Oh dear. Based on this material, I think the author must have been paid per cliché. I downloaded this audiobook thinking I'd enjoy listening to an upbeat, fun guide read by Penn Jillette. Perhaps I'd pick up a few tips that might be helpful in social interactions. However, I found Jaye's humor to contrived, self-congratulatory, and one-dimensional. The stream of "just for yuks" gags soon wore thin. Very thin. There was also a sort of snake-oily smarminess to the advice that made my skin crawl.
Does this make me a "loser, not a schmoozer?" I don't think so.
Well-well-well, what do we get here? - Social graces service! Making good stuff happen! While I like the idea, I'm sort of horrified at the rest of this: - One has to lug around a ton of 'tchotchkes' and throwing them at everyone, pretty much all the time - Offering a car repairman to take off one's pants for him to get the car in shape (both are guys) (now I know how the Germans have come up upon the repairmen trope in porn), all the while kneeling before him (O_O) - Finding out whether someone else's cheeks would fall of in case they smile (don't ask!)
I have never been very good at schmoozing. After reading this book I am no better at it. This probably has something to do with the fact that it is ten years old and contains advice like greeting sales clerks with "Hi-ya, good lookin'!" before asking for a favor, discount, etc. Apparently this tactic works for the author nine times out of ten...clearly his experience of the world is different from mine.
I thought this was about professional development but it talked a lot about finding your right mate.....I quit reading at that point (I already found him)
Some of this advice is over the top and would not work in non-American settings, but it is a lot of fun to listen to and always gives me good ideas for creating a sense of connection with others.