Neil Strauss

{{Infobox person

| name = Neil Strauss

| image = NeilStraussJan2009.jpg

| birth_name = Neil Darrow Strauss

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|3|9}}

| alt =

| caption = Strauss in January 2009

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| nationality =

| citizenship =

| other_names = {{hlist|Style|Chris Powles}}

| notable works = The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists

| alma_mater = Columbia University

| occupation = Writer

}}

Neil Darrow Strauss (born March 9, 1969),{{cite book |title=Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life |last=Strauss |first=Neil |year=2009 |location=New York |publisher=Harper |isbn=978-0-06-089877-9 |page=407 |url=https://archive.org/details/emergencythisboo0000stra/}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/neil_strauss |title=Neil Strauss |author= |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=2023-04-08 |quote= Birthday: Mar 9, 1969; Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA.}} also known by the pen names Style and Chris Powles, is an American author and journalist. His book The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, describes his experiences in the seduction community in an effort to become a "pickup artist". He is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and also wrote regularly for The New York Times.{{cite news|url=http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/s/neil_strauss/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=neil%20strauss&st=cse | work=The New York Times | title=Times Topics – Neil Strauss | access-date=June 17, 2011}}

Early life and education

Strauss was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 9, 1969. After graduating from high school at the Latin School of Chicago in 1987,Latin Magazine, [http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/93284/ Fall 2011], [http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/93284/47 p. 46.] Strauss attended Vassar College,The Game, p. 77.[http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0106/0106thegame.txt The metrosexual as lion], review of The Game by Bernard Chapin, January 9, 2006 then transferred toDoreian, Robyn (March 28, 2011), [http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/regrets-of-a-pickup-artist-20110328-1ccv9.html "Regrets of a pick-up artist"], The Age. and subsequently graduated in psychology from Columbia University in 1991.Columbia College Today, [http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/may_jun06/bookshelf1.php May/June 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928035120/http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/may_jun06/bookshelf1.php |date=September 28, 2013 }}:

"The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists by Neil Strauss ’91."{{Cite web|title=Bookshelf {{!}} Columbia College Today|url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/sep_oct10/bookshelf|access-date=2021-09-26|website=www.college.columbia.edu}} While in school he began his career writing for Ear, an avant-garde magazine, and editing his first book, Radiotext(e), an anthology of radio-related writings for the postmodern publisher Semiotext(e). He moved on to The Village Voice, where, prior to becoming a reporter and critic, he took on tasks ranging from copyediting to fact-checking to writing copy.{{citation |url=http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2005/11/07/interview-neil-strauss-author/ |title=Interview: Neil Strauss, Author |publisher=Slushpile |date=2005-11-07 |access-date=2015-04-23}}

Strauss has been identified as Jewish by The Jewish Journal.{{cite news |last=Arfa |first=Orit |date=2010-11-01 |title=How to Pick Up Tough Israeli Chicks |url=https://jewishjournal.com/uncategorized/84242/how-to-pick-up-tough-israeli-chicks/ |work=The Jewish Journal |access-date=2023-04-08 |quote=Jewish men, like Ross Jeffries and Neil Strauss...}} When asked about his ethnic background in an interview, Strauss simply stated that "my parents are very secretive".{{cite news |last=Arfa |first=Orit |date=2010-05-11 |title=You Don't Have to Be Jewish to Need Pickup Advice |url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/79285/you-dont-have-to-be-jewish-to-need-pickup-advice/ |work=The Jewish Journal |access-date=2023-04-08}}

Career

Strauss was invited by Jon Pareles{{cite web|last=Singer |first=Jill |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a2441.asp |title=So What Do You Do, Neil Strauss? |publisher=Mediabistro |date=2004-08-17 |access-date=2015-04-23}} to become a music critic at The New York Times where he wrote the Pop Life column and front-page stories on Wal-Mart's CD-editing policies, music censorship, radio payola, and the lost wax figures of country music stars.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/12/arts/wal-mart-s-cd-standards-are-changing-pop-music.html | work=The New York Times | title=Wal-Mart's CD Standards Are Changing Pop Music | first=Neil | last=Strauss | date=November 12, 1996 | access-date=May 20, 2010}}

He was then invited by Jann Wenner to become a contributing editor at Rolling Stone where he wrote cover stories on Kurt Cobain, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Orlando Bloom, the Wu-Tang Clan, Gwen Stefani, Stephen Colbert, and Marilyn Manson.

He won the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for his coverage of Kurt Cobain's death for Rolling Stone and his profile of Eric Clapton in The New York Times Arts & Leisure section. Strauss also contributed to Esquire, Maxim, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, Details, and The Source in addition to writing liner notes for albums by Nirvana and others.{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/11/21/nirvana-box-set-stunning-but-needs-tour-guide/ |work=Chicago Tribune|title=Nirvana box set stunning - but needs tour guide |date=2004-11-21 |access-date=2015-04-23}} He has also appeared in Beck's music video Sexx Laws which also featured Jack Black, in Thirty Seconds to Mars' video Up in the Air, and he made a brief appearance as a cancer patient in episode 4, season six of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

= ''The Game'' and the seduction community =

After leaving The New York Times to ghostwrite Jenna Jameson's memoirs, Strauss joined a sub-culture of pick-up artists known as the seduction community, creating the persona of "Style" in 2001[http://www.datingskillsreview.com/neil-strauss/ Neil Strauss (Style)], Dating Skills Review and pseudonym of "Chris Powles", eventually publishing an article in The New York Times about his experiences in 2004.{{cite news |title=He Aims! He Shoots! Yes!! |first=Neil |last=Strauss |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/25/style/he-aims-he-shoots-yes.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 25, 2004 |access-date=May 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214214049/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/25/style/he-aims-he-shoots-yes.html |archive-date=February 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} In 2005, he published The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists (Regan Books, 2005), a book about his transformation into "Style", a pickup artist under the tutelage of Mystery. In addition to documenting his experiences with pickup artists like Mystery, Steve P, Rasputin (Hypnotica), Ross Jeffries, and numerous others, it also describes his interactions with celebrities including Britney Spears,{{cite web |last=Tang |first=Dennis |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/what-it-feels-like/ESQ0805WIFL_100_14 |title=What It Feels Like...to Pick Up Britney Spears |publisher=Esquire.com |date=2007-02-18 |access-date=2015-04-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070222091127/http://www.esquire.com/features/what-it-feels-like/ESQ0805WIFL_100_14 |archive-date=February 22, 2007 |df=mdy-all }} Tom Cruise, and Courtney Love.

The book made a month-long appearance in The New York Times bestsellers list in September–October 2005, and reached the #1 position on Amazon.com immediately after its release in the United States. Strauss appeared on various TV shows, including The View and ABC Primetime, and he participated in many book signings.[http://sbpu.blip.tv/file/108302/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130070618/http://sbpu.blip.tv/file/108302/|date=January 30, 2008}}{{cite web|url=http://attraction-chronicles.blogspot.com/2006/04/neil-strauss-on-abc-primetime-live.html |title=Dating Advice for Men: Neil Strauss On ABC Primetime Live! (Video) |publisher=Attraction-chronicles.blogspot.com |date=2006-03-04 |access-date=2015-04-23}} It was optioned to be made into a film by Spyglass Entertainment, with Chris Weitz adapting and producing.[https://hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002074610] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904193813/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002074610|date=September 4, 2009}}

After publishing the book, Strauss temporarily retired as a pickup artist and settled with a longtime girlfriend Lisa Leveridge, who played guitar in Courtney Love's band The Chelsea.Emma Forrest: "[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1565502,00.html All the right moves.]" The Observer, September 11, 2005

An article in the Sunday Mirror suggested that Leveridge broke up with Strauss in February 2006 to date Robbie Williams.{{cite news |url=http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/news/tm_objectid=16720582%26method=full%26siteid=62484-name_page.html |title=Exclusive: She's the 6ft One |first=Euan |last=Stretch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060721211655/http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/news/tm_objectid=16720582%26method=full%26siteid=62484-name_page.html |archive-date=July 21, 2006 |publisher=SundayMirror.co.uk |date=February 19, 2006}}

His follow-up book, the graphic novel How to Make Money Like a Porn Star, was published on September 26, 2006. The same year, "Shoot", Strauss' short film about becoming a rock star, was released. He co-wrote, directed and performed in Shoot. Also in 2006, in collaboration with Dave Navarro and Entourage writer Cliff Dorfman, he created a one-hour TV drama The Product for FX.Daily Variety, August 18, 2006, "FX amps up rock drama" by Denise Martin He also worked with James Gandolfini on a show, Roadies, for HBO.{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/neilstrauss/james-gandolfini-neil-strauss-letter |title=Author Neil Strauss' Emotional Memories Of His Friend James Gandolfini |publisher=BuzzFeed|access-date=2016-04-23}} In 2007, he released a follow-up to The Game, Rules of the Game, a two-book boxed set.

Strauss has continued to be involved with pickup artistry through his dating coaching company Stylelife Academy, founded in 2007. Most of the coaching is done by employed coaches, rather than Strauss himself, though he does make appearances at yearly conferences and in some video products sold by the company.{{cite web|url=http://www.stylelife.com/phase2xl/about/ |title=The Online Academy for Attraction - Arts and Sciences |publisher=Stylelife |access-date=2015-04-23}}

In 2012, Strauss released a board game/party game as a follow up to The Game and Rules of the Game called "Who's Got Game? The Game with Benefits".{{cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/neil-strauss/book-into-board-game_b_1250397.html |title=How to Win Friends and Influence Girls | Neil Strauss |publisher=HuffPost |date= February 2, 2012|access-date=2015-04-23}}

Strauss is credited with popularizing the pick-up artist community and making its existence widely known.{{cite web | first = Orit |last=Arfa | url = https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/79285/you-dont-have-to-be-jewish-to-need-pickup-advice/ | title = You Don't Have to Be Jewish to Need Pickup Advice | date = May 11, 2010 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20191210005624/https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/79285/you-dont-have-to-be-jewish-to-need-pickup-advice/ | archive-date = December 10, 2019 | url-status = live | access-date = August 19, 2019 }} In an October 2015 interview he said of that community "there are some really damaged people with hateful and distorted views of reality gathering other people who share those views", attracting people with "neurotic wounds" and with "character disorders", trying to find help and to change themselves.{{cite news |author=Notopoulos |first=Katie |date=October 23, 2015 |title=The Man Who Helped Invent Pickup Artist Culture Now Sees It As "Hateful" |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/neil-strauss-is-worried-about-pickup-artists |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423155935/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/neil-strauss-is-worried-about-pickup-artists |archive-date=April 23, 2019 |journal=BuzzFeed News}}

=Marriage and divorce=

On August 31, 2013, Strauss married the model Ingrid De La O, whom he met in 2010. Before the wedding, he held a funeral-themed bachelor's party, laying to rest his "Style" persona.{{cite web|url=https://tmz.com/2013/08/23/the-game-neil-strauss-married-bachelor-party-single-life-dead/ |title='The Game' Author Neil Strauss - My Single Life Is Dead! |work=TMZ |date=2013-08-23 |access-date=2015-04-23}}

In March 2015, Strauss had a child.{{cite web|url=http://www.neilstrauss.com/player-3/ |title=Welcome to the World... |publisher=Neilstrauss.com |access-date=2015-04-23}} His book The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships was released on October 13, 2015. The Truth, a sequel to The Game, covers his struggles to build and maintain a relationship with Ingrid after his years of immersion in the seduction community.

Strauss and Ingrid De La O divorced in October 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://theblast.com/c/neil-strauss-divorce|title=Famous Pickup Artist Neil Strauss Files for Divorce|date=2018-10-11|website=The Blast|language=en|access-date=2019-10-09}}{{Cite web|url=https://thegabbyreeceshow.libsyn.com/how-does-neil-strauss-author-of-the-game-manage-modern-dating-life-after-divorce-fatherhood-and-the-next-chapter-of-his-life|title=The Gabby Reece Show: How Does Neil Strauss, Author of 'The Game', Manage Modern Dating, Life After Divorce, Fatherhood and The Next Chapter of His Life|website=thegabbyreeceshow.libsyn.com}}

=Other works=

On March 4, 2009, The New York Times wrote that Strauss (along with rock biographer Anthony Bozza) had started his own publishing company, Igniter, as an imprint of HarperCollins. Igniter's first title was The Man Behind the Nose, published in 2010. It was followed by Satan Is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers, published in 2012.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/books/05harper.html/|title= HarperCollins Puts Its Money on New 'It Books' Imprint|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2015-04-23}}

Strauss's 2009 book, Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life (Harper), for which he spent three years among survivalists, tax-dodgers, billionaire businessmen, and the government itself,{{cite news|url=https://latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-neil-strauss10-2009mar10,0,3720787.story|title=Neil Strauss is ready for any emergency|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=March 10, 2009|access-date=March 13, 2013}} was hailed by Rolling Stone as an "escape plan" for the current world crisis.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} It entered The New York Times bestseller list at No. 3.{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7DE163EF93AA15750C0A96F9C8B63&scp=64&sq=vaz&st=nyt |title=PAPERBACK BEST SELLERS - ADVICE, HOW TO AND MISCELLANEOUS - Sunday, March 29th 2009 - List |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2009-03-29 |access-date=2015-04-23}}

He received the presidents Volunteer Service Award for his search-and-rescue work during the writing of Emergency. The rights to the movie were picked up by Columbia Pictures, with Robert Downey Jr. attached as a producer and probable lead actor.{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/10/downey-and-emergency.html |title=An 'Emergency' for Robert Downey Jr. - latimes.com |publisher=Latimesblogs.latimes.com |date=2010-10-20 |access-date=2015-04-23}} In 2010, Strauss received the James Joyce Award from the Literary & Historical Society of University College Dublin.

Neil Strauss's 2011 release entitled Everyone Loves You When You're Dead: Journeys Into Fame and Madness was also a New York Times bestseller.{{cite news|last=Taylor |first=Ihsan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/paperback-advice/list.html?category=paperback-advice&&scp=1&sq=Everyone%20Loves%20You%20When%20You%27re%20Dead&st=cse |title=Best Sellers |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2015-04-23}} Released on March 15, 2011, the book is a compilation of 228 celebrity vignettes conducted throughout Strauss's career as a pop culture journalist.

Neil Strauss's 2015 release entitled The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships was also a New York Times bestseller. Released in October, 2015, this autobiographical book covers his attempts to form and maintain a long-term relationship following his years in the seduction community. It made the November 1, 2015, NYTimes bestseller list.{{cite web |url= https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2015-11-01/advice-how-to-and-miscellaneous/list.html |title=NY Times Bestseller List |date=November 1, 2015 |website=The New York Times |access-date=November 25, 2015}} Several detailed reviews were published in Grantland{{cite web |url=http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/game-met-match-pick-up-artist-godhead-neil-strausss-subtle-surprising-new-book/ |title='Game' Met Match: Pick-up Artist Godhead Neil Strauss's Subtle, Surprising New Book |last=Alptraum |first=Lux |date=October 13, 2015 |website=grantland.com |access-date=November 10, 2015}} and the Chicago Tribune{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-the-truth-neil-strauss-balancing-20151013-column.html|title=In 'The Truth,' Neil Strauss takes the long way to monogamy|first=Heidi |last=Stevens|work=Chicago Tribune}}

after its publication.

In June, 2017, I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons was published with co-author Kevin Hart and immediately was a #1 NY Times Bestseller.{{cite web |url= https://kysdc.com/3588181/kevin-hart-celebrates-his-book-topping-the-new-york-times-best-seller-list/ |title=NY Times Bestseller List |date=July 26, 2017 |website=kysdc.com |access-date=July 26, 2017}}

In 2019, Strauss launched To Live and Die in LA., a true crime podcast following the death of Adea Shabani. It hit No. 1 on the iTunes podcasts, and was in the top 10 for four months.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-live-die-la-racked-up-15-million-downloads-solving-a-murder-1212850|title=How 'To Live and Die in LA' Racked Up 15 Million Downloads While Solving a Murder|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 22, 2019|language=en|access-date=2019-07-16}}

On December 5, 2021, Strauss became the first mainstream author to mint a book on Ethereum{{cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/video/neil-strauss-pens-bored-ape-165141604.html |title=Neil Strauss Pens the Bored Ape Yacht Club 'Tell-All' |first=Jeff |last=Wilser |date=2021-12-13 |access-date=2022-03-21}} titled Survive All Apocalypses: From Machine Uprisings to Bear Markets. On February 13, 2023, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) announced that it had acquired the book for its permanent collection.{{Cite web|url= https://www.lacma.org/sites/default/files/press/2023-02/Blockchain%20Artwork%20acquisition%20release%20-2.13.2023.pdf|title= LACMA Acquires Largest Collection of Blockchain Artworks |website=LACMA|date=Feb 12, 2023|language=en|access-date=2023-03-25}}

Strauss also has a chapter of advice in Tim Ferriss's book Tools of Titans.

Near the end of 2021, Strauss began working on a fictional "tell-all" book about the NFT collection The Bored Ape Yacht Club, entitled Bored and Dangerous.{{cite news |last=Wilser |first=Jeff |date=December 13, 2021 |url=https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/neil-strauss-pens-bored-ape-165141604.html |title=Neil Strauss Pens the Bored Ape Yacht Club 'Tell-All' |work=Yahoo! Finance |access-date=December 23, 2022}}

In January 2023, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, a book that Strauss wrote with music producer Rick Rubin, was released and entered the New York Times Bestseller list at No. 1 on February 5.{{cite web |url= https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2023/02/05/advice-how-to-and-miscellaneous/ |title=The New York Times Bestseller List: Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous |date=Feb 5, 2023 |website=The New York Times |access-date=September 9, 2023}}