Product Description

For anyone who needs a little help finding love, this book is the ultimate dating makeover kit!

The line at Starbucks. The movies. The Internet. Even the dry cleaners... there are dozens of opportunites to seize the date, but millions of lonely singles pass them by!

David Wygant shows readers just how easy it can be to overcome fear and meet new people in their daily routines. David explains the three simple steps to getting a date with ease: being prepared, being aware, and making contact.

Always Talk to Strangers breaks away from pop psychology, gimmicks, and rules to offer concrete information on how single people actually meet--and successfully date--other singles. No mind games, cheap tricks, or corny pickup lines here. Just common sense, and specific information on:

- Where to go to meet people, and when
- Why bars and clubs are the worst places to get a date
- Overcoming fear and negative thinking
- Using props to start a natural conversation
- Making a great first impression
- Spotting opportunity--and going for it!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107323 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
According to the 2000 census, there are 82 million single adults in the United States. Why, then, do so many have such a difficult time finding a partner? The problem, Wygant contends, is that too many people are "Passive Waiters," who lazily wait for love to arrive while, everyday, opportunities are passing them by. A dating coach billed as the "Dr. Phil for the single set," Wygant offers a sensible book that deconstructs the "myths" that contribute to this mentality (i.e., that everyone is "entitled" to love; that "love is fate"; that "men are supposed to make the first move"; etc.) and gives singles advice on how to achieve a new sense of self and improve their perspective on dating. He walks readers through a mental and physical makeover, complete with checklists that include tips on personal hygiene and overcoming dating anxiety. Then he discusses all types of dating scenarios, from blind dating to Internet dating. He even suggests out-of-the-ordinary places to meet people (gas stations, political campaign rallies, etc.) and guides readers over various hurdles (i.e., how to approach a potential date and how and when to make the first phone call). "Meeting new people to date is easy and fun, and can open up your entire world if you treat it as a journey rather than a chore," Wygant writes. This accessible book, with its practical advice and breezing writing, will help readers take the first step on that journey.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
David Wygant's clientele ranges from everyday people to celebrities, actors, and millionaires. He is a ubiquitous radio personality, and has appeared on Dateline, MTV's Made and Sex2k, CBS Good Morning, UPN News, ABC News, Inside Edition, and Blind Date. He has been featured in publications including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Business Journal, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, and New York. He also lectures at seminars such as The Singles Boot Camp and has recorded a CD series entitled The Pickup Game.

Customer Reviews

From the Author
Normally, I would not dignify the so-called reviews of my book by BcWendel or Dave Badger by posting a response. However, when one spends two years of his life writing a book that two people wrote about, but obviously didn't read I have no choice but to set the record straight. Starting with Mr. Bc Wendell who says that my tips for a physical makeover sucked and were lame. The tips on the physical makeover section of the book are not meant to make everyone look the same. They are however a common sense guide to what is and what is not in style at the moment. I wonder exactly which style and hygiene tips Mr. Wendal takes issue with. Was it that we encourage people to clean their nails, remove long strands of hair from their ears and nose, discourage flashy diamonds and gaudy gold jewelry, or was it our disparaging remarks about the mullet.

Moving on-Mr. Wendel states that the parts about meeting people are "dumb." First, Mr. Wendel states that he has never known anyone to have gone on a blind date. According to New York Magazine over 43% of the people they've polled have been on blind dates as a single person. That's almost 1 in 2 people Mr. Wendel. As for online dating being a "horrible scam." Over 10 million single people a year use the internet now to meet new people to date. Personally, I know many couples who have met and married through internet dating sites. Internet dating is not a scam and is a healthy modern way for busy adults to meet other adults.

As for the dialogue for meeting people on the streets seeming fake-again, I wonder what Mr. Wendel takes issue with. Is it a mature adult man being able to walk up to a mature woman and say, "Hello. My name is BC Wendel. I saw you, thought you looked interesting and wanted to introduce myself?" If someone is too shy to make such a direct approach, we have provided alternatives such as the indirect approach whereby a person can ease into conversation by using their surroundings and environment. For instance, a man shopping in a supermarket can look at a woman holding a bag of coffee and say, "I tried that brand. It's good. However, if you haven't tried this brand, you should. It's great." By using the coffee as a prop, the man can easily segue into a conversation with the woman, and for those shy people out there, it is a good icebreaker.

Moving on to Mr. Dave Badger. Again, he goes to the Physical Makeover chapter where he states: "basically it says to find someone with good fashion sense to advise." The book's Physical Makeover section runs from page 37 to page 75 and is divided up into sections regarding Grooming, Personal Hygiene, and Fashion. Then, under each section, there are numerous subsections which go into a tremendous amount of detail about how to care for yourself and how to dress in way that never goes out of style. Although I respect Mr. Badger's opinion, I think he must have missed something. The Blind Dating section which Badger says simply says we say, "go on Blind dates" is also a fabrication. The Blind dating section begins on Page 81 and ends on page 95 and gives very detailed examples of how to initiate blind dates complete with dialogued scenarios. I don't know what book Mr. Badger was reading, but it sure wasn't mine. Badger goes on to say that "I expected more detail on starting a conversation with a stranger, but the best he can come up with is a few paragraphs with gems such as "Hi, you're beautiful" or "Say, that's a nice bracelet."" Page 95 to roughly 215 is filled with one example after another about how to meet new people to date. Numerous scenarios are given that people can use. They are there to jog the reader's creativity and can be used in similar situations. Tell a woman you see that she has a nice bracelet on her arm is a way to start a conversation with a stranger. It is a segue into other areas of conversation such as what is it made out of, where did she get it, does she like jewelry, where can I get one for my sisters birthday, does she like Italian jewelry or French jewelry, has she ever traveled to Italy or France, if so where has she stayed and what restaurants has she eaten in, if not would she like to go and what places has she traveled to. Asking a woman about her bracelet or complimenting her bracelet is just a way into a conversation-the rest is up to you. As for being no more insightful than your mom. He's right. Moms are filled with common sense. That is basically what I preach in this book-common sense. Unfortunately, in our modern world, common sense has been lost. Mr. Badger would like you to read "The System" by Roy Valentine. How sad that when it comes to meeting new people for love and passion people shun common sense and instead fall for deception and manipulation in books like The System or The Rules. Should words like system and love even be in the same sentence?

Common Sense or Profound Insight?!?
Wygant paints a promising picture for those navigating the landscape that is singledom and toward that end, he proferrs three fundamentals for overhauling your dating life: Preparation, When & Where to Meet People, and Making Contact. Wygant has little confidence in the possibility of meeting potential love interests in bars and clubs and instead advocates trying to meet people during your daily routine. The section on "Making Contact" is, really, the crux of the book and probably the most revealing and helpful among the three fundamentals. Wygant presents the material well and liberally adds anecdotes to emphasize or illustrate points. Although some (most?) of what Wygant presents is common sense (he indicates as much in a few parts of the book), his advice is worth heeding and -- I suspect -- will yield success not only in singledom but also in other areas of your life.

Sometimes You Need A Reminder
I am New York City-kinda girl living in New York City...it's virtually impossible to not meet someone in this city. There are kinds of places for all the kinds of people you want to meet. Clubs, bars, restaurants, museums, parks, subways, standing in one of the inevitable lines, street-corners(and, no, I am not alluding to the "professional" variety. But if that's your thing...). And up until a few years ago, I was doing all right. First, second and third dates were more then norm than the exception. Then came the end of school, working full time and studying for the bar exam. I got myself into a routine of leaving for work before the mad rush, leaving for home after the mad rush, eating lunch at my desk and eating dinner in bed before I went to sleep. I walked to and fro with my mind, eyes and ears buried in my iPod.

Then I happened upon ALWAYS TALK TO STRANGERS. For me, (I like to think) it wasn't so much a source of new tools, new avenues for meeting people. It was a reminder. A reminder to be proactive: walk to and fro with your head up, ears open and look at people. Smile at those who look back. Talk to the man who's in the same section of the books store, even if you have to ask him a question you already know the answer to. And being in New York, it's always easy to strike up conversation anywhere. For example, my last date was the result of "Someone forgot to take her medication this morning": my comment to an attractive man on the street corner about someone who was talking to "one of the friends" in her head.

My lesson from this book: Anytime, anywhere, anyplace...just speak up! It isn't about about finding your soul mate, it isn't about finding the love of your life. It's about the possibility of finding those things, and possibilities increase with each and every chance you take on the stranger standing next to you.