The Mystery Method

December 18, 2006
Even men, believe it or not, want a romantic Valentine's day. The question is how to have one. These six books provide counsel on love, sex and relationships for lovers from Mars and from Venus.
The Mystery Method: The Foolproof Way to Get Any Woman You Want into Bed
Erik von Markovik
and Chris Odom
. St. Martin's
, $19.95 (288p) ISBN 978-0-312-36011-5

Never at risk of being called humble, Mystery (aka Erik von Markovik), heralded as one of the best pick-up artists in the country, has created a science of seduction. His meticulously researched system, the "Mystery Method," offers advice to men of every ilk, along with complex charts, social science jargon (e.g., Dynamic Social Homostasis and DHV—Demonstrations of Higher Value) and potty humor Mystery comes off as forceful, provocative and excessively arrogant, but one thing is clear: he's good at what he does. You'll laugh, you'll scoff, but in the end, you'll probably learn something.

November 15, 2006
Interestingly, these two books have more in common than one would think by reading the titles. Both acknowledge that great sex is sought by both genders, but Callan (writing, Educational Ctr. for the Arts, New Haven, CT; "Just Too Cool") points out that women want to be adored, wooed, listened to, understood, and artfully courted first. To get men to do this, she writes, women need to put a little gamesmanship, flirtation, battle, excitement, and passion back into relationships. She advises women to make sure they have plenty of male friends, shun junk-food sex, and get what they want from men.

On the other hand, professional pick-up coach von Markovik, a.k.a. Mystery, provides a guide to maximizing the courtship process and getting a woman into bed within seven hours. The author claims to have figured out through his observation of social dynamics in clubs how men can overcome the guard women put up to avoid being hit on. He shares his insights, advising the "average frustrated chump" on using warm-up approaches, building a feeling of connection, and seeing women through last-minute resistance. Von Markovik knows what he's talking about, but his acronyms and codes distract from his message. Will that prevent young males from checking it out? Probably not. Enlightening and empowering, if not your mother's dating book, "Hooking Up" is highly recommended; "Mystery Method" is recommended with reservations.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.