The Art of Seduction
⭐️
A better name for this book might be something along the lines of “Building Seductive Facades for Manipulation”
I only listened to 60% of this book before deciding it wasn’t worth my time so take this with a grain of salt. Initially, it felt like reading an incel sigma-male Reddit post about manipulating people into liking you, even calling the seduced person a “victim.” I pushed through, thinking I might learn something new or understand different perspectives. The book’s views were interesting but speculative, with the author filling gaps with theories lacking predictive power. The stories of historical seducers were fascinating, offering insights into their psychology and actions. A few points resonated, like the idea that a seductive person embodies a larger-than-life character rather than relying on pick-up lines.
However, the book ultimately teaches how to be fake, manipulative, and even psychopathic. I’d only recommend it for the historical seducer stories and as inspiration for crafting intriguing fictional characters or love interests. It shouldn’t be a behavioral guide and would have been better as a study of historical seducers.