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A Thousand Tiny Failures: Memoirs of a Pickup Artist

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Sebastian had man-boobs, and life was a bummer...until he got surgery and discovered an online community of Pickup Artists. Moving to Montreal, he stumbles into a world of parties, sex, drugs, and drama – only to emerge with a new, but questionable understanding of himself, women, and the human condition.

Have you ever wondered, how long will it take to find success with women? Does this Pickup Artist stuff really work?

What compels a man to relentlessly flirt for sport, and at what cost?

Part instruction manual, part hipster-Unicorn sexual adventure story, A Thousand Tiny Failures is a hilarious and addicting novel, for men who want to improve, and women who want to understand.

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2013

23 people are currently reading
327 people want to read

About the author

Tony D.

6 books10 followers
Tony D is from Vancouver BC Canada. His first novel is called, "A Thousand Tiny Failures."

He's writing more books.

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5 stars
46 (33%)
4 stars
41 (30%)
3 stars
28 (20%)
2 stars
13 (9%)
1 star
8 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Caleb.
43 reviews3 followers
August 26, 2014
Really, Really good book, and not even if your just trying and get good with picking up women. This reads just like a novel, and is actually really funny.
Personally I liked this book way more than "The Game" by: Neil Strauss. Tony D. actually tells you like it is, and doesn't try and sugar coat it....He actually talks about losing weight, and doing stuff so that you physically look better. from what i've heard, most pick up artist say that looks don't matter at all, but I don't believe that for a second. Yes, looks may not be everything, you need to work on your personality no matter what, but I have lost 64 pounds(mainly for my health), but after doing that, and gaining some muscle, women have been noticing me more (I also shaved, and try and make sure I look good).
When Tony was young, he always had negative views about his body because he had Gynecomastia (man boobs). He still got a couple of girls growing up, but was always worried what they would think once he took his shirt off. He finally got surgery for them(only $1,000 so why not right). He moves to Montreal to learn the art of pickup.
.............if your reading this, i'm gonna review the book again(read it over a year ago), and then i'm gonna finish this review after.
Profile Image for Goth Gone Grey.
1,153 reviews47 followers
March 12, 2018
Decently written, engaging, but not for me

This is a fiction and real life hybrid, per the author, of learning skills to be a pick up artist that translated into a career as a life coach. While I applaud and appreciate his ambition, this wasn't the book for me.

The writing and editing are sound. The overall theme of being a "sex wizard in a world of Muggles", drugs, alcohol, and lies is too far a world away from mine to relate to. Where I had hoped to read it for dark humor, it was instead a curious mix of self deprecation with smugness added as the book progressed. Due to the nature of the narrative, many of the stories were variations on the same theme.

I DNF'ed at 40%.
Profile Image for Nikita.
12 reviews144 followers
March 8, 2018
Great Book. Shows what it is like to become/transform into a PUA seduction mindset.

Proof that all the knowledge that you have learned is meaningless unless is applied in real life scenario. Real life experience is the key to everything. Not being afraid is the key to real life experiences.
Profile Image for erjan avid reader.
221 reviews42 followers
August 10, 2016
The first thing that strikes me is that the book is VERY EASY TO READ!

it is not Roosh style, not minimal game, it is even easier than models;
and it s personal.

The main hero - Tony D starts by describing his initial stage - fat, social retard with man tits living in Vancouver. His dad is cocaine addict - one day he shot himself cocain in vein and died. Tony eventually manages to escape to Montreal - a city full of short term sex, french charming girls and starts learning pua craft.

He reads mm, the game and other classic books.

He worked in a call center and went out every night.
Tony joins a lair, but realizes there are only few men who could teach him something.

He is unsuccessful and spends 3 months approaching and getting rejected. 20/1 is the ratio of flakes/dates he had.
He becomes obssessed with self-help and ditches many of his old friends.
Eventually after partying, sarging, meeting for 1.5 year he flights back to sister's wedding.

He picks up local girls on a beach, talks to famous writer.

Then he flies back to Vancouver, gets a busboy job(cleaning tables) and simultaneously joins dating coach company as a junior coach under a chinese boss Rickard Yang.
He fucks another married girl Jasmine - perfect 100% dream girl and never sees her again.

He coaches one russian guy to drop oneitis + tells him a bit of theory.
He fucks brazilian lesbian rhonda, mexican girl angela;


Tony starts coaching himself and seduces some more girls. But now he realized that sex is not as fulfilling he expected it. He still chases poon but now he begins reaching for something deep and philosophical.
and he can't even say what it is.


Later on, it turns out Yang is fucking douchebag, who is only for money, he leaves boogers on his car seat(this moment was funny) and never gets laid.

After seeing all this, Tony leaves him and starts his own company next day. Meanwhile he shares some stories of sex on a beach.


He finally hooks up with a girl Victoria, 19, they get into relationship; a cyst attack - cyst acne breaks out on her face one day and her personality changes a lot and Tony is still newbie in relationship.

Finally he does his big dream - goes to teach bootcamp to students. AFter 3 weekends he has 5k in pockets. He realizes that in bootcamps and seduction you can't always be on top, you can do your best and always strive to do best.

He buys himself a beer and lies in the park:

" I fucking did it. I did it, fuck you all, I m awesome. you can bus your own tables. I will do this instead!"

"It takes few moments to get things right."

After the bootcamp, he comes back home, breaks up with Victoria.

Epilogue. He goes to Laos to travel and now he s a life coach. The end.



Profile Image for Cindy S.
101 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2015
At 11 years old, Sebastian was diagnosed with gynecomastia, male breasts, and growing up in the 90's with a single mother, sisters, and a deadbeat dad. After high school and seeing a surgeon in Toronto to have his breasts reduced, he was feeling awesome and ready to start a new life, and that is where the typical story ends, as he works various odd jobs for a living and then becomes a "dating coach". As a woman reading the first few chapters, I questioned whether I wanted to continue. With chapter titles like "Blowjobs and Validation" and "Sand Pussy", and the phrase "cock-blocker", I had already labeled the author as a womanizing jerk, as this was a memoir! However, his writing did peak my interest into the male psyche, so I continued.
Within all the mass of information about practically every female he met, his opinion on their body, their face, his erections, and whether he had sexual relations with them, he did have some words of wisdom, which somehow made him more endearing by the end of the book.
"There's no such thing as no strings attached sex. Every conquest leaves a little emotional trail that follows you like a wounded puppy."
He admits that in the end it is the "woman" that decides whether or not she wants to be picked up, and we ladies know that it is true. I ended up agreeing with the concept that unless a guy is really handsome, he needs all the help he can get, and with someone like Sebastian, they just might get it.
Profile Image for Skylar.
6 reviews
June 4, 2016
... an autobiography full of secular living. However, the style of writing is perfectly intermixed - funny dialogues and stories mixed with witty truths.

Don't read if you can't handle lots of profanity and debauchery. Not the book for you. Read only if you like to laugh and learn from others.
Profile Image for Kevin Oliveros.
6 reviews
April 10, 2018
Funny read

An interesting story of a former-loser guy who developed himself into a pick up artist. The story showed the struggles of being a man having a pair of man boobs up until he turned into a full on pua. Story may not be memorable but it's full of laughs.
Profile Image for Maxmilion Sperlich.
44 reviews
February 2, 2020
Master in the making

Great book. His writing is good, and i have a good sense if he keeps going one day he will be a legend at it. Reminds me a bit of neil strauss with the way he conveys emotions and stories. Totally worth the read.
Profile Image for Heather.
7 reviews
July 28, 2015
Some parts were funny but overall it was awful.
Profile Image for Andschulla.
9 reviews
August 27, 2015
The plot is good, I'm just not that into the style of writing because it gets really confusing sometimes.
Profile Image for Lawrence Williams.
25 reviews1 follower
January 25, 2016
Entertaining and enlightening... Added two books to my list because of this book. Great read
Profile Image for Claire Santiago.
28 reviews8 followers
June 21, 2016
I remember reading this but I hardly remember anything about it. That's not good.
Profile Image for Jeni Wilson.
297 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2018
I couldn't even finish this book, by about page 90, I was done. I was expecting humor, but found it rather bland and self deprecating.
Profile Image for Oscar Alfonzo.
33 reviews
May 26, 2020
An honest book about the struggles of being a pickup artist.
1 review
Read
May 6, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this book, however it is one-dimensional : single male, with enough free time and lack of priorities, that, a debauched life is possible. Wonderful, insightful and a little sad.
Profile Image for Gabriel Rocha.
36 reviews5 followers
January 30, 2020
I thought it was all mistakes Mar through the way but there is some winning stories as well.
So far I couldn't find a book when only mistakes are presented
Profile Image for Mark Rego.
134 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2020
It’s a good story but to much for the low self esteem side! Only in the end the autor finds its interior power!
10 reviews2 followers
December 27, 2020
Decent book which is a bit like Californication in writing. Okay a bit less but it's fairly relatable for a good portion of men.
Profile Image for Jevgenij.
527 reviews13 followers
reject-after-initial-skim
January 11, 2023
Sounded interesting, but not sure why I would read this: writing is mediocre, read Bukowski instead. As for PUA lessons, don't think there are many in here, and I don't need more anyway.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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