Books motherfuckers, do you read them?

[rumsfald]

Since my 14-year relationship, 12-year marriage to my high-school love crashed and burned, due totally and completely to her (true story)...I've been reading.

And since I left and walked away from her, and everything, my best friend, my apartment, my civic ties to the city that I lived in the longest, my Labrador I adored and spoiled for 11 years, my loaded bmw I picked up at the factory in germany, furniture, cooking gadgets, etc....I've been reading self-help.

I walked away, because it got bad. I left it all, because I knew I could rebuild it. After all, I built it once. What I didn't know, is that I could totally build it, and me, incredibly better. Until I started reading self-help.

I started this book today. I'm, maybe, 80 pages in. I already think this might be the single most wonderful book I've ever read. As a committed monogamist (so far), this has got to be the fucking instruction manual for how to be a man, regardless if you want to be a player or if you just want to rule the world of that once special woman.



I'll post more when I finish. Already, I can't recommend it highly enough to a group of nerds like you all. I like it so much I think I'm gonna buy copies for guys I know. Who need it.

(and yes, sensitive-guys and ladies, it's not nearly as creepy and user-ish as I fretted. The author, and the men who pursue this self-improvement, just want to give wonderful women a better time. That's noble, not creepy).

[at0m]

I've stayed away for precisely the reasons you address in your parenthetical. I'll dig around for a kindle edition.

[copulatingduck]

are you sure it's not creepy? cuz the few guys I know that have read that book are definitely creepers.... but you seem like such a swell, stand-up gentleman. I'm so confused...

[Didzo]

are you sure it's not creepy? cuz the few guys I know that have read that book are definitely creepers.... but you seem like such a swell, stand-up gentleman. I'm so confused...

Appearing to be a creeper is a sure way to sabotage your creeping.

Rummy is a professional.  8)

[at0m]

are you sure it's not creepy? cuz the few guys I know that have read that book are definitely creepers.... but you seem like such a swell, stand-up gentleman. I'm so confused...

I think you're confusing causation with correlation, friend.

[copulatingduck]

i'm fully aware of the difference between causation and correlation, however correlations are still used all the time to explore unknown entanglements that may have unforeseen consequences. that said it sounds like reading this book has made today a red letter day for rummy so ill probably check it out simply to see whether it offers any direct intervention in my romatic life

[Versus]

lol, my brother just started reading that book

[A. Crow]

"Hey! I am fantastic to go out with! I'm thoughtful as a man can be, while stilling pillaging like a viking in the bedroom."

  I blatantly stole my philosophy towards dating from a TV show.  And it's worked pretty damn well. 

[CaffeinePowered]

have unforeseen consequences

It causes a resonance cascade?

[rumsfald]

are you sure it's not creepy? cuz the few guys I know that have read that book are definitely creepers.... but you seem like such a swell, stand-up gentleman. I'm so confused...

Stan Lee once said, quite famously so, "with great power comes great responsibility." Me, I've always been noble. I didn't fool around with anyone till I met the woman I wanted to marry. Once married, I was faithful, dedicated. After she got caught cheating, she gave me a free pass to have several revenge affairs. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe if I were more dastardly, like Crow or Atom, I could have, and that would have relaxed her guilt and we'd been able to stay together. But that wasn't me. Still isn't...I still haven't slept with anyone but the woman I married.

So, now I'm in a weird place where I'm 35, successful professionally, stable emotionally, giving to my friends, not old and balding like Kor, some people consider me kinda funny, and people generally find me interesting...and yet I have no fucking clue how to attract women of commensurate value. Sure, they LIKE me, but they don't WANT to be with me. So, as a nerd, I do what I always do when I need to, I go read and teach myself something new. And this book sings to me.

Sure, men with less noble instincts could use this knowledge, this technology for ill repute. But, that's true for any tool...guns...computer hackers...nuclear fission. Just because some assholes use this knowledge for ill doesn't mean YOU will be an asshole if you use this self-improvement for good. Correlation does not equal causation.

It's funny, since I went through my personal drama, I've already had several male friends open up to me about their women troubles. And, comparatively, I've lost way more then they have. Yet, I listen, I try to help, I try to be a friend. And, I've had amazon send this book to each of them.

It's a mindset. As much as it's a mindset to stop eating junk and start working out to improve yourself, it's a mindset to stop acting like you "think you should be" and start acting like an attractive male. The hardest part is committing yourself to flip the switch.

[Didzo]

And then Rummy writes a self-help book, tours the nation giving seminars and speeches, gets his own daytime TV talk show, gets a prime time slot after stunning ratings, and gets married.

All while eating bitches and fucking steaks.

[KorJax]

[quote author=Duck link=topic=1145.msg169927#msg169927 date=1282190384]
are you sure it's not creepy? cuz the few guys I know that have read that book are definitely creepers.... but you seem like such a swell, stand-up gentleman. I'm so confused...

Stan Lee once said, quite famously so, "with great power comes great responsibility." Me, I've always been noble. I didn't fool around with anyone till I met the woman I wanted to marry. Once married, I was faithful, dedicated. After she got caught cheating, she gave me a free pass to have several revenge affairs. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe if I were more dastardly, like Crow or Atom, I could have, and that would have relaxed her guilt and we'd been able to stay together. But that wasn't me. Still isn't...I still haven't slept with anyone but the woman I married.

So, now I'm in a weird place where I'm 35, successful professionally, stable emotionally, giving to my friends, not old and balding like Kor, some people consider me kinda funny, and people generally find me interesting...and yet I have no fucking clue how to attract women of commensurate value. Sure, they LIKE me, but they don't WANT to be with me. So, as a nerd, I do what I always do when I need to, I go read and teach myself something new. And this book sings to me.

Sure, men with less noble instincts could use this knowledge, this technology for ill repute. But, that's true for any tool...guns...computer hackers...nuclear fission. Just because some assholes use this knowledge for ill doesn't mean YOU will be an asshole if you use this self-improvement for good. Correlation does not equal causation.

It's funny, since I went through my personal drama, I've already had several male friends open up to me about their women troubles. And, comparatively, I've lost way more then they have. Yet, I listen, I try to help, I try to be a friend. And, I've had amazon send this book to each of them.

It's a mindset. As much as it's a mindset to stop eating junk and start working out to improve yourself, it's a mindset to stop acting like you "think you should be" and start acting like an attractive male. The hardest part is committing yourself to flip the switch.
[/quote]

+1

[Vlambo]

Rummy is the kinda guy you want to be when you grow up. I see bits and pieces of myself in that paragraph, and it speaks to me more than any 'self-help' book I've ever read. I may just pick that book up solely based on your recommendations

[Didzo]

And now I own every book David Mitchell has written.

[rumsfald]

Follow-up, after several work-related-readings.



Also very good. Not as practical as The Game for inspiration at the initial/pick-up level. Much more focused on internal game and spiritual. Totally focused on one mate, not attracting/pleasing many. Wish I had dropped this knowledge prior to the ex-cheating. I dunno if it would have helped, it was her problem, not mine, but I'm a fucking perfectionist. She was my first girlfriend and we went 14 years. This is like the 8th self-improvement book I've read since then, all have added something to my repertoire. The next one is gonna feel like she fucking won the lottery.

[Totla]

Got assigned The Scarlet Letter for English today. Hopefully it doesn't suck.

[Surf314]

Got assigned The Scarlet Letter for English today. Hopefully it doesn't suck.

Spoiler it does

[Totla]

[quote author=Tortilla link=topic=1145.msg173879#msg173879 date=1284597663]
Got assigned The Scarlet Letter for English today. Hopefully it doesn't suck.

Spoiler it does
[/quote]FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
I have to go read two chapters now. God I hate AP English. Honors kids got to read Hitchhikers Guide for summer reading. Lucky bastards.

[Didzo]

[quote author=Tortilla link=topic=1145.msg173879#msg173879 date=1284597663]
Got assigned The Scarlet Letter for English today. Hopefully it doesn't suck.

Spoiler it does
[/quote]

[[SiN] Merc]

Reading Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill right now. For his first novel, it's really damn good. Putting what I'm trying to publish to shame, haha.