minute (how she responds to your stories and so on)
• Reputational (with the highest level being fame)
It’s in this section where I think a lot of his newer, perhaps younger readers who are used to him being a politics guy will have (if they didn’t already when he revealed he’s slept with over 100 women) a lightbulb moment of “oh yeah, he did actually make his name as a pick up artist, he really knows his stuff”. There’s an insecure v cocky thought patten sequence which would help a meeker guy starting out to begin to develop the attitude of a naturally confident man. To people who have followed his work or have been practically doing game before his forays into politics, a lot of the talk about ‘attraction triggers’ (confidence etc) and ‘attraction destroyers’ (being needy etc) are nothing new. But nevertheless, for a compendium of this nature, it’s important to include the basic game principle stuff — as well as his ‘Roosh Program’,* which is a step-by-step list of actions one must take to improve their dating prospects.
* I realised after writing the review that I’m not doing this chapter justice by simply mentioning that it exists. It’s very informative and far more expansive than his original blog post of the same name — with references to specific resources and materials (weight lifting books to help instruct correct techniques and comedy shows to improve your verbal dexterity) to guide you on your way.
The first half (technically first third because the approach/dating chapters are enormous) of the book, while interesting to listen to due to my familiarity with the author, is definitely aimed more at beginners — a category I don’t personally fall into. Which is fine, as it’s a very long book, and the later parts are definitely aimed at more experienced guys who want to refine/expand on what they already know. I just want to point out, that despite my apparent ‘criticism’ of these first five or six chapters being aimed at beginners, it’s not a negative — I’m absolutely confident they would find these invaluable. I’m just writing a review from my own perspective as someone who has been in the niche for some time and am used to the theories, methodologies, and most importantly (as he says himself in the ‘Roosh Program’ chapter), their practical application. If you’re new to this, this book — for the first half alone — is a must have.
The approaching and dating chapters are enormous and packed with info (the approach one alone is over 3 hours) — way too much for me to condense into this without it becoming an essay. There are the expected observations on changing dynamics, combined with in-depth instructional guidance. I listened to the approach chapter while driving to and from work over a couple of days and there’s so much info in there… from basic stuff for ‘newbies’, to more intermediate guys who want to work out where things might be going wrong here and there. It’s evident he’s been doing this an awfully long time, and even though I don’t like bars/nightclubs, it’s still good to have these strategies and psychological affirmations in my head should I find myself in such venues. It’s definitely a book that can be re-read/re-listened to, and referred back to like one might do with a textbook after a tricky exam. It's got good advice on daytime target selection, and his indirect daygame is excellent — he's probably the best as it out of the big name pick-up guys. His "girl voice", when playing out scenarios is hilarious. He's basically updated and refined Day Bang, cutting out what he now deems unnecessary, and adding what he feels is finer tuned. For beginners, he provides scripted lines, but encourages improving improvisational skills and being rather than acting.
His night game is similar to the 'direct game' of a famous direct-only PUA (you can probably guess who I'm referring to), and his associates, where it's actually more a sort of 'indirect-direct'... not opening with "Hi, you're hot", but an observation that's obvious you're hitting on the girl without going as far as to say it. "You look like X", "Your leather coat makes you seem Y", "The way you walked made me think of Z" etc. Which evolved from the earlier "I saw you and thought you looked nice" school of thought from years past. It’s interesting that Roosh doesn’t think this is as optimal during the day (he actually says so in the book), as it’s very similar to what he himself describes as his own direct daygame style. I.E Making an observation rather just throwing out a compliment etc. Despite coming from more of a UK-style ‘direct daygame’ background (though a little out of practice), it’s always interesting to listen to Roosh’s differing perspective, and I’m definitely going to experiment with ‘indirect’ again as a result of the book.
This would be my where my first genuine criticism of the book would come, it’s obviously heavily based on his life abroad, unlike Bang which was based on his DC experiences. So, Game may not be quite as relatable to Anglosphere-residing readers, since the hooks he often uses are based around him being not from there (though he says you can apply this to not coming from a particular US city for example), and some of his openers are based on his presumptions on a girl’s English levels. Nevertheless, it’s a minor gripe when weighed against the overall quality of the work as a whole. Later in the book, he uses examples of American girls, and offering to drive girls home, so this makes up for it to some extent. And, ultimately, present-day Polish girls aren’t a world away from American girls — a smartphone is a smartphone and a dating app a dating app.
Roosh’s text/messaging advice is great, and basically a great template to work from. Plus, there's some good tips like the 'flake defence'... and I'll certainly be sure never to say the phrase "let me know", ever again. Having been on the end of some of the things he talks about throughout these sections (haven't we all), it's always good to hear similar war stories and/or helpful hints to avoid (or at least lessen the chances) of it happening in the future. He also provides a helpful conversation framework, though again encourages you to craft your own. The sections on qualifications and teasing are awesome, and contain several laugh out loud moments as Roosh plays out conversation scenarios. To fellow readers, I’ll just say “foodie”, “soft marshmallow”, and “feel the power of my beard”. As in the approach section, there are lines for you to memorise should you be new to this, but even if you are, he encourages improvisation and self-authenticity, rather than mimicry. And he gives you extensive tips on how to achieve this.
There’s a chapter on sex /getting over last minute resistance... but I shall not be going into that here. I’ll just say it’s hilariously graphic (if you’ve read Poosy Paradise, you’ll be used to the type of language). Joking aside, towards the end of the chapter, there are some important points about sexual value, overcoming obstacles, navigating past the first date if you’re not initially successfully, as well as the beginnings of a more regular and or/serious sexual relationship. Throughout the book, I realised that Roosh's personality is a lot more similar to mine than other people who write this kind of material, which is why I'm eager to listen and implement the things he discusses.
The dating, and relationship chapters were most interesting and valuable for my current goals in life, and my level of game. While I’m competent at dates and so on, there were a few great ideas Roosh lays out that hadn’t crossed my mind before. The relationship chapter discusses the constant value battles that occcur in the beginning of particular flings or relationships, and I’m sure many readers will have found themselves in that situation of “I’ve ‘got’ the girl, now I can drop the game”… only for her to lose interest (attraction) incredibly quickly. If you haven’t learned your lesson, Roosh lays it down impeccably (though he does say, once in a 6 month+ relationship, if the real you sprinkled with a bit of game isn't enough.. then it's her problem and she can "fuck off", I agree). He explores not just building foundations, but building a life, how to maintain attraction well into a relationship, as well as ensuring you keep to your standards/boundaries. Some of it I thought was overly strict/critical, but he says that one may think that in the book. It’s the most serious chapter and one I really made sure to pay close attention to. Especially about how to set standards and show what you expect by critiquing her friends to her.
Following an overall and fitting conclusion, itself a great chapter in and of itself (albeit short, but it’s a conclusion so it’s rightfully succinct), there’s two bonus chapters based on social-circle game, as well as ‘love tourism’. I won’t go into any detail as I’m wary this is over 2200 words and certainly overly long for an Amazon review. I'll just say they're very worthy additions to what was a highly enjoyable listen, and I'll miss listening to this on my way to work and back.
The second half of the book was my favourite for the reasons laid out earlier in the review. Game is very densely packed, but as I had the audiobook I don’t know how it compares in physical size compared to other books in the genre. That said, its price point, when one considers the sheer wealth of information contained within, is incredibly reasonable compared to other stuff that’s out there. [Forum note: I suspect so based on Roosh’s usual pricing strategy on previous releases]
I highly recommend this book not just as a manual, but as an excellent overview of male-female dynamics in the current age. Being in my early-mid thirties and wanting to settle down fairly soon, much of the observations and concerns Roosh talks about I found highly relatable. So whether you’re an 18 year old who’s simply trying to meet a few girls because you’re frustrated at university, or you’re 38 and are looking for a younger, attractive, pleasant partner (or you’re somewhere in between, and I don’t mean age – I mean goals), I can almost guarantee you’ll find considerable value in Game. It’s also full of dry humour, which is sometimes laugh out loud funny, and you’ll want to re-read sections of it to properly remember certain tips and strategies. It’s Roosh’s final book on the topic, and possibly his magnum opus (as of now), but he’s got 20 years minimum of writing left, so I look forward to seeing where he goes next.
Conclusion: 9/10 WB (Would Buy).
Roosh: please let me know via PM if you’d like me to condense this so it’s maybe easier for amazon customers to read, if you think I’m being unfair with any critique etc, or if you’re happy as it is (and on which sites to post). Cheers mate, and thanks for letting me review the book.
If you've never met a forum member - I'll assume you're lying
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