This book is really excellent for one reason and one reason only: the author knows when to be nice and caring and thoughtful to the reader, but also knows exactly when to get a little tougher, to thicken the reader's skin if you will. This book talks about topics you may not want to hear, but should and will if you intend on bettering yourself. Which, of course, is what a self-help/how-to book is supposed to do. It would've been a five star book but alas some of the subjects, although not outdated, are outdated in the way they are presented.

Never judge a book by its cover. Especially this one. Yes, the cover is dated, and you might think that most of the information contained in the book because it was published in the '70s, but it remains as a very good source for those of us who are not as well informed as those Casanovas and Don Juans out there. Everything is covered, and the pictures are always good for a hoot at least.

Most people tend to be slightly superficial, therefore staying above the surface level of basically any situation. Well here's a great self-help book that delves deep into the psychological and analytical, and is one hell of an information center. What this book is saying is simple: that most of our looks are really under our skin, and most of the times we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, to use an old adage. You don't think you're attractive to others? Nonsense. Do you think you're sexy underneath the surface but are finding it hard to broadcast this message to the women of the world? No problem. This book cured me, and I constantly look to it for spiritual as well as everyday help.

Eric Weber's products tend to be witty, educational and persuassive. Having said this, if you're shy and too reticent for your own good, like myself, check out this tape today. Believe me, it'll help you in more ways than one. I was once scared, no, better word, terrified, at the prospect of introducing myself to a woman, any woman, but just a couple of wise words and pieces of sage advice from the master of the genre fixed me right up! Just believe and it can happen to you, too.

Maybe, this tape is worth around 5 bucks (with free shipping). I am constanly trying to improve my "game" and thought that this cassette would enhance my skills further. WRONG I was! This tape is borderline goofy as hell. I found myself listening to the people "picking up" women, and at the same time, just thinking how pathetic these encounters were. The lines used are lame. These guys would get eaten alive in a big city club scene. Also, some of the dialogue doesn't sound like it would fly in the 21st Century. Alas, this audiotape may be appropriate for the literal "beginner" on the scene. Other than that, I would not recommend it for anyone who has a shred of confidence with women.

The only reason why this tape gets four stars instead of five is because of its price. Other than that, there's nothing to sneer about in regards to it. Basically it is a tape designed for men who are afraid, scared or just don't know any better about meeting and introducing yourself to women. There are actual scenes that show a man how to be most successful with women when first starting to talk to them. The idea is not to copy the ideas in real life, but to take what you learn and transform them so they are yours. Once you understand this, this tape can be an excellent source of inspiration. Hell, it made me want to go out and meet some fine ladies. Which I did!

Well, along with the invention of Viagra among other things, this book was just fabulous. There is so much detail to it, and i've found that most of the lines work!

I never knew it could be this easy!

Right off the bat, I'll warn you that, if you're looking for action-adventure fluff, it's not here. Unlike its predecessor, 1632, this book is a solid foundation for what I hope will be a long, long series.

1632 was a stand-alone, but when it proved popular, Eric Flint did the smart thing and, with David Weber (no mean series writer himself), used this to A: tell a solid, interesting story and B: lay a lot of the groundwork for future books, short stories and a whole "1632verse" alternate history.

Fine by me. This book isn't as fast-paced as 1632, since it's a "foundation stone" type novel, but it gives a lot of the "surround", political background, TONS of new villainy, and the feel of the massively confused game of "musical chairs played with a death penalty" that is pretty much a hallmark of human history wherever and whenever.

The necessary downside in the writing is more exposition, slower pace, and less character development. The upside is that we end up with, waiting in the wings, the Dutch insurrection, the Scottish revolt, Cromwell's Revenge, "1634: The Baltic War"(next book), The French and Indian War, and my personal favorite, "The Spanish Inquisition doesn't know WHAT to expect."

All told, this book was a solid investment of my money and even more, my precious time. I trust Eric Flint and David Weber, and even if we do spend a fair amount of time in this book watching them stuff dynamite into a lot of holes in the rock, I am certain that, sooner or later, we will get our reward: an earth-shattering "KABOOM!" The added benefit from this book is, we'll know WHY the rubble is bouncing.

I'm surprised that I am the first person to review this book. As the above description says, this is the second in a series of books dealing with a West Virginia town transported in time and space to Germany in the year 1632. It's not really a historical alternate history, something to take seriously, but it is fun to read, and the characters are well-defined. Even if you didn't like the first book in the series, 1632, I would recommend that you read this one, as I thought in this one the characters' motivations were much better defined. The only issue I have with it is the political manuvering can get a little complex and difficult to understand, and is a little too deep for something thats supposed to be fun to read.

Eric Flint & David Weber have followed up on 1632 with a book that creates depth to a period of time that many Americans really have no clue about. It's fine to have action in a book, and especially in alternative history it would be so easy to just put a group of soldiers armed with modern weapons ripping into locals - see The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove for an example of this. I'm not knocking Harry - I love his work. But what Eric and Dave have done is show a real world - confused, plots afoot by literally everyone to strengthen their positions - and just how Machiavellian do you want your world than one in which Nicolai Machivelli has only been dead for 100 years? You've got Cardinal Richelieu of France and all that implies - you've got Gustav Adolphus of Sweden spared death - you've got the Thirty Years War with almost half the population of Europe dying from plague and battle - the amazing thing is that the novel wasn't twice as large. If you're going to have a character, then explain the motivation of the character - especially to an audience that isn't already familiar with the real person, and Eric and Dave did this well.

It should be mentioned, with pride, that this book was also written with the assistance of the readers of 1632, and there are more books in the works.

Dating books are usually funny by default, full of lame tips that are unintentionally humorous. Finally, a manual on approaching women that doesn't insult the intelligence- this book assumes that its audience understands the value of a laugh. Meeting people isn't easy, and Parlamis mines the humor within the struggle with an easy charm. This is a manual for the shy, the tongue-tied, and the guy that wants to move up a level in the dog-eat-dog world of intersexual relations. For those that don't think that they need a manual, relax and enjoy the riffs of a shrewd observationist. For those men out there who are longing for female companionship- don't waste eight bucks for another lonely movie night alone or with the guys- read this book, relax and apply its wisdom. This book is more entertaining than Must See TV, funnier than a drunken cat, and more useful than a can opener. Put down that porno and get passive. It's not as fun at first, but pays greater dividends over the long term. Plus it's not as sticky.

As it says in the introduction by Franklin Parlamis, if you want to pick up stupid girls at your local dive, this book ain't going to be for you. But if you want to attract pretty and intelligent women, the type of women you can maybe have a long and sustained and fun relationship with, well them, it's time to plunk down some cash for this amazing book. I did, and let me tell you that the commentary is actually incisive and right on, two traits that you never attribute to self-help books, or rather, most self-help books. Mr. Parlamis truly knows what the modern man and modern woman is thinking about, and his delivery of the theories he expounds upon are no less genius than the telephone or white bread. It's simple technology that can have profound results. Try reading it and you will succeed.

Looks like the reviewers are pretty much split down the middle on this book -- half of them think it's lame, the other half thinks it's nothing short of a masterpiece. Pencil me in with the latter group, Franklin Parlamis has hit the nail on the head with this one. To start with, it's insightful and, at times, thought-provoking. On just about every page I had to stop and think about what he was saying. Not because it was hard to grasp (that's actually part of the beauty of The Passive Man's Guide, it's an easy read), but because it was mind-opening and made me think in terms of myself and my social life. Secondly, it's funny -- downright funny. He had me laughing non-stop.

The bottom line is you shouldn't miss out on this book. It's one of the better self-help dating books that works. The advice is practical and the techniques aren't throw-aways. And you will get better with women -- with this amazing book who couldn't?

This book gives a weak perspective on the topic. There is really nothing appealing in its pages, just a complilation of narratives with a weak analysis. If you don't have really anything to do this book will entertain you for a while, but I wouldn't count on learning anything from it.

Need I say more? Just purchase this gem and watch your social life and skills improve!

Everything you ever wanted to know about meeting girls! 'How to Pick Up Girls' is a classic, and the best book ever, on approaching women. It reveals that the terrific girl standing in line at the bank, sitting at a table in a cafe, or lying at the beach will almost always be receptive to an honest and friendly advance. If she isn't, it could be for reasons that have nothing to do with you. Even if they do, the worst thing to do is let it disqualify you from this exciting and rewarding activity. There are plenty of other great girls who will appreciate your efforts, and be grateful to you for turning what might have been a dull time into a very special moment. This gem of a book is based on interviews with a wide variety of fabulous women, as well as Eric Weber's remarkable girl-meeting perceptions, observations, and strategies. A well written and enjoyable read, 'How to Pick Up Girls' has yet to have any other work on the subject come close. Definitely three thumbs up for this one! - review by Jason Evans

I hadn't felt such a fool until I bought and read this booklet.
Don't waste your time and money.
And don't let Mr. Weber make you feel like a fool for buying such a nonsense thing.

I agree whole-heartedly with Mr. Russell. This is a terrific book that supplies lines for every possible situation(or almost every possible situation). Okay, some of them aren't that great, but the trick is to take what Mr. Weber knows(he's a master) and apply it to your own life. And the lines range from one end of the spectrum to the other, that is, you can be serious, polite, stupid(to show that you are really a man after all) or downright off-the-wall. It sure helped me develop a quicker, sharper, wittier mind around the ladies, and I too would recommend it in an instant.

I first bought one of Eric's books several years ago and have recommended his writings to several other single guys. I strongly recommend this book as a source for opening lines. Although many of the lines you will not use, the book helps you to think of GREAT lines in an instant...

This book has more errors than should ever be allowed in a professional product. There are typo's in both text and examples. The CD does not contain the source code from the book and I vote this the worst source ever of any computer based information I have found to date. It has left me very unsure of the publishers (QUE) standards and I may never purchase another QUE book again. I simply do not trust them. Spend your hard earned money on a different choice

"Special Edition Using Java, Second Edition" is an excellent reference to JDK 1.0.2. However, today (April 15), only a month and a half after being billed as "Computer Programming Expert Editor's Recommended Book, 03/01/97", it is a dated reference and the cover claims of JDK 1.1 coverage fall short--they are preliminary and peripheral to primary Java programming topics. For example, there is no coverage of the major changes in the Java event model of JDK 1.1, which permeate almost every application. I recommend waiting for better JDK 1.1 coverage, hopefully in Joseph Weber's new version, "Special Edition Using Java 1.1" which has not yet been released, but for which Amazon is taking orders today

This book is nothing if not large. This was QUEs attempt to capture the entire spectrum of JAVA and make it easy to understand (a task that they accomplished) but then the standards changed again. This is still a great book for learning Java; but, you will have to move on to other resources for news on the updates