Oh, this takes me back! The 'courting book' you're referring to is likely 'The Rules: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right' by Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider. It blew up in the '90s as this controversial but weirdly compelling guide to dating with old-school tactics—playing hard to get, letting men lead, all that jazz. I stumbled upon it while binge-reading retro relationship advice books last summer, and wow, does it feel dated now. Still, it’s fascinating as a cultural artifact—like a time capsule of how dating norms have shifted.
What’s wild is how polarizing it was. Some swore by it, calling it life-changing, while others slammed it for promoting manipulative games. I even found myself debating it with friends over brunch—half of us cringed at the 'rules,' while the other half admitted some tactics still sneak into modern dating apps, just repackaged. If you dig into it, read it with a critical eye; it’s more about sociology than actual romance.