The origins of M.A.C.K. Tactics date back to 2004. I had pulled up stakes and moved from New York City to Las Vegas—the city that truly never sleeps.

Anyone who’s partied here knows this is the land of knee-weakening women, a mind-boggling cross-section of babes from across the country and every corner of the globe. But I was hesitant about jumping into this game.

I’d always done respectably with the opposite sex, but a recent breakup had left me disillusioned with dating and wary of women. My confidence was in a slump.

I felt like I didn’t understand what they wanted; I wasn’t even sure what I wanted.

Then one night at a casino bar, a guy introduced himself to me.

Normally I have no interest in striking up a conversation with another dude at four in the morning, but I could immediately sense there was something extraordinary about this guy. He carried himself with supreme confidence, yet he had an extremely friendly, likeable vibe.

I was surprised when he mentioned he was a police officer, due to his colorful tattoos and hipster clothes. Then again, I figured, being a cop must instill a certain level of confidence and an ability to look people directly in the eye and engage them in a guy. Twenty minutes later, you would have thought we were a couple of old college roommates laughing and swapping stories about the one subject a couple of guys are invariably going to discuss at four in the morning.

Evidently he was having far more success in that area than I was, judging from the scorching-hot babes that kept glancing his way, or strolling over and introducing themselves. This was a guy I knew I’d have to start hanging with.  So he started showing me around the Sin City nightlife scene. As a writer, I’ve known many celebrities and hung around a lot of high rollers, but when it came to attracting women, this new buddy of mine was completely in a league of his own.

Whether we were walking around the mall or hanging out at a bar, he could walk up to any woman that caught his eye, start up a conversation, and have her smiling and chatting in no time. From there, he could steer the encounter wherever he wanted it to go. Bear in mind, many of these were stunners—gorgeous women that probably shot down five guys every day before lunch time.

I was also amazed at how he managed to remain on great terms with many of his “exes.” This gave him a huge pool of attractive female friends. It meant that every time we went out, there were incredibly hot women that wanted to accompany us and actually help us meet new women! I’d never seen anyone establish bonds with women so quickly and effectively. He made it seem effortless—telepathic, even—as if he somehow knew exactly the right thing to say and do in any situation involving women.

Then one day, while we were chatting about our backgrounds, he mentioned that he was formerly a Hostage Negotiator. My ears perked up. When I pressed him for details, he told me about his extensive training and the many dangerous situations he had to defuse in the line of duty. He told me about the importance of “building a bridge” with hostage takers, and the techniques that Negotiators use to gain their trust and deal with their demands.

Now it was starting to make sense. This had to explain his way with women. The more he told me about hostage negotiations, the clearer this parallel became. I realized this was information that any guy could use, regardless of his age or background. So over the next two years, I worked with The Negotiator to develop a system that was inspired by his training and experience: one that  any guy could learn and put into practice.

By day, we worked on writing chapters and fleshed out concepts. By night, the Las Vegas party scene provided the ultimate testing ground. In the process, we spoke with countless women and men about their experiences with the opposite sex and uncovered a wealth of information.  From this ocean of data, a powerful theme emerged: what women are looking for, and what men think they are looking for, are often two very different things.

And even the most stunning beauties have insecurities you would never suspect. If you can learn how to read and interact with them on a deeper level, you can make them feel a powerful, undeniable attraction towards you.