I'm interested in sifting through the hundreds on hyped books on these subjects and reading only the very best--whether it's a classic like Carnegie's How to Win Friends... or something more recent.

I see that an author by the name of Patrick King has been cranking out books of this sort like popcorn. Is his material worth picking up? Same with Charlie Houpert. Any good?

What can you recommend, and why?

I've been reading through Patrick King's books on kindle. They're fairly cheap and easy to read. Doesn't take up much time to finish a book and feel like you've accomplished something. And if it's good you can always re-read it, which is something I have a hard time doing with 300+ page books.

I just listened to Connect Instantly on audible and it was good. I want to read the book to gain a deeper understanding of the material. His latest book is Superhuman Eye Contact Training: How to Radiate Confidence, Attract Others, and Demand Respect... With Just Your Eyes. It's 99 cents on amazon right now and I just picked it up.

If you want the very best then yea, you've gotta dig into those classics (How to win friends...) and really study them thoroughly and then perfect your use of those principles.

I've also noticed that many authors refer back to a lot of the same studies and materials such as the classics.

If you listen to podcasts then check out The Art Of Charm podcast on itunes. Lots of authors and guests on exactly this kind of stuff.

I've not heard of the Art of Charm. I'll certainly check it out!

The most influential books and programs that changed my life:

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
The Laws of Success by Napoleon Hill
Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida
The Blueprint by Real Social Dynamics (This is a DVD series)
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Good list. While the PUA stuff doesn't appeal to me, I'm curious if you paid $450 for those DVDs. Ouch!

its not "PUA", its about being natural and be real. There are hidden psychological things and subtleties in conversations that people aren't aware of and its the best one I've ever seen. I got it from a friend also.

(Yesterday 8:30 PM)Futureman Wrote:  Good list. While the PUA stuff doesn't appeal to me, I'm curious if you paid $450 for those DVDs. Ouch!

48 laws of power is a great book.You can find most of them online for free.

(Today 11:23 AM)jb20 Wrote:  48 laws of power is a great book.You can find most of them online for free.

This book gets quite a few nods. I'll add it to the list along with the Carnegie book and Terry Cole-Whittaker's What You Think of Me is None of My Business (the latter being for general confidence and combating anxiety). Books on making "instant connections" and "not running out of things to say" are certainly a good idea, but I can't separate the wheat from the chaff. There are too many from unknown authors.

(Today 2:26 PM)Futureman Wrote:  This book gets quite a few nods. I'll add it to the list along with the Carnegie book and Terry Cole-Whittaker's What You Think of Me is None of My Business (the latter being for general confidence and combating anxiety). Books on making "instant connections" and "not running out of things to say" are certainly a good idea, but I can't separate the wheat from the chaff. There are too many from unknown authors.

Never heard of it.I send you few useful links.

Thanks.

I learned of the Whitaker book from our own kimosabe.