This may be one of the strangest emails I’ve sent out since
starting this list. So what I’m going to do before the next Igniter
book comes out is start a separate list for those of you interested
in the books I’m publishing, so we can focus on my own books and
our related topics and events here.

Before I make this announcement, I also want to give you a free
chapter from the Bozo the Clown book, The Man Behind the Nose.
Unlike my books, the Igniter books are not for everyone. They
reflect different sides of my interests, and having grown up on
Bozo the Clown in Chicago, it has really made my life come full
circle to work with Larry Harmon and make his last inspirational
dream a reality.

I’m also excited about the design of the actual book, which was
done by the same team that did Emergency, who turned Bozo into the
perfect gift book. So enjoy these free pages as my gift to you:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=MWsoB&m=1bPBRN3vB3e9yr&b=Skd_uyAfBSt5t0Ht6u5tbQ
(right-click to download)

In the meantime, I’m going to be appearing at a few of the unusual
events we have planned for this when it’s released on Tuesday.
Please join me:

BOZO THE CLOWN 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Featuring Bozo the Clown, the Grand Prize Game, and a Proclamation
from Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, sponsored by The Museum of
Broadcast Communications
CHICAGO
Tuesday, August 17th at 7:30 p.m.
Borders Books
830 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611,
312-573-0564

BOZO’S NATIONAL PIE THROWING COMPETITION
Featuring Bozo the Clown and a lot of pies
LOS ANGELES
Sunday, August 22 at 4:00pm
Book Soup
818 Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310-659-3110

——————————————————————

Here are some of the other events planned. Please note that I
will not be appearing at these:

COLUMBUS, OHIO
Featuring Bozo the Clown and the National Pie Throwing Competition
Wednesday, September 1 at 7:00pm
Barnes & Noble
1739 Olentangy River Road
Columbus, OH 43212

CLEVELAND, OHIO
Featuring Bozo the Clown, the National Pie Throwing Competition,
and a special classic Bozo Show screening
Thursday, September 2 at 5:30pm
Joseph Beth Booksellers
24519 Cedar Road (in Lyndhurst)

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI
Wednesday, September 15 at 5:00pm
Featuring Bozo co-author (and Stylelife coach) Thomas Scott McKenzie
Square Books
160 Courthouse Square
Oxford, MS 38655

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY
Featuring Bozo co-author (and Stylelife coach) Thomas Scott McKenzie
Thursday, September 16 at 7:00pm
Joseph Beth Booksellers
161 Lexington Green
Lexington, KY 40503

PITTSBURGH, PA
Featuring Bozo the Clown and the National Pie Throwing Competition
Saturday, September 18 (time t.b.a.)
Joseph Beth Booksellers
510 South 27th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Stay tuned for events in New York, Boston, and the national
pie-throwing championship at the Paley Center.

Note that all events are free to attend. However, to participate in
the Bozo Pie Throwing Competition, which is a charity event to
support Bozo for Books (Bozo’s world literacy program), bring
either five new or used books or a $20 donation, which will be used
to provide classroom materials for schools in need.

Enjoy the free chapter, and to answer the questions I’ve been
getting, the new book I’ve been working on for the last year
finally comes out in January–and I have a very special and
extensive tour planned. You all, of course, will be the first
ones to get the details…

Best,
Neil

P.S. A note for Emergency readers: A new country has just announced
that it will be selling citizenships: Montenegro. A beautiful
place I first went to with Marko (of “long showers” fame), though
not historically the safest. And the price tag is very very steep.

P.P.S. A note for Game readers: I’ll be doing my annual seminar on
the subject in London in November this year. I’ll also be doing a
lecture at the University of Oxford around the same time. Stay
tuned for details.

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Thanks for all the great international field reports in response to
the last email. I will collect them into a “part two” email at some
point in the future.

But today, I have something exciting to share: the publication of
the second Igniter book, which comes out next week–Tuesday,
August 17th.

If you were sickened by The Last Living Slut, then you’re going to love
this book. There are no drugs, no rock and roll bands, and only one sex
scene. It’s a beautiful, inspirational book about a man who believed that
with a little hard work and inspiration, anything was possible. He ran for
President, tamed cannibals, trained with NASA, and was beloved by over
200 million TV viewers.

His name is Bozo the Clown (aka Larry Harmon). And his book, The Man
Behind the Nose, was actually co-written by one of my original coaches,
Thomas Scott McKenzie, who’s been with Stylelife since we first offered
it for free to those of you on this list.

So in honor of the book’s publication, I wanted to reprise an email I sent
out two years ago when I received some tragic news about one of my
childhood heroes:

————————————————————-
LIFE LESSONS FROM BOZO THE CLOWN
————————————————————-

I’m writing because, today, I lost a good friend, Larry Harmon.
Larry passed away this morning at the age of 83.

Larry was best known for having portrayed Bozo the Clown for 50
years, while franchising the character across the globe. We had
planned to publish a book on his life, The World According to Bozo,
to kick off a publishing company I recently started with Anthony
Bozza, a fellow Rolling Stone writer.

Like millions of other children, I’d grown up with Bozo the Clown.
Since his first appearance on TV in 1949, and for every decade
afterward, he has held a virtual media monopoly on clowndom.
Practically every famous clown since, from Ronald McDonald to
Krusty the Clown, would not exist without him.

When I first sat down with Larry Harmon to talk about his book, I
expected to hear a tale of hardship and decadence. I thought this
would be a book about the frown behind the smile.

But I was wrong. Because Larry was Bozo. And Bozo was Larry.
There was not a frown behind the smile, but simply another smile.

For three hours over dinner, Larry regaled me with stories of
speaking with John F. Kennedy weeks before his assassination; of
running for president himself, during which two assassination
attempts were made on his life; of choreographing a dance routine
with Fred Astaire; of training for space flights at NASA; of
decorating Clark Gable’s house; of searching for the cannibals of
New Guinea who allegedly consumed Vice President Nelson
Rockefeller’s son; and even more incredible tales.

Just when I began to believe he was making some of these stories
up, Larry pulled out photographic evidence. And, sure enough, there
was Bozo in full clown makeup in New Guinea with a tribe of
cannibals.

But what struck me about Larry wasn’t just the stories. It was who
he was as a human being.

As he spoke, Larry’s face was red with excitement, his energy
boundless, his smile unceasing, his patience superhuman, his
perspective on life bright and sunny. I’d never met a happier,
more energetic, more enthusiastic 83-year old. On my birthday,
he left a greeting on my answering machine in his Bozo voice,
because he knew it would thrill me. And this wasn’t unusual for
him: anyone who recognized him - and anyone who didn’t - was
treated to a full Bozo show. The waitresses stopped at our table
constantly that first night just to hear his stories, which Larry,
wearing a plastic Bozo watch, was only too happy to tell
again.

As long as he was making someone smile, Larry was happy. And
I told myself, when I grow up, I want to be just like Bozo.

Why? Because if, like Larry, you always see the best in yourself,
the best in others, and the best in the world around you, you will
not only be much happier than those who hold the opposite view,
but you will radiate a warmth and charisma that will preserve your
youth and attract others more effectively than the priciest plastic
surgery. In Larry’s own words, the best way to live is to “just keep
laughing.”

Some believe fresh air, exercise, and a balanced diet is the
secret to a longer, healthier, happier life. Others believe in
botox and face lifts. I believe in Bozo.

Larry Harmon, thank you for making this world a better place.

—————————————————-

Thanks to the efforts of Scott and Larry’s widow, Susan, we managed to
complete his book from his notes and interview transcripts.

This is the final Igniter release of the year, so thanks for supporting
my efforts to get the work of new and first-time writers out in the
bookstores where they belong, and to help the last dreams of
cultural pioneers like Larry Harmon come true.

In a few days, I’m going to announce the Man Behind the Nose book
signings, which will feature appearances from the new Bozo the Clown
and myself (as well as pie-throwing contests and a chance to play the
Grand Prize Game). After that, we will return to our regularly scheduled
programming on this list. Lots of exciting things going on.

In the meantime, just keep laughing…

Best,
Neil
“People may have cultural, economic, and political differences, but at the
core of our being, we really are all the same . . . Joy, laughter, and human
bonding–the tools we use to relate to one another–are as universal as a
head, hands, and feet.”

-Larry Harmon, aka Bozo the Clown, 1926 - 2009

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As usual, I’ve gone too far: I spent the last week compiling field
reports from around the world for you all. Yes, this email is
monstrously long, but print it out or read it on your phone: it’s
pretty fascinating.

I’m writing it because, first of all, I promised. And secondly
because one of the most frustrating questions I get asked by
the media when traveling to promote international editions of
The Game is: “Sure, this works on American women, but it
wouldn’t work on women in this country.”

And I’ll look around the café or the hotel lobby where we’re
having the interview, and at the men and women sitting there, and
it will look almost the exact same as a hotel or café everywhere
else in the world. Then I’ll recall going out and teaching workshops
on five different continents, and how the same techniques and
theories applied. In fact, the popularity of the game seems to
actually be greater per capita in countries like Sweden and the
U.K. than America.

The truth is, anywhere in the world, a man who’s seen as
needy and desperate and weak and insecure is not attractive.

Just because someone drew a border somewhere on a map doesn’t
mean that the people on either side of it are a completely different
species. We are 99.99 percent the same, yet we have this habit of
focusing on the .01 percent that’s different and blowing it out of
proportion. That is how wars get started.

So, in the interest of global dating peace, here are just a few of the many
field reports I collected from readers in cities where one wouldn’t
necessarily expect to find PUAs. I’ve focused mainly on Muslim cultures
and African countries, since (outside of places like South Africa and
Dubai where there are large PUA communities), there are established
scenes and lairs almost everywhere else. I remember a student at a
book signing telling me there were four separate lairs in India.

So enjoy the briefings below. And feel free to send in sarging reports
from your home country for a future installment of…

———————————————————-
SARGING AROUND THE WORLD
———————————————————-

LAHORE, PAKISTAN

“There are a few opinion openers that I use, such as ‘who lies more
men or women,’ ‘what do you think of eyeliner on men,’ and ‘I need
a few good ideas for baby girl names.’ And I have developed my own
“Atif Aslam opener.” It’s similar to the David Bowie Opener.
Peacocking is also a great way to get attention or approached by
girls: spiked emo hair, black nails, a piercing, or an unusual tie.

“Keep in mind these are all opener for day game because the
nightclubs in Pakistan are high-class membership clubs. I have
found that art galleries are one of the most target-rich areas for
sarging. Sheesha or hookah cafes are also great places for cold
approaches.”

–”Lahori Casanova”

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

“Me and my best friend Psymon first started reading and practicing
the art of pick up two years ago when my older brother bought a
copy of the Double Your Dating ebook. Then I found and read a ton
of Bandler and Grinder NLP books and got a hold of the Speed
Seduction ebook, and hypnotized a certain chick (she’s still
stalking me now). Then I acquired The Game. Since then,
Psymon and I reinvented ourselves, downloaded a whole lot of
books on magic, and have taken peacock effect to a whole new
level. I quit drinking and wanking too. I went sarging this weekend
and now have 5 or 6 more girls phoning me (only after one
weekend!). I think the Mystery Method is the best PUA strategy
there is because it makes full use of social dynamics and is
totally under the radar (so resistance is minimal). I’m sure the
community hasn’t heard many (if any) sarging expeditions from
Zambia, so maybe we could network a bit, eh?”

–”Wolf”

RABAT, MOROCCO

“Rabat is a Moroccan city, then a Muslim city. This explains the
fact that most seduction sessions are limited by the religious
side. But people have recently begun to detach from the ethical
side to join what I would call globalization. I mainly practice on
girls bigger than me, since I’m only sixteen. I remark that the
techniques work well, since I’ve become popular because of this.
I want to reiterate that I am a good Muslim, but that also does
not prevent me from improving my life.”

 –”Black-soul”

After this email, Black-soul sent a field report that began with
him telling a female friend at a cafe, “I bet I’ve changed, and I can
seduce girls.” She pointed out two women walking in the street,
who he approached and pretended to know, then started throwing
challenges at them. When they shit tested him back and told him
he was too young, he flipped it around. In the end, they conceded
that he was “mature” and gave him their contact information in
front of his “baffled” friend.

LAGOS, NIGERIA

“Do you know you have followers in Africa? Nigeria, to be precise.
There are boys who visit me almost on a daily basis to read the
emails and newsletters you dispatch. People where you live have
money to buy books and attend seminars, but here it’s the crumbs
that fall from the master’s table we feed on. Mind you, it’s not only
helping me when it comes to women. It’s affecting all aspects of my
life.”

–Chidi

HAVANA, CUBA

“I’ve seen several seduction techniques and I’ve applied some of
them here. Here are some advices for sarging in Cuba: if you go
to a disco, bar, or club, you must peacock a lot if you want to
have great results. Women here give a tremendous value to how
the man looks (not physically, but the way he dresses). In more
informal situations, you may prefer to use David DeAngelo’s
cocky funny.  Guys aren’t so smart here in the sarging field.
Most of them just yell at the girl, ‘God, you are so hot, can I
marry you today?’ and stupid things like that. So it’s very good
for PUAs.”

–GDC

TEHRAN, IRAN

“Most of your material is practical and efficient here, but we’ve
got a gift here, which is restrictions of very intimate public
interactions between non-married males and females due to
religious beliefs. This is a great gift because it makes women
crave for men, which makes the game a lot easier and different
in some aspects! And I most assure you, we’ve got quite amazing
HBs over here, especially in Tehran. This country is not as bad
as what international propaganda says about it.”

–”Prince”

Another PUA in Iran, Symphony, wrote a separate email echoing
Prince’s sentiments and adding, “There are no clubs and bars here,
only house parties. The thing that works best here is the neg. I
shared my knowledge with some of my friends here and they
went nuts. They overdo it because it really works.”

And just in case you don’t believe Iran is a hotbed for pickup, one
more PUA wrote in, Asin, who said he sarged malls and private
parties. He described seeing a girl at a party, stealing her seat
using the move in the book, and then giving a time constraint.
This was followed by the ESP test (she picked 3 and then 7–
just like it works everywhere else). They danced, and just as they
were connecting, he did a takeaway. When he came back, he gave
her the trust test, received numerous IOIs, isolated, negged,
qualified to recover from the neg, and then did the Mystery kiss
close and made out with her.

HARARE, ZIMBABWE

“I’m from Zimbabwe, and I have used a lot of your techniques,
especially for the approaching and the negs. I was out walking late
one night and spotted an HB7, and she gave me her phone number.
That was the first time I overcame my fear of approaching. I am
going through a divorce and when I discovered the PUA community,
it changed my life.”

–M.B.

BEIRUT, LEBANON

“Girls here are no big different from girls abroad, and I can play
that for my benefit more because no guys as unique as PUAs
approach them. I still have a lot to learn, but girls always confess
that I’m different than all the other guys, and that’s because I’ve
changed and improved my personality into an alpha male who knows
how to play the game. For girls here, they are really used to the
barrage of boring guys approaching with, ‘What do you do?’ or
‘You’re pretty’ or some stupid joke. They’ve never met a PUA
character, so when i approach, they totally get into me, because
I’m playing the game!”

–”Raymond”

Raymond also shared a field report from the mall, where he
approached with an opinion opener (”who lies more”), followed
with a DHV (”ring finger routine”) and a disqualifier (”if they put
us in the same room, we’d kill each other; I shouldn’t be talking
to you right now”) to which she replied, “No, stop it, you seem
different.” They met at a bar a few days later, made out at the
bar, and ended up having sex in her car.

SHANGHAI, CHINA

“I think this game goes well in China. We have a website for pick
up fans to communicate there. Chinese people like to learn all the
techniques. We have Chinese version of The Game, Mystery Method,
Double your Dating, etc. To be honest, Chinese girls are easy to
pick up once you learn to be funny and talkative. It’s less of a
challenge now, so I started picking up foreigners–Korean, Japanese,
American. And now I prefer a steady relationship. Shanghai is the
best for The Game. I work as a model agent, so there are models
around me everyday. I’m kind of tired of beautiful girls.”

–”Travis”

TUNIS, TUNISIA

“As you know, Tunisia is a small country in North Africa. The girls
are kinda hot here, depending on where you go. The most significant
technique from the game is negs. As soon as PUAs open here, they
neg, and that works like heaven. Storytelling with DHVs is also an
important aspect in the seduction process. And finally a phone
number exchange, and a call in one or two days to set up the next
meeting. This field report is of my last cold approach and the
girl became my girlfriend now…”

–”Code”

Code goes on to describe a conversation he was having in the metro
with his wing. They like to talk about the Game in English, so no
one knows what they’re talking about. Their conversation got very
raunchy. When his friend left, he writes that he “noticed a cute
little girl with a dark hair, dark brown eyes and sexy thin
athletic body.” He opened with a situational opener, and she
started challenging him on his raunchy conversation with
his friend, because she’d understood it. But he stood his ground,
added some lines from the game (plus a line he’d heard from a TV
show), and, as he writes, “the conversation started to sparkle
between us.” They talked for so long that he missed his stop. She
had advised him to listen to a song, so he told her, “If I like the
song I will call you and tell you what I think. If I don’t, I won’t call.”
Evidently he liked the song, because she is now his girlfriend.

NAIROBI, KENYA

“First, the PUA scene here in Nairobi is alive alright, but not in
any formal way or organization. It’s more of individuals or wings
going out. The other thing is that it’s more perfected by women.
Picture this: There are females who actually go out almost on a
daily basis to clubs and social scenes, hook up guys who will foot
their great time there and sometimes part with money for the girl
to take care of herself until they meet again. A number of men
here are suckers over and over again, so it’s good to be a PUA.”

–”Oppenheimer”
JAKARTA, INDONESIA

“First of all I would like to congratulate the fact that your work
has reached halfway across the world where I live. Your book
has opened my eyes and changed my world. I would totally be
classified as an AFC before (perhaps a bit now as well), even
though I am not bad looking and not an idiot. With The Game,
somehow I have realized my mistakes. I now know full well my
strengths and weaknesses and how to utilize each of them. I have
never dreamed of becoming a player or a part of some sexual
escapade: all I wanted was for myself to be ready and prepared
when someone special does come along. And I was able to get
the best looking girl in the known social circle as my girlfriend
by applying some points you described in the book, such as
neg hits, body language, etc.”

–M.B.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA

“Your book The Game in certain circles is quite popular and
widespread in Russia. For example, when the book appeared in
Moscow on sale through major booksellers, I decided to buy it
and was greeted with empty shelves. There was only one left and
I bought it quickly. Even though immediately after the release of the
book, many people independently translated the book into Russian.
Recently, it has become so known that some girls when meeting
directly ask, ‘Are you a pick up artist?’ This was facilitated by the
crowd and newcomers who took greedily to the materials and
screamed from each corner, ‘I am a pick up artist!’”

–”Mons”

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE

“Mozambique is a really poor country. More than half of my country
lives on less then one US dollar a day. What you have taught to me
and all the other guys here is worth all the extreme consideration
and appreciation in the world. It’s not just the women, it’s a
lifestyle. It was wonderful last week when I did the evolution
phase shift, and I was talking about animals and evolution. She
enjoyed listening to it and because she did, she let me know that
by giving me a kiss. Isn’t that just awesome?!”

–Kiúri

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD

“Trinidad does not have a community per se, but strangely enough I
have found men who know about the methods. Your knowledge has
reached our shores, and definitely not just by words of my mouth.
Trinidad, and the Caribbean in general, is much more laid back and
relaxed. I’d argue you probably can get by with just the bare
essentials. But truth be told, rather that just getting by on your
natural charm, luck, or really just being a fairly good conversationalist,
it’s nice to have techniques in your back pocket that work and a proper
understanding of why they do. I always love using the five questions
game. And just last night I had a girl asking me if I could remember
what I asked her group the first time we met. It was your Five Oceans
opener. This was nine months ago btw, and she still couldn’t get
over it!”

–”Easy”

KAMPALA, UGANDA

I’m from Uganda and it’s just fascinating and inspirational what
you have taught. I’m meeting some Eritrean babe in a few and just
told her to wear women’s shoes this time (neg). I met her at a fast
food joint, and in fifteen minutes had her number. I had successfully
done the cube…absolute magic man. Started a small group of
friends that are good with this material. Basically we are about 10
good friends and we are building on where you put us.

–G.W.

I think the point has been made: When it comes down to it, people
are people. So no more excuses from those of you hesitant to say
hello to the women of your dreams because you feel your city or
hometown is unique or challenging or somehow the exception
to the rule.

And next time someone from the press asks me if this is just an
L.A. or American phenomenon, I’m handing them this email…

Enjoy and talk soon,
Neil

P.S. Now if we can just get that North Korean PUA community going…

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We have a lot of catching up to do.

First of all, I just got back in town today. Was interviewing Lady Gaga
for Rolling Stone. I’ll let you know when the issue comes out. (Funnily
enough, she confessed to using some of the techniques in The Game
to seduce men.) Then went to St. Kitts to prepare things for what looks
like a rough hurricane season.

Anyway, I wanted to write to thank you all for supporting The Last
Living Slut, the first book published on Igniter. It’s been rough
with the book (which–to clarify things–is a memoir written by
Roxana Shirazi and NOT by myself in any way) due to its
controversial cover and content.

As you know, I promised a free seminar open to those who helped
IF the memoir hit The New York Times bestseller list. Although it
didn’t make the list (at least not yet), it had a remarkable first week
for a book by a first-time author, according to our “bosses” at It
Books. And that was largely thanks to all of you.

Thus, even though one particular milestone wasn’t reached, I believe
that no good deed should go “unpunished.”

So here’s what I’ve decided to do: For all those who supported
The Last Living Slut in any way (whether through blogging about
it, reviewing it, status-updating about it, or simply buying a copy),
I’m going to do a free teleseminar just…because. So many
of you did so many cool things, I’d like to show my appreciation
through this “backup” reward.

I get hundreds of email a day that I don’t have time to answer, so
on the teleseminar, you’ll be able to ask me those questions. The
great thing about speaking instead of emailing is that not only
will your voice and tonality tell me so much more about you than
your typing, but we’ll be able to have a little back-and-forth
interaction to make sure your problem gets solved. Often, I find,
people ask the wrong questions, and the issue or sticking point
they really need to resolve is buried a little deeper.

So give me a week or two to set up a teleseminar with an operator
who can handle all the questions and a webpage where you can
submit a photograph or a receipt or something proving whatever
action you’ve taken to support the book, and I’ll announce the date
and details.

Cool?

For those of you who live outside of L.A. and missed the book
release party at the Rainbow Bar & Grill (a venue some of you
may remember from The Dirt), it went so fantastically that we’re
going to need a bigger space for the next book party. Fortunately,
the bouncer there was actually a Game fan, so was cool with the
spillover. Though a Reuters piece was killed because–guess what–
the editors found the book too obscene, the LA Weekly did a little
coverage of the affair:

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/nightranger/tk—too-fast-for-love–slutty/

Anyway, to wrap up, it’s really exciting to be publishing books I
believe in. And I’m proud to say that two of you who got an
opportunity through this very mailing list are currently under
contract and writing books for Igniter. So stay tuned.

In the next week or two, I will send details for the teleseminar for
those who helped out. In addition, I’m going to throw something
else special into the next email that I’ve been talking about.
As you know, the Game has had a fascinating ripple effect,
and just last week I received a “field report” about the PUA
scene in…Nairobi. So I’m going to share that with you all as
well.

Thanks again.

Talk Soon,
Neil

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So, funnily enough, when I sent out the email last week asking for
volunteers to help get the word out about The Last Living Slut by
Roxana Shirazi, the response was so great that I actually had to
get even MORE volunteers in to go through your ideas with me.

I wish I’d done this for my own books

There were so many cool ideas that in addition to selecting six
winners, there are going to be about twenty runners-up. You will
all be notified this week, and arrangements will be made to send
you the six numbered galleys, party invite, or your runner-up
prize.

Before I tell you the winners, I just want to say: This is amazing.
Literally, it is so hard for a first-time author to get published
and to find an audience, even if the book is as shocking and
decadent and controversial as this, and if everyone does his
or her part, we just might make this happen.

SO…THE WINNERS ARE:

-Tiago, who has gotten his school cheerleading team to agree to
wear skimpy outfits, temporary tattooes of the book title, and go
to local Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores to promote the
book and get email addresses of potential readers. He even talked
to the managers of the stores to get permission to basically hold a
promotional “slut” party in the parking lot.

-Luka, who will be getting reviews and articles out about the book
on some major blogs and networks, in addition to creating and
distributing wallpapers, posters, tutorials, fonts, photoshop brush
packs, blog templates and website templates to all the top online
communities, where he already has a large following.

-Nick, who distributes liquor to the bars and clubs in Washington,
D.C. and will be creating drink specials and original cocktails
promoting the book. (And then sharing the recipes with all of us
here.)

-Larry, who, in addition to being an NLP expert, is one of the top
reviewers for a major book website, and will sharing his
honest feelings on not just that website, but dozens of others.

-Nate, who works in a leading bookstore and will be creating and
distributing free bookmarks promoting The Last Living Slut to all
his customers (except for minors and nuns).

-And Rich, who has a mailing list of 77 million names and email
addresses that he is going to promote the book on. it’ll be The
Last Living Spam.

The runners up include everyone from bloggers to guerrilla artists
to clothing designers to book-club leaders to hopefully you.

Now here’s the deal: If you won, if you were a runner-up, or if you
volunteered to do something, now IS the time to do it. If this book
doesn’t succeed, then the other books written by first-time authors
recruited off this VERY LIST may not come out.

And make sure you take photographs or videos of your stunts and
antics, so I can share them for the amusement of everyone else here!

Now I’m sure some of you would like to take a sneak peek at this
first Igniter book, but maybe you don’t have a big blog or a
mailing list or access to cheerleaders like some of the folks above.
So here’s an idea for PHASE TWO:

——————————

————————————–

If you can call your local bookstore, and simply ask when The Last
Living Slut by Roxana Shirazi will be released and if they’ll be
carrying it, I will send you an advance chapter. And I PROMISE
you that this chapter will contain a true story that you will
probably NEVER forget. It is just that…extreme.

Once you call the bookstore, send an email to manofstyle@gmail.com
with the subject heading “I CALLED” Let me know exactly what
bookstore and what the response was, and I will send you that
chapter.

(Note: If you live out of the U.S., call a bookstore in the United
States, since the international release of the book isn’t until
later; and if you live in a major city, try to find an out-of-the-
way store to call, just so the local Borders isn’t suddenly
flooded with slut calls.)

——————————————————————–

Congrats again to the winners. This has been incredibly fun so
far, and I’m beyond impressed by your ideas and the quality of
your responses. I have a feeling we may even get a new Igniter
employee out of this experience…

Onward,
Neil

P.S. Why, you may ask, am I so excited about having you all help
spread the word about a book I didn’t even write?

The answer is:

1.      Because I’m excited to give back and give new writers chances
that they might not otherwise have had. Before Anthony Bozza and I
took this book under our wing and started this imprint, no one
would publish this memoir because of its mix of explicit sexuality with
Muslim themes. (Hello fatwa.)

2.      Because I leveraged every bit of credibility I have with my
publishing company, It Books/HarperCollins, to actually get it
printed and now it’s up to me to get enough people to read it
so the inevitable word-of-mouth can begin.

3.     Because after reading the Red Snapper story in Hammer of
the Gods and writing the telephone story in The Dirt, I always
wondered what this extreme decadence was like from the perspective
of the girls who unapologetically chased it night after night. Add
in Roxana Shirazi’s disturbing sexual coming of age while being
brought up in Tehran in the midst of the Iranian revolution, and it’s
a story I’d never heard before. At least not told like this.

Alright, that’s it for now. And if, due to your help, this book
hits the NYT bestseller list, we are going to do something
REALLY cool and special as a massive extra thank-you to
those of you on this list who helped. Stay tuned…

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I’m looking for a few good men and women.

As you all know, I started a publishing imprint called Igniter,
along with fellow writer Anthony Bozza. And the whole idea of
Igniter is to help great books, unputdownable stories, and
promising writers get through the very restrictive doors of the
publishing industry.

In fact, two people on this very mailing list, who sent in
submissions for our Write a Mobster’s Memoir contest, are now
under book contracts. Pretty cool.

And in six weeks, our very first book comes out!

But there’s a challenge: When established authors put out new
books, they have readers already waiting to get a hold of them. But
what happens when an author no one’s ever heard of puts out a
fucking fantastic book?

That’s where all of YOU come in. Or at least SIX of you.

I will fill you all in more on our first book later, but for the
purposes of this email, all you need to know that it’s the most
decadent and gripping real-life account of female sexuality I’ve
ever read.

The memoir was so extreme that no one would publish it, and is
one of the reasons we started Igniter. It’s called The Last Living Slut
by Roxana Shirazi.

And I think the title, um, says it all.

Though the cover, which has already caused a little controversy behind the
scenes, may say a little more:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=MWsoB&m=1gEaCzAMZJe9yr&b=xbMflXdIbMU0j_O5F5KUoQ
(I’ll send out a better resolution image with the updated cover when I get one)

So here’s where you come in: We KNOW that once the book
comes out and people start reading it, it’s the kind of thing
they’re going to talk about with their friends because there
are some pretty unforgettable scenes.

But we need to get that talk started now, before the book comes
out–and to prove ourselves to It Books/HarperCollins, so the
rest of the books we’re editing can come out.

So if you want me to send you a free advance copy of the book–
so advance that you’re going to be one of just a dozen people in
possession of the “unbound galleys”–then here’s the project:

1.      Send an email to manofstyle@gmail.com with the subject heading:
WORD OF MOUTH

2.      In that email, briefly explain exactly how you can help spread
the word about The Last Living Slut (that sounds wrong) before its
release on June 1st, whether it’s through a blog, Twitter, a magazine,
a college newspaper, a mailing list, an advertisement, a viral video,
a stickering campaign, a tattoo on your neck, spray-painting your
boss’s Lexus, or something else.

3.      This has to be something you really can and are going to do.

4.      We will go through the responses and select the top six, who
will receive the advance pages of the first Igniter book AND an
invitation to the release party. If we all do our jobs correctly,
hopefully they’ll be collector’s items.

5.      The deadline for your entries is 5 p.m. PST on Tuesday, April
20th.

For those of you who aren’t able to participate because your boss
doesn’t have a Lexus or you already have a tattoo of a Glenn Beck
book on your neck or whatever, we will think of something cool to
do on this list to celebrate the book and Igniter when it launches.
It will either involve alcohol, washed-up rock stars, or paintball.
Hopefully all three.

Good Times,
Neil

P.S. In case you haven’t figured it out already, this is NOT the
“angry” email I promised you’d all be getting from me. That’s
coming soon. So stay tuned for, um, some good anger and practical
advice.

P.P.S. Though I often write emails to this list with advice and follow-
ups related to The Game and Emergency, The Last Living Slut is perhaps
most in the tradition of The Dirt, for those of you who have read that.

P.P.P.S. And a quick story: when I was undercover for the Game,
David D’Angelo was recommending that I read The Dirt and
study the attitudes and success of the guys in the book. And
because I concealing my identity at the time, I wasn’t able to
tell him that he was recommending to me a book I’d written
to help me with my game.

P.P.P.P.S. Have a great weekend. Don’t forget to email
your ideas to manofstyle@gmail.com before Tuesday.
Talk soon…

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Before we get started debunking a dating myth with our guest, Chris Rock,
I need to quickly answer the most common question I’ve
been getting in the mail:

“No.”

No one has found the cache in Emergency yet. It’s still there, in
the exact spot pictured in the book. And I thought I’d made the
clues TOO easy.

Okay, moving on…..

——————————

——————————————
“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN A MAN IS A SENSE OF HUMOR”
————————————————————————

Ever heard a woman say those words?

Yeah, I heard them a lot too, and in the days before The Game, I
believed them. I even became the class clown in school, hoping it
would help.

It didn’t.

When I entered the so-called seduction community, one of the first
intuitive lessons I learned, which really exploded my head, was:
Practically everything women have told me about dating my whole
life is wrong. What they SAY they want in a man isn’t what
they RESPOND to.

Yet even after writing The Game, women continued to insist that,
more than anything else, they were attracted to a guy with a
sense of humor.

Having been backstage at countless rock concerts and watched the
way women threw themselves at humorless bands, I knew this
couldn’t be true. Especially compared to backstage at comedy shows,
where there were no groupies to be found.

But being an investigative reporter by nature, I didn’t want to
rely on just my own experiences before discounting the myth.
During a Rolling Stone interview, I decided to ask someone who
many consider to be the funniest man performing today about it…

Me: Do comedians get groupies?
Chris Rock: You probably get more business groupies as a comedian.
As a rock star, you get a more sexual thing.

Me: What’s a business groupie?
Chris Rock: Somebody with, you know, a script, saying, “Hey, here
is my script, here’s my writing sample. I flew from four towns
away to get you this. I was in your hotel lobby in Seattle and
Vancouver. Please read this script.”

Me: Girls always say they want a guy with a sense of humor. But it
seems like they chase athletes and rock stars and rappers and
serious actors more than comedians.
Chris Rock: Yes, comedians are the bottom of the ladder of getting
laid. If everyone’s at the party, comedians would be the last guys
picked.

Me: Why do you think girls say that?
Chris Rock: You don’t listen to the other part. They want a RICH
guy with a sense of humor. Big difference.

Me: I know a lot of rich guys who do horribly too. I think women
respond more to a certain set of high-status behaviors than
money.
Chris Rock: That may be. The thing with comedians—the reason the
other people always get laid instead of us—is that everyone has a
mystique. There is a mystique to being a singer: What is Prince
like? What is Sting like? What is Nelly like? You don’t know them.
Comedians have absolutely no mystique. They get to know us too
quickly.

Me: And so you end up in the friend zone?
Chris Rock: Yeah, they get overly comfortable with us. At the end
of the day, comedy is still like some nerd shit.

So there you have it. Share this with a woman next time she tells
you she’s just looking for a guy with a sense of humor.

Yours in Myth-Busting,
Neil

P.S. I know some of you are on my Facebook fan page or Twitter or
whatever, but this is going to remain the only place where I really
communicate. Writing “@chrisrock say to @neilstrauss comedy=no
#groupies nerd sht” just doesn’t convey the same meaning.

P.P.S. Thanks for the cool emails about Igniter. The first book from my
publishing company is out June 1. It’s called “The Last Living Slut.”
I don’t think any more needs to be said, except that the author is yet
another example of a woman more attracted to men with mystique than
men with humor.

P.P.P.S. The next email is going to be one I’ve been wanting to
write for a while. It’s not going to be short. It’s not going to be nice.
And it’s not going to make some people very happy…

P.P.P.P.S. In case you didn’t catch it, the above sentence is an example of
something I learned while studying NLP. If you say, “it’s going to make
some people upset,” then there is an imbedded command for the reader or
listener to get upset. If instead you say, someone’s not going to be
made “very happy,” the imbedded command is to get very happy.

So next time you’re about to confess something to someone, don’t tell
them, “You’re going to be angry, but I accidentally erased your hard drive.”
Say instead, “You’re not going to be totally ecstatic about this, but I
accidentally erased your hard drive.”

P.P.P.P.P.S. Now try conveying all this in a status update…

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Wanted to share a quick, slightly embarrassing thing:

A couple months back, for the first time ever, I went into the
studio to record audiobook versions of The Game and Emergency.

I hadn’t re-read either book since writing them, and, well, the
rest is explained in this blooper from the sessions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWVYHDj_aEo

Anyway, enjoy. And a heads-up: For some reasons, HarperCollins only
printed 2000 copies of each Book on CD. So if you feel like driving
for twelve hours with my voice in your ear—which would be
considered cruel and unusual punishment to some people, namely
my brother—definitely get them ASAP.

And to disambiguate, make sure you don’t get the really weird
British audiobook of The Game. (It has a different cover and an
actor reading in a fake Brooklyn accent.) The correct links are
here:

http://www.amazon.com/Emergency-This-Book-Will-Save/dp/0061995312

http://www.amazon.com/Game-Penetrating-Secret-Society-Artists/dp/0061995320

Hope you’re all staying focused.

Best,
Neil

P.S. To everyone who sent copies of the Rules of the Game plus the
Routines Collection to get signed, your books have all been
returned–except for the book sent by Jonathan Mad_______. You
didn’t include your return address, man. So email it and I’ll get
your book back to you.

P.P.S. In other news, there seems to be a lot of activity going
on for the people in the above volumes. Mystery has a new book
out, called The Pickup Artist. And the bad-ass urban survival
guys from Emergency were just featured in the History Channel
show After Armageddon, which you can find for free on Youtube.

P.P.P.S. Lots of new stuff to share this year, so stay tuned…

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Happy New Year!
Today, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before, by popular
demand: update a previous email.

Yes, I’m trying to finish the next book, which is due this month.
(And, yes, you will all be the first to know what it’s about!) But
I’m taking a break today to share this because I think it’s important.

New Year’s Resolutions are a great way to set your intent for a
positive, fulfilling year of growth and accomplishment. But, on the
other hand, when the year ends, if you haven’t completely fulfilled
your resolutions, it can be frustrating. This usually happens
because New Year’s resolutions are often too vague, and don’t
include practical steps that lead to a clearly defined goal.

So today, by all means, make your usual big-picture resolutions.

But, in addition, I’m going to suggest you make some
sub-resolutions.

Each of these sub-resolutions is designed to give you a long-term
benefit (some of them even for a lifetime) with a minimum amount of
time and effort.

In fact, each of these sub-resolutions can be completed in anything
from a few minutes to, at the very most, a few hours. And they’re
all either free or very cheap.

For most of you, many of these items fall into the category of
things you’ve “been meaning to do.” Since chances are that you’ve
already accomplished at least a few of the items on the list below,
there’s no reason why you can’t take half a day this week and get
at least six more of the items below done.

So, in the interest of the betterment of your future, the
management of your life, and the fresh start of a new year,
here are:

——————————————————–
SIXTEEN THINGS YOU CAN DO IN ONE DAY TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE
——————————————————–

1. Register your full name as a web domain if you haven’t yet.
You never know when you’re going to want your personal website.
If www.[yourname].com is already taken, don’t worry - there are
alternatives.
For example, who owns jamesjoyce.com? Answer: A bar in Dublin beat
the author’s estate to it. But there are always other options, like
hyphenating the name and getting james-joyce.net or james-joyce.org

(check those sites now if you’d like), or choosing less common
TLDs (or end letters) like .ws or .me. For more information,
godaddy.com and networksolutions.com are among the most popular
sites to register domain names.

2. Call your cell phone provider. Ask if you can get a better
calling plan based on your usage. This way you can afford to do the
next item on this list.

3. Subscribe to a newspaper or magazine. Choose a topic that you
don’t know about - be it politics, fashion, culture, or technology
- and sign up for the best periodical covering that topic. Rather

than choosing the most popular magazine, select one that offers
the most in-depth and interesting coverage, like Wired for
technology or Foreign Affairs for politics or Mental Floss for
culture. Yes, you could read it all online, but it’s great to have
a physical magazine to read when you’re on the subway or on an
airplane or waiting in line somewhere.

4. Get a passport if you don’t have one. If yours has expired, get
it renewed now. You never know when that great travel opportunity
is going to occur, and you don’t want to get stuck at home while
your friends are at some great concert at the Acropolis in Greece.
If you’re in America, you can simply go to most post offices with
two acceptable photos of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a
valid form of photo identification. You can find more information
here: http://travel.state.gov/passport. And, for those of you
who’ve read Emergency and qualify for a passport to a second
country (if, for example, you have a parent or grandparent who was
born in Ireland), take advantage of that opportunity now, before
the rules change.

5. Back it up. Most people don’t take the time to do this,
and regret it later. So copy your entire hard drive onto an
external drive immediately; if possible, download a program like
Acronis True Image that will simplify the restoring process and
regularly make backups (or for Mac owners, start using Time
Machine or SuperDuper). Also backup your cellphone, PDA, and
any other personal-information-storing device.

6. While you’re at it, make photocopies of your credit
cards, passport, drivers license, social security card, birth
certificate, and other important papers. If you keep a journal or
anything similarly irreplaceable, photocopy that. Keep these in a
safe deposit box, parent’s house, locked file cabinet, or any other
secure location, preferably outside your own house. They’ll be
invaluable in the event of theft, loss, fire, or any other
unplanned incident.

7. Look through your refrigerator and cabinets. Read the labels on
the food. Stop buying anything high in saturated fats, trans fats,
cholesterol, and sodium. And start shopping healthier today. Here’s
a handy free e-book from the government on how to eat healthy:
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/DGA2005.pdf

8. Get business cards. Don’t have a business? It doesn’t matter.
Sites like vistaprint.com will send you 250 free ones (though
there’s a shipping fee of under $6). Never hurts to look
professional. And if you know the number close from Rules
of the Game, these will come in particularly handy.

9. Sign up for US Airway’s E-Saver, Southwest’s Ding, or any other
airline program that offers last-minute, low-cost travel options so
you can take quick weekend getaways whenever you feel like it.
Flights can be as low as $15.

10. Check your credit report for identity theft, or any other
misinformation or errors that could harm your financial status and
options. You are entitled to one free check a year at
www.annualcreditreport.com.

11. Learn how you work: I’m often asked at signings what books I
found the most useful for learning The Game. Here are the ones
I’ve recommended:

Mastering Your Hidden Self by Serge “Kahili” King; The Art of
Seduction by Robert Greene; Introducing NLP by Joseph O’Connor and
John Seymour; and a book on evolutionary psychology, such as The
Red Queen, Sperm Wars, or The Selfish Gene.

12. Make an appointment to get a physical checkup. Head off any
potential medical problems that may hinder an active, fun year.
Also recommended: make an appointment with a dentist to get your
teeth cleaned if you haven’t done so in the last six months. You
may also want to call for an eye exam if you haven’t had one in the
last five years.

13. This is not for everyone, but some of you–and you know who you
are–definitely need to do this: Throw out all your socks. Every
last one. Now go buy new pairs that actually match and don’t have
holes in them. You’ll feel like a new man. Remember, get black
socks. White socks are for athletic activities only. I don’t want
to catch any of you guys here wearing white socks in the bars or
clubs!

14. Get prepped: You’ve read Emergency by now, so go sign up for
a local CERT class (or an equivalent if you live outside the U.S.).
It’s free and will teach you the basics of survival and disaster
preparedness so you can be a local hero. Plus you’ll get a nifty
green uniform like in this photo: http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/
While you’re there, enter your zip code in the box to find CERT
classes in your area.

15. Buy a suit. (Or a dress if you’re a woman.) But don’t just get
any suit or dress. Get one that’s slightly closer to the size you
want to be this year, whether it be a little bigger or a little
smaller than your current measurements. Try it on every Saturday
morning as a reminder to yourself to get in shape this year;
until, one day, it fits perfectly, and you wear it out and feel
like a million dollars.

16. Then decide to actually become a millionaire. You can find out
how much money you’ll need to save here:
http://partners.leadfusion.com/tools/kiplinger/savings01/tool.fcs

And, afterward, it’s always good to find out what you’re worth:
http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/networth/networth.html

Alright, get cracking.

And have a great 2010.

Talk to you all soon.

Best,
Neil
P.S. Hope you had fun last night.
P.P.S. None of the above constitutes an endorsement of any of the websites mentioned or the content therein. They are provided solely as possible starting points to make the implementation of these subresolutions easier.
P.P.P.S. I resolve to give you even more P.S.’s in 2010.

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One of the most common questions I’ve
gotten about the book came out is, “Will
you go for coffee with me if I promise
not to ask you too much about pickup?”

The second most common question is,
“What the fuck is a C-shaped smile?”

They’re referring to a routine I came up
with, which Papa used to help land Paris
Hilton’s phone number in The Game.

The shape refers not to the lips or mouth
but to the teeth.

A C-shaped smile is one in which someone’s
row of upper teeth are shaped like a C.
It’s a wide smile, with many teeth showing
in the front.

This is the classic smile you see on the
cover of People magazine. It’s said to be
perceived as a friendlier, warmer smile.

Britney Spears has one:

http://www.neilstrauss.com/smiles/britney.jpg

Now a U-shaped smile is one in which just
two or three teeth are seen in the front,
then the teeth run straight back. It’s
somewhat reminiscent of a horse’s mouth.

It’s said to be perceived as unfriendly.

No offense to anyone who has a U-shaped smile,
because I think the theory is horseshit and
say so when I present it.

However, many celebrities it turns out have
had their teeth actually reshaped surgically
to a C. One of them I even wrote a book with.

Christina Aguilera didn’t have that surgery.
She has classic U-Shaped Smile where the teeth
show mostly along the sides of the mouth rather
than in the front (She also has a better voice
than Britney Spears, so there is some consolation):

http://www.neilstrauss.com/smiles/christina.jpg

Finally, here, in its entirety, is the C’s
versus U’s routine. It’s a true story about
one of the women I dated during my pick up
days. The relationship lasted a week. You’ll
see why below.

Use at your own risk to spice up a conversation
that’s going stale:

Style: Smile again for me.

Woman: Um, okay.

Style (to wing): See, she’s a U.

Woman: (look of puzzlement)

Style: I dated a girl who wanted to be a
pop star. And she had a theory that people
with U-shaped smiles were perceived as
unfriendly.  And people with C-shaped smiles
were perceived as friendly.

Woman: So what’s a U then?

Style: A U is when your teeth go straight
back in your mouth and only a few teeth show
in front. A C is when there’s a big row of
pearly whites in the front.

Woman: Um, okay.

Style: I know. I don’t really believe it,
but to my ex, it was more than a theory. She
actually got her teeth surgically reshaped
from a U to a C. She had to get her jaw broken
in three places. Can you believe it?

Woman: Ewwww. That’s crazy.

Style: And she had me go look at pictures
of like Christina Aguilera, who is a U, and
Britney Spears, who is a C. And she said that’s
why Christina is always seen as the bad girl
while Britney’s usually seen as the good one.
Look at the cover of “US” or any magazine,
and you’ll see that it’s always a C smile
on the cover.

(Note: In light of current events, you may
want to change the Britney Spears example
of a friendly C to Jessica Simpson.)

From here, you two can inspect the teeth of
her friends or of random strangers looking
for the perfect C or U.

If you want to drag it out, here’s a little
joke courtesy of a PUA from The Game named
Nightlight9.

Nightlight9: She was from LA, and you have to
be careful with them. Whenever you go out with
girls in LA, everything can be really fake.
Fake hair (point to your head), fake eyes
(point to eyes), fake nose (point to nose), fake
teeth (point to teeth), fake breasts (cup your
breasts). You have to take them to the doctor
first to find out which parts are real. They
put them through a machine, and you get a long
print-out at the end. Then you can decide whether
you want to date them or not.

Lisa still hasn’t forgiven me for saying she had
a U-shaped smile.  :-)

Anyway, use and enjoy. And if you’re a woman
reading this, of course it would never work
on you.

Yours,

Neil

8491 Sunset Blvd #348
West Hollywood, CA 90069

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