Other reviews have mentioned that some of the advice like playing "clueless boy" will be obvious to women, and I agree that it is. However, I think the point is to try to fool yourself into thinking that they won't. I think it's easier for a shy guy to talk to a girl with the mindset that you're only asking her questions and not for a date.
Although this book is not for the truly shy guy, I think it does offer some good hints for someone who can talk to girls but has trouble asking them out.
The upside of this book is that Barry reminds how important it is to be persistent. Anyone who's been through a dating dry spell knows that it's hard to pick yourself up and keep going at times. We all need inspiration to keep going at times. Barry also does a good job addressing scenario specific information and handling each stage of the dating process. He reminds us that:
getting a phone number doesn't equal success.
It's not a date until you're at her door and she's waiting.
don;t tell to many people about your dates before they happen in case things fall through.
- and other useful tips to avoid embarrassing situations
Fro some reason, he reviews the sexual basepaths (1st base, 2nd base) Why? I have no idea
What I didn't like about this book was that Barry offers some silly ideas for approaching women. For example:
He suggests ideas such as pretending to be "clueless" boy looking for information girl. My experience is that, unless you're really feeling clueless and need information, this is a waste of time.
Barry also suggests talking to girls while waiting in line for the bathroom at bars. What he fails to mention is that these girls are forced to talk to you or they'll lose their place in line. A better idea is to wait for the girl to separate herself from her friends(wait till she goes to the bar for a drink). This way a) you've got her semi-alone b) she isn't trapped, like she'd be at the bathroom.
Barry makes a good point when he says that it's usually a waste of time to chase the hottest girl in the bar and that there are many "cute" girls that are readily available. However, at times it seemed like he was encouraging the shy guy to lower his standards.
I'll give this book 2 stars because there's some good material there but overall, the advice is severely lacking.