Book · 2012 · History
The Game
Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
#52 of 14,147 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts
- mentions
- 50
- people
- 25
- podcasts
- 14
- episodes
- 43
- critical mentions
- 0
This book, The Game, really useful, taught me a lot about like, you know, interpersonal dynamics, you should read it.
What they say about it
- Pickup artist community“about the pickup artist community”5
- Published in 2005“The Game by Neil Strauss came out”4
- Read it when young“When I was 14, I remember I read this book called The Game”3
- First wave manosphere“pickup Artistry it was Neil Strauss it was the game”3
The best things said about it
So what guys that did it learned was just how much they had to contort themselves in order to get laid with a woman.
Chris Williamson Modern Wisdom · Apr 2026 We read the book The Game, which like has has so many flaws in it. But the one thing that it did do was it encouraged me to go and talk to women.
I read the game because I was 22 and I was single right and reading Neil Strauss and and just he's such a great writer.
And it started with this man, Neil Strauss, who wrote a book called The Game, that was considered pretty controversial or or misogynistic at one point.
One of the problems that a bunch of friends had about 10 or 15 years ago when the game came out first with Neil Strauss was they became very disenchanted with who they were personally.
Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
2
4
4
7
9
9
7
8
How it comes up
25 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
The Game by Neil Strauss is a non-fiction book that explores the secretive underworld of pickup artistry and social dynamics. Steven Bartlett recounted recommending the book to a friend during his university days, noting that it taught him a lot about interpersonal dynamics. Several podcasters and guests discussed the cultural footprint and psychological impact of the book. Chris Williamson brought up the title on Modern Wisdom multiple times, discussing how men participating in the pickup artist movement had to contort their identities to attract women, highlighting the gap between their normal selves and their deployed personas. Williamson also associated the work with the initial wave of the manosphere. Louis Theroux referenced Neil Strauss-adjacent techniques while discussing the psychology of women taught by figures like Andrew Tate, and Robert Evans mentioned the 2005 bestselling book when detailing the evolution of the incel and pickup artist communities. Additionally, Rory Sutherland discussed the book on My First Million while touching on the psychology of approaching people and the fear of rejection, and Oz Pearlman shared that he read the text as a teenager to learn social interactions.
Every mention
Steven Bartlett I said, 'Listen, my friend.' I said, 'This book, The Game, really useful, taught me a lot about like, you k… 5
Discussed
“My brother, my older brother Jason, he ordered this book called The Game by Neil Strauss. And it he ordered it to university, but he accidentally put the wrong address, and so it came to home.”
Recommended
“I said, 'Listen, my friend.' I said, 'This book, The Game, really useful, taught me a lot about like, you know, interpersonal dynamics, you should read it.'”
Discussed
“I read up all the pickup Artistry books I read the game I read all of these books”
Discussed
“I read all the books about you know I read this book in this matchmaking book and this book called The Game the mystery method”
Discussed
“and it's interesting you say about the book the game you realized in the first the the call to action wasn't so much a system but a belief in a system”
Chris Williamson It's like the kind of ick that women had where if they learned a guy was doing real social dynamics or read… 7
Discussed
“It's like the kind of ick that women had where if they learned a guy was doing real social dynamics or reading the game by Neil Strauss and doing pickup artistry”
Discussed
“So what guys that did it learned was just how much they had to contort themselves in order to get laid with a woman. And even if it was effective, what they felt was the delta between who they were normally and who they were when they deployed the game by Neil Strauss.”
Discussed
“So the first one was pickup artistry and that was Neil Strauss and the game.”
Discussed
“the guy with the big furry hat and the massive sideburns mystery out of Neil Strauss is the game even he could get laid”
Discussed
“I think that first wave manosphere was pickup Artistry it was Neil Strauss it was the game it was mystery it was negging and like neuro-linguistic programming”
Discussed
“So Neil Strauss brought out the the the game in like 2005, I think it was.”
Discussed
“I wonder if I wonder if Neil Strauss could rewrite the game or could do like the game 2.0”
Shaan Puri did you ever read that book the game did you ever read like books on like how to meet women not only did I… 6
Discussed
“When Sean and I were 14, the game the book came out and like every 14-year-old read this book called The Game. It was about pickup artists and it like it took a whole bunch of internet nerds like us.”
Discussed
“This was I'm talking about pre-reading the book the game Once I read the book the game then it was uh hey you got to you guys got to settle an argument here and I just literally ripped the line from the book where it's like my roommate's girlfriend is making him throw away all the pictures of his ex-girlfriend”
Discussed
“did you ever read that book the game did you ever read like books on like how to meet women not only did I read the game not only did my girlfriend in high school buy the game for me before I went to college as a goodbye gift”
Discussed
“so for example I told you I was reading the book The Game the other day why did I do that I was I reading a book in the middle of the day especially an old book that I'd already read before that had no relevance to me because I'm not trying to be a pickup artist or or hit”
Discussed
“where you know there's a I think 2005. a book comes out that I know influenced you it influenced me yep uh do you know what I'm talking about where's the game the game Neil Strauss”
Discussed
“So I haven't read his book, but uh but Neil the way Neil Strauss wrote The Game and was like, "Hey, do you want to get better at, you know, like meeting women? If so, you know, this is a book that's going to tell you a bunch of awesome sort of war stories plus techniques that that can help”
Andrew Schulz um the book that's had the biggest impact on your life um um the game by Neil Strauss no uh no no no no no… 2
Discussed
“um the book that's had the biggest impact on your life um um the game by Neil Strauss no uh no no no no no uh Huckleberry fin”
Discussed
“I think my one issue with the pickup artist stuff cuz my dad literally sent me that book I remember being College when I came out the game sent me the book he goes hey there was this was written in the New York Times”
James Smith so first wave was Pick A Part history in the 2000s it was Neil Strauss it was the game 2
Discussed
“so first wave was Pick A Part history in the 2000s it was Neil Strauss it was the game”
Discussed
“I read the game that pick up artists book and then I read his sequel to it where he realizes that like much of what the way he'd chosen to live and live was wrong”
Jordan Harbinger neil strauss went with us on one of our trips he's an author of many huge books including one called the ga… 2
Discussed
“neil strauss went with us on one of our trips he's an author of many huge books including one called the game which is about pickup artists and mind control experiments and it knows all this stuff and he was saying this is like the game but for running a country with total control”
Discussed
“neil strauss went with us on one of our trips he's an author of many huge books including one called the game which is about pickup artists and mind control uh experiments and it knows all this stuff and he was saying this is like the game but for running a country with total control”
Mark Manson about five years before that when I found Neil Strauss as the game 2
Discussed
“about five years before that when I found Neil Strauss as the game”
Discussed
“Do you know what I'm talking about? The Game, by Neil Strauss?”
Oz Pearlman When I was 14, I remember I read this book called The Game. Have you ever read The Game by Of course. Neil 2
Discussed
“When I was 14, I remember I read this book called The Game. Have you ever read The Game by Of course. Neil”
Discussed
“He wrote that book, The Game. That book is incredible.”
Robert Evans he writes a 2005 best-selling book called The Game. And The Game is pickup artistry, right? 2
Discussed
“he writes a 2005 best-selling book called The Game. And The Game is pickup artistry, right?”
Discussed
“Neil Strauss. Yeah. I wrote the book that made negging into a household term, and I want to tell you, I think you might not be healthily approaching your relationships, dude.”
Sam Parr For people of our generation, Shawn and I probably both did the same thing. We read the book The Game, whic… 2
Discussed
“For people of our generation, Shawn and I probably both did the same thing. We read the book The Game, which like has has so many flaws in it. But the one thing that it did do was it encouraged me to go and talk to women.”
Discussed
“like the bounce, as they used to call it, the pickup artist game that in in in the book The Game, they talk about this technique called the bounce.”
Stephan Speaks Um there's this book called The Game by Neil Strauss. I don't even know if you've ever read that book. 2
Discussed
“Um there's this book called The Game by Neil Strauss. I don't even know if you've ever read that book.”
Discussed
“There's this book called The Game by Neil Strauss; I don't know if you've ever read that book. Yeah, it was great.”
Tim Ferriss In 2005, I want to say, The Game by Neil Strauss came out, somewhere around there. 2
Discussed
“In 2005, I want to say, The Game by Neil Strauss came out, somewhere around there.”
Discussed
“One of my friends is Neil Strauss as as many of you know who wrote The Game recently which he's been somewhat apologetic for but nonetheless in that book that for a male who does not have confidence...”
Adam Lane Smith one of the problems that a bunch of friends had about 10 or 15 years ago when the game came out first with… 1
Discussed
“one of the problems that a bunch of friends had about 10 or 15 years ago when the game came out first with Neil Strauss was they became very disenchanted with who they were personally”
Charlie Houpert I've read Neil Strauss is the game by Neil Strauss. 1
Discussed
“I've read Neil Strauss is the game by Neil Strauss.”
Dan Bilzerian and I read the game and so I got a little bit of an Insight on it and I I would say the game was kind of li… 1
Discussed
“and I read the game and so I got a little bit of an Insight on it and I I would say the game was kind of like similar to like our”
James Bloodworth The internet is where you really see the rise of the pickup artist community as chronicled by Neil Strauss… 1
Discussed
“The internet is where you really see the rise of the pickup artist community as chronicled by Neil Strauss who you've had on your program before who's who kind of yeah that the the game was like a huge huge selling book and the pickup artist kind of community in the 2000 late 2000 late 2000s early 2010s.”
Josh Peck and then even like some things that started slightly um i don't know what you know i i read the game becaus… 1
Discussed
“and then even like some things that started slightly um i don't know what you know i i read the game because i was 22 and i was single right and reading neil strauss and and just he's such a great writer”
Kezia Noble and i actually asked them have you read the game they never heard of it 1
Discussed
“and i actually asked them have you read the game they never heard of it”
Louis Theroux and then using this sort of Neil Strauss the game adjacent techniques in order to say that I can teach you… 1
Discussed
“and then using this sort of Neil Strauss the game adjacent techniques in order to say that I can teach you the psychology of women”
Megyn Kelly There's a term negging; I don't know if you've heard it and I don't know the book, the—the idea is as I und… 1
Discussed
“There's a term negging; I don't know if you've heard it and I don't know the book, the—the idea is as I understand it, I’ll give you a little bit of approval so it feels good and then you'll always be chasing that approval.”
Mike Thurston Neil Strauss, who wrote The Game, now identifies as this super aligned, awakened family man, has an awesome… 1
Discussed
“Neil Strauss, who wrote The Game, now identifies as this super aligned, awakened family man, has an awesome quote that says: "Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments."”
Naama Kates And it started with this man, Neil Strauss, who wrote a book called The Game, that was um considered pretty… 1
Discussed
“And it started with this man, Neil Strauss, who wrote a book called The Game, that was um considered pretty controversial or or misogynistic at one point, but it was basically just kind of game, like how men can um gamify the system when it comes to human behavior and mating and what makes people attractive to each other, etc.”
Neil Strauss The interesting thing about apps I find so fascinating, I met one of the this what I met one of the co-foun… 1
Discussed
“The interesting thing about apps I find so fascinating, I met one of the this what I met one of the co-founders of Tinder reached out to me, and he says, you know, part of the reason we started this app was because I read The Game, and I thought, oh, that's so much work.”
Rory Sutherland I don't know if you've read The Rules by um I think I think it's called The Game by Neil Strauss, actually,… 1
Discussed
“I don't know if you've read The Rules by um I think I think it's called The Game by Neil Strauss, actually, about the pickup artist community. It's quite an interesting book.”
Whitney Cummings like the the um the game theory 1
Discussed
“like the the um the game theory”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
Discussed
“but going back even further the red pill referred to this community of I don't know how to describe it but it's kind of like I don't I describe it the game the game is like the movie or no there's a book called the game and it's about how men can pick up women in the ways they have”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (17: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“Somebody recommended on the podcast and they go it was like the time when my girlfriend bought me the book The Game before I went to college and we were going to break up and I was like, you need to learn how to talk to girls.”
Passing
“and Sean, I don't know, uh, you know, like me and Sean have both talked about the book The Game, which I I I assume you you know all about, Neil Straws. Um, and for a 14-year-old boy, that was like the greatest thing ever because we like desperately wanted to meet girls”
Passing
“Cuz there's something in the creative process to like the bounce, as they used to call it, the pickup artist game that in in in the book The Game, they talk about this technique called the bounce.”
Passing
“the game by Neil Strauss”
Passing
“You know that you mentioned the book The Game. Yes. I know a lot about that world and there's a there's a funny trick they teach which I'll teach you.”
Passing
“the original world that we had when Neil Strauss who wrote the game came up and did pickup what that was was exclusive marketing”
Passing
“and I spoke about this idea to Neil Strauss the guy that wrote the game”
Own book
“So the first book obviously not the first book I think it's my it's my third or fourth. But The Game was probably the most infamous one which is me trying to figure out dating and being in this world of and and being fascinated by this world of these pickup artists and the all the social implications of that”
Own book
“So in the book 'A Game of Throws,' you have a chapter titled 'Lessons and Losing.'”
Passing
“Neil Strauss the guy that wrote the game who is now kind of this super aligned awakened Family Man”
Passing
“Neil Strauss guy that wrote the game”
Passing
“So that would have been your The Game, Neil Strauss.”
Passing
“he's written eight new york times best selling books including the game so yeah you know it's like we should totally have like a pickup seminar for guys in wheelchairs”
Passing
“yes that book was called david or the game the game game or whatever what happened to him obviously the guy disappeared”
Passing
“anyone who hasn't read neil strauss is the game or kind of the um I guess the period from what about 2000 to 2010 where kind of pick apart is three or maybe a little bit later maybe like oh three to kind of 13 where pick apart history and h real social dynamics rsd max and all of these”
Passing
“Neil Strauss is the game but the only references I have from the guys side there isn't an equivalent for guys of a holistic approach for dating as there is for girls there's just pickup artistry”
Passing
“what's the guy who made that wrote the game Neil Strauss routes to get it was”