Bad boy dishes on how men think, date

Love the challenge of dating a bad boy but wish you could see through his mind games and hidden agendas? Steve Santagati, former model, bad boy and author of “The Manual: A True Bad Boy Explains How Men Think, Date, and Mate — and What Women Can Do to Come Out on Top,” reveals what’s going on inside the male mind. Here’s an excerpt:

Chapter One

Who Is A Bad Boy?
Admit it, you want to date Bad Boys. Despite what your mother may have told you, we make the best boyfriends. We’re fun, we love women, and we know how to turn you on. Let me explain.

Bad • Boy (n.) A charming, funny, overtly confident guy who is sexy, in good shape, and great in bed (like I said, overtly confident). He is unapologetically “male,” loves women, maintains many female friends, and does not kiss and tell. Romantically, he gets away with murder, with an alibi of a wink and a smirk. He’s noncommittal by choice, not by fear. Most important, he thrives on being naughty.

I’d be sugarcoating the definition, however, if I didn’t explain the “bad” part. He’s bad because he’s “got your number,” knows how to manipulate you, and might not view female casualties as a problem. He doesn’t always see you as a person, but instead as a challenge or a case study. For many Bad Boys, the chase is more important than the catch. The outcome? Hearts are broken, your need for closure is ignored, and he’s off to his next “mark,” remembering you only as an experience. If that’s not bad, what is?

Examples: Great Hollywood Bad Boys have included Colin Farrell, George Clooney, Jack Nicholson, Johnny Knoxville, Jude Law, Snoop Dogg, Warren Beatty, Vince Vaughn, and (yes, really) John Mayer. (The sensitive guitar players are brilliant; you’ll never see them coming.)

My point is that Bad Boys come in all shapes and sizes. I used to think that only tough guys were Bad Boys, but I was wrong; they’re often the earthy types, the businessmen, and the boys next door.

You know when a Bad Boy enters a room: His confidence and past success with women are revealed in his unflinching eye contact, his slow, definite pace, and the glaring looks he receives from other men. Meanwhile, the women in the room perk up like deer at a water hole. He is automatically king of whatever domain he enters, and he doesn’t feel the need to prove himself. He just is.

MORE FROM TODAY BOOKS: RELATIONSHIPS

‘Vixen Manual’ bares tricks to snare a man

‘Vixen Manual’ bares tricks to snare a man Boys 101: Writer offers teen girls a crash course How to get a great deal ... on a husband Dating driving you crazy? How to get sane Spring fever: ’Tis the season to be flirtatious Why didn’t he call? Dating coach investigates Finding love is science, not a fairy tale   Guys answer your questions   Keeping the fire alive ‘Happens Every Day’ a memoir of heartbreak   Add Today Books: Relationships headlines to your news reader: