TLDR: Got some good book recs for those that like to read self-improvement books or want insight into male-female dynamics.

Hi everyone. I think TRP encompasses a lot of ideas. And from reading threads the past month since I've joined, it seems everyone has different ideas of TRP. I wanted to share some books I've read that I think are helpful to people who are learning TRP and are wanting to improve themselves in general (which is the overlying purpose of TRP, IMO). I recommend getting a paperback, and just setting aside an hour or 2 here and there. It's principles, not a story, so you won't have to worry about getting lost.

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  1. Sperm Wars (http://amzn.to/1Y8ZcqX) I read this about 5 years ago and it blew my mind. It was the first time reading about successful sexual strategies of humans over the course of our existence and evolutionary psychology and how everything we do really has one purpose: procreate. More interesting, it introduced to me the concept of the cunning female, a person not violent, but intelligent and deceitful and has probably ruined many men here on TRP ( "alpha fux beta bux").

  2. 48 Laws of Power (http://amzn.to/1TYCKRV) This book is for anyone wanting to play "The Game of Thrones" or acquire power. It has historical snippets with ideas and principles for people looking to gain power, status, influence, all of which we should strive for. Does feel verbose at times because there literally are several stories for each law. A key takeaway is the word "Machiavellian", which is playing politics, being cunning, using deceit... putting aside compassion and empathy to get what you need.

  3. The Attraction Code (can't find a link to a buying site, but downloads are out there) I just saw a dude getting chewed out by his girlfriend outside a Starbucks and damn... he could use this book. This is one of several PUA-geared books Ive read. I enjoyed this one the most mainly because it was a well-structured book. The author introduces a fictional Beta that makes all the wrong moves with women and then explains what this Beta is doing wrong. Discusses very basic concepts such as status, male attractiveness vs female attractiveness, and female psychology. Talks a lot of "keeping frame" - type ideas. A lot of "aha" moments if your ex-gf ever lost interest in you, started treating you differently, and you wondered wtf happened.

  4. How to Win Friends and Influence People (http://amzn.to/1VMm2o1) This is a more practical version of 48 Laws of Power. If 48 is how to deal with powerful people, this book shows you easy, but not widely known strategies of dealing with everyday people: difficult coworkers, bosses, underlings, assholes, etc. I would say it aims to teach you grace, guile, charisma, charm, management skills, and finding success in interpersonal duels. I think I read this first when I was around 19. If you are young and/or socially incompetent, this is definitely good reading to go with general social skills reading.

  5. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (http://amzn.to/24zp0fV) Stephen Covey
    Not directly related to TRP, but if you have goals, shit to do, work to be done, you need these basic skills in order to succeed. Some overlap with #4. Rec'd for working people, parents, people growing their business, and anyone who feels they could be more efficient with time. The thing is, they're basic, but they're skills/knowledge, so that means they need to be learned/taught. some of you, maybe you had parents that taught you to plan shit when you were young. I was mid 20s before I even learned how to use a planner. Holy shit how did I survive before? Best thing that happened to me. Another guy I saw here on askTRP was saying how he disappoints himself because he can't get shit done. So I told him to make a list of things to do in the morning and do only the things on the list. He ended up doing it and was surprised how effective it was. Hopefully he still uses it.

EDIT: Glad to see a lot of people enjoy reading too. Looks like I've got some books I should add to my Amazon buy list. Also, The Attraction Code is by Vin Di Carlo. bxdiplomat has a link: http://www54.zippyshare.com/v/0VDjGLeO/file.html or you can go to the buying/ad page at http://www.theattractioncodebook.com/ ($69). Unfortunately no paperback.

EDIT 2: I was showing a friend this list. He suggested supplementing #5 with something more focused on time management skills. So he suggested a self-improvement guru Brian Tracy's book Time Management (http://amzn.to/1UhlvcP). Also, I assure you it's not some self-improvement malarky like "The Secret". It's real skills and real talk. Skills for people who find themselves procrastinating and not getting shit done (young me). Really opened my eyes to how much time is wasted by your average employee and why some people move up while others don't (snippet here: https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0814433448).

EDIT 3: The reading of these books are what I consider time "investments." My definition of investment is something that you do now that will pay you back at a greater rate later. Education is a great example. We have pre-meds in society in school not making money until they're in their late 20s, but their lack of pay and money spent on tuition pays itself off and more for the rest of their lives. These books are education, but not a formal type. You pay ~$10+ and spend a day reading, and it'll help you in the future. You may have to read many times to cement the ideas in your mind (I definitely do), but it is an investment nevertheless. With that said, they may be boring to read, because this isnt' Harry Potter or A Song of Fire and Ice -- there's no compelling story. But in the end, it will help you for the rest of your life (and hopefully you can pass these principles to your good friends, children, etc) and really that is why the TRP is so powerful: it is meant to impact your life for the better.