Looks: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined    Compare

This book goes beyond the realm of dating to look into the many ways we are socially impacted by our 'looks' (aka physical attractiveness).

I personally found it a useful read because I wasn't aware of just how far our physical attractiveness goes in its impact on our lives. It goes very far, in a pretty discomforting way. It's definitely not something that fits into our politically correct view of the world. It gave me greater clarity and put my own personal experiences into a better context.

The main reason this is a worthy read is because...

It's Credible Information from 40 Years of Research

For most of the people reading this from the dating sphere, I imagine they want some credible evidence as to how much effort they need to put into their appearance to improve their results. There are far too many diverging opinions on this subject going from "none" to "it's everything".

This book delivers on this without getting super technical and impossible to read like some books from research academics.

The author of the book, Dr. Gordon Patzer, has been researching the subject of physical attractiveness since 1973, which positions him as a pretty high quality source for information. Those of you that follow us know we like information quality a lot.

Sidenote: I interviewed Gordon Patzer in Dating Skills Podcast episode 41. We discussed a lot of topics in the dating area, definitely an episode not to miss.

Most of the book is backed up by specific studies and research that has been carried out over time, and the names of researchers and particular studies are included. The author also does a good job of staying on the sidelines and being objective about what can and cannot be said given the research done.

So if you're looking for more clarity on the subject - this book is a good solution for that.

Interesting Scenarios and Situations Examined

Instead of staying generic, one of the highlights of this book is that it looks at the subject contextually. So it looks at questions like:

• What motivates women when they just want casual sex?
• How important is physical attractiveness to women for marriage?
• How does a woman's sexual drive influence her decisions?
• Under what situations can plastic upgrades actually work in your favor?
• How influenced are men by cosmetics, fashion and other unnatural upgrades women use?
• Are there any situations where you aren't being judged on your looks?
• Are your physical preferences influenced by the age of your parents?
• Etc….

So there's a lot of background covered which rather than giving you any specific ideas about what to do, will just generally filter into your mind and give you more ideas related to your own experiences and how you may have been influenced in different situations.

We Like Implementation - Does This Book Help Any?

Obviously this is not a how to book with any directly implementable advice.

There are areas where it hints at aspects of your physical attractiveness that you have more control over and can improve with significant results. But it stops there.

The one aspect of implementation that this book can be useful in is by supporting your inner game, via your beliefs. Our beliefs get stronger as we get more clarity on a subject. This book directly feeds into that clarity of course, and thus your beliefs.

This can specifically help you with motivation and willpower. An area of inner game not typically discussed, but the fundamental stumbling block of many men on their journey to success in their dating lives.

So, advice on what to do? No. But it could help to push you in the right direction if you take in the content and feed it into your motivation.

The Bottom Line

This book isn't for everyone. It's probably a better fit for the more 'study' inclined of you, and those who like to understand the research behind a subject.

However, I would recommend it for men no matter their study-preference in one particular situation. Have you got down to work on your physical attractiveness and image yet? If you haven't, and it's in anyway linked to inaction, lack of motivation, belief or willpower - this is a good read for you.

Why? With clarity, comes greater belief, comes easier action. Once you've read this book you will have a better idea of how your looks impact you everyday - especially in the area of dating. That naturally motivates more action.