I read the game the same week it came out in the UK. At the time I was still in University and the book was given to me by a friend who had read it and saw the possibilities of its content.

Unlike him, I didn't view it as an eye opener and saw its obvious flaws. Let me explain.

I come from a rough area of the West of Scotland and some of the ideas in the book just struck me as odd. My friend lept wholeheartedly into everything talked about in the book, he bought a deck of cards and learnt a simple trick. At the time most of the people I knew listened to Nirvana and the like. If you remember the video for Sliver, Cobain wore a red and black sweater. A similar style of jumper was to become my friends new outfit when we went out to the bars in Glasgow. Pick up lines were all the rage and even without the books release, I noticed at the time a lot of guys were approaching women with ridiculous lines. My friend stole the line from the book of something along the lines of "who lies more men or women". This was used again and again and again. Who gives a crap really? what a stupid line to use while approaching a random women.

Here is my problem with the book and particularly the American way of approaching women. It just isn't natural behaviour to go up and perform a magic trick for a bird. Where I stay people look at you as if you are insane or a wannabe magician. It is not seductive and is just plain weird. I have to admit the content helped my mate pull a couple of fat ugly birds and he was over the moon with the success.

Fast forward about 5 years and I hadn't thought much more about PUA until recently. I was browsing in OXFAM in Byers Road in Glasgow and came across a book by Richard La Ruina. Every guy needs to improve their skills in picking up chicks and I am no different. The book seemed to make sense and was clearly very different to the GAME and its ideas.

From the La Ruina book, I have learned many usefull strategies for normal people. Through further research I have studied all the main PUA guys over the last few months and have come to the conclusion British/European game is very different than American game. Of the people who I have been very impressed by are La Ruina, Beckster, Kezia, Yad, Tom Torrero and John Matrix. They seem normal and wouldn't be beaten up in a club or the street in the West of Scotland. Some of the others I have watched on youtube such as Sasha and Mystery would last about 15 minutes before either the cops or worse got to them. One guy I watched called Dynamo with his silly hat would last less time than it takes to eat a mars bar.

Am I just imagining this or are there clear differences between cultures when PUA is concerned?

yep, american chicks are slightly different from british chicks, so you play them slightly differently.

Generally, the most important thing is to get out there and game. Listen to the UK instructors. RSD will help with night game though.

Also, you're right. Dont bother with the silly lines ie "who lies more" etc.

Go in honest - "hey I noticed you and thought you were cute" or whatever comes to mind - be genuine and stay away from routines. You dont need them.

I'm from the UK and i totally agree. Girls over in America just seem to be a lot more outgoing to some random guy hitting on them, especially in day game. If you havn't already, check out 'Adam Lyons' i'm sure you've heard of him. His stuff works in the UK and is one of the top PUA/Dating coach out there. He also updates his you tube channel with videos often so thats always great.

Richard La Ruina's book is a nothing book in my opinion. It has enough new ideas to fill about three pages and then the rest of it is recycling the mystery method but reworded to make it seem as though he's covering new ground. He's also not a good writer like Neil Strauss and it made for some sluggish reading, but I guess that kinda doesn't matter too much.

Don't just read The Game, read The Mystery Method. Yes, routines and whatnot are unnecessary and creepy in my opinion and in the general consensus of the modern community, but it contains so many solid cornerstones that will remain valid for generations. You will not read a PUA book that doesn't recycle something from MM so just go and drink from the source, no matter how "out of fashion" Mystery is now.

I have never read the Mystery book so can't comment on it compared to the La Ruina book. I will try to check the Mystery book out mate, thanks. Some of his youtube videos and content found on google seems very alien to me though and strange. Is his book different from that or does it go down the magic trick and eye liner route?

I forgot to mention Adam Lyons. He has loads of youtube videos and I was impressed by the way he seems more than just a PUA, he is all about being a "life coach". His teachings appear to be aimed at someone trying to improve their entire life rather than just picking up random chicks.

I watched the first 20 minutes of Tom Torero's dvd called conversation king last weekend. Ironically it was a female friend of my sister that owned it, lol. He seems very good and I have listened to some of the day-game podcasts while out running or walking with the dog. So far the day-game stuff seems to be the most useful stuff i have come across. Being in my late twenties, the idea of going clubbing is something that left me a good few years ago. London may be different, but where I stay a guy past about 25 just looks odd going to a nightclub filled with kids just out of school. Last time I went to a club, other than the bouncer I was the oldest person there. I felt like I should be making sure the kids didn't drink and drive rather than trying to pick any of them up .

I have read that both of Kezia's books are identical even though they were released three years apart. That seems strange. Her videos on youtube are useful though.

Most of this stuff I am already fairly good at from past experience, but after researching this information over the last few months, I now realise the random element of seduction can be controlled using techniques. I am the sort of person who watches 20 videos on how to chop up an onion before doing it so I get it perfect. This PUA stuff makes sense to me in many ways as I want to improve my chances. It is obvious many people will just study and never actually put the content into practice, it is important not to go down that path.

Thanks for the replies

I'm in agreement with the OP's first points (being from Scotland + experience of clubbing around UK and Northern Cali for a bit) that the methods in Neil Strauss' The Game and other various methods from the USA need some serious tweaking for UK game.

The fundamentals seem near enough the same but everything needs to be toned down. The OP has it spot on about the general attitudes of UK birds, in that they aren't open to some random guy dressed up to the max performing all kinds of not so subtle game. There is a difference in culture here, where birds in the UK tend to be more cynical, critical and with instilled desire to appear "classy" and not to be "fooled" almost ... unless they are trashed and look like a slice of uncooked rump steak in which case merely exhaling will do the trick.

This seems to be the case over the spectrum of social classes in the UK. Its an interesting topic actually!

People really underestimate how powerful this is. How many guys actually have the balls to go up to a woman and tell her she's cute? Not many at all. A line as simple as that will almost guarantee you a phone number at the very least.