Book By: Roman Griffen

Dating in a brave new world
The title of this book is misleading: it doesn't convey how entertaining the book is. It may be a definitive guide to dating online, but it's also laugh-out-loud funny in places. Roman Griffen -- who has been through the whole internet dating process himself -- offers readers a rollicking ride through his "tip, tricks and tactics."

The book is suited to readers who have little experience of the internet and need to know it all from scratch. It is also designed for people who know about the net, but are new to dating online. Although it runs right from deciding whether you want to post online or not to dealing with your first date, the book is quick and easy to read.

It isn't all merely instruction though. Griffen has many insights into human nature offered in his informal style. And as a little kicker at the end, he includes his essay "Lust" which tells an entertaining tale that propounds the following: "Ask lust to leave and be prepared to sleepwalk through life. Cater to your lust and let genius develop. Allow lust to complete your love. Bad things happen when lust is not present and great things can only happen if it is."

Some pointers
But before all that, you need to be noticed. The key is having a well-worded ad -- one that accurately sums you up, but also one that gets attention. A good way to get noticed is to have a catchy title or screen name. Other pointers include things such as making pop culture references so that you give somebody a conversational handle when they write to you.

Internet Dating also helps you sift through ads that interest you. With so many potential dates, trying to find the right one can be stressful and time-consuming. Also, your posting may get an overwhelming number of responses, but largely from unsuitable people. Griffen leads you through the process of targeting your profile carefully so that you get more responses with potential convertibility.

Griffen stresses the importance of the right photo for the profile. Put idealism aside, he says. The photo forms a large part of the decision process and people have to be physically as well as mentally attracted to each other. He advises that the photo not be with children or former spouses. Care must be used with photos that feature pets.

Manners, manners
The book also covers other common errors. For example, a newbie mistake is to reply to all emails received, even if the person isn't interesting. Not replying is far more efficient and gets the message across without awkward communication.

And once an exchange begins, online etiquette can get a little confusing. How many email exchanges should there be before making a phone call? Some people just send a phone number in the first email, and meet soon after if it goes well. Others stretch this out a couple of weeks.

The book leads you through all these possibilities and is a great companion for finding your own rhythm to the dating game in this brave new world.