DATING INSIDER
( Extract From Chapter 3)

Some have been asking about our last section dealing with sex appeal and what is deemed 'social superiority', asking if we could could elaborate on that theme just a bit. People have asked if we could provide a few examples of individuals who best exhibited the traits we'd discussed. How did characters like Napoleon, who rose from nothing to become Emperor of France, or his cabinet member Tallyrand achieve such things?

The very best method of elaboration though is to discuss three books we've picked out that would be a great starting point for such study; they discuss all of the secrets such 'ordinary' men have employed to get whatever it is they most wanted, be it that amazing job, that great salary, or that flawless woman (remember, Napoleon was able - through pure tenacity and knowing when to 'be at the right place at the right time' - to also win Josephine, who was not really taken with the 'Little Corporal' at first. That would change). And, these books can all be found on the Net, making them free to you.

One of the very best is the oldest: a 2,500-year-old book on strategy and tactics called "The Art of War," and written by a man named Sun Tzu (the title 'Tzu' is honorary; it means 'master'). Is is the oldest known book on strategy ever written, and has been used by most of the best generals throughout the ages; in fact, it served as the basis for Napoleon's whole philosophy of life. To be honest, while this book may not be the best known of the three we discuss, it's almost certainly the best of the lot.

Don't let the fact that it deals with basic military thought keep you from pulling it down, or buying it somewhere if you'd rather have a good hardcopy; most of its musings can be easily applied to any facet of a person's life. For instance, when Japanese businesses through the 70s and 80s wanted to discover how to take on the giant US industries and come out on top again and again, they used Sun Tzu's book almost as their business bible. You can pull down a pretty cool version, complete with commentary to explain the more obscure sayings of the master, here.

For about the last 500 years, no person who has really been successful in politics or most businesses has gone without the teachings Niccolo Machiavelli put forth in his book, The Prince. It is the book on realpolitik. Not that his almost frightening honesty has always made him popular; for a while, more genteel 'men of goodwill' identified the author of the slender volume with Satan himself. His policies were used extensively by Tallyrand; it was always well-read by many in the Nixon and Reagan administrations, and was said to be a favorite of Nixon's; Clinton knew much of it by heart, and turned to it when he was having his most damaging troubles at the beginning of his presidency. If you recall, he would later go through a great scandal involving an intern and a stained dress, while simultaneously becoming the most popular peacetime president in history.

Then there's the personal maxims of Napoleon; you can pull down a fine version here. To give you a good idea of what you might be missing if you don't wish to check out the full maxims, (or if you'd rather not leave this site ), we've added a fair number of his statements below. It will give you a fine idea of his mind, and what you may wish to do to become that unstoppable success, with women, with business - in whatever you try.