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When I screw up (and that happens a lot) I can always pick up "Looking Out For #1", Ringer's previous book, and see why. Invariably, the cause of my failures can be easily traced to my lack of adherence to the "Universal Truths" found in Ringer's books.
These "Universal Truths", however, are found in just about every other book on success ever written. What makes Ringer special, then, is his humorous, no b.s. style of writing. He goes out of his way to relate his own failures in life--something few success authors do--with such self-effacing humor that you won't mind when he slaps you in the face to point out where you need improvement.
With "Million Dollar Habits" Ringer somewhat rehashes his earlier material--thus the four stars. He uses the time-tested technique of all successful authors in fluffing up a spin-off to his earlier works. Indeed, you will find that "Million Dollar Habits" feels surprisingly familiar to "Looking Out For #1", and it is.
Nevertheless, I will likely buy and read just about anything Ringer publishes. I need to hear what he has to say from time to time. We all do.
It is easy reading, and will reinforce your commitment to doing the fundamentals. Sometimes you just have to hear something one more time to make it stick. I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I am an expert on effective self-help material. Million Dollar Habits fits the bill. Definitely worth reading.
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Ringer's writing is full of good advice on how to succeed in life, but it is not only the advice that keeps me buying his books. As a writer, he is just plain interesting. His expositions are invariably illustrated by his own personal foibles, missteps and screw-ups, which are sometimes funny, sometimes touching, and always effective. In this book, he tells how he allowed himself to be pushed into acting "intimidating" on the "Tonight" television show, even though it misrepresented the real message of his first book, and how he wasted time in a trivial lawsuit until he realized that it was more about his injured pride than about money. Ringer also discusses three personal friends who suffered terrible personal setbacks (one was confined to a wheelchair following a traffic accident), but who were determined to succeed in spite of it, and did. Ringer's point: life is full of injustice, and the best thing to do is to learn from it what you can, and move on.
In "Getting What You Want," Ringer brings back his alter-ego, the tortoise, a comically drawn character who often illustrates his books. I have always liked the tortoise metaphor and the message it brings, that the race is not always to the swift, that persistence and perseverance can often win the contest even though one is not the fastest runner afoot. Ringer himself personifies this, as he has no special higher degrees or training; he is the self-made man, the legendary "little guy" who succeeds against all odds and obstacles, including government bureaucrats, hostile attorneys and deals that go bad. Perhaps that is why so many of his readers, including this one, find him so compelling.
Ringer ends this book with a delicious slice of philosophizing that I always enjoy from him. He has a fine mind, one that is open and willing to explore the cosmic "what-ifs." In the final chapter, "Afterword: the Endgame" Ringer discusses what happiness is, and some ways of achieving it. He touches on the concept of God, the existence of good and evil, and puts forth some interesting insights. Finally, he describes some examples of what mystics call "the mystical experience," including his own, a sudden burst of cosmic insight that can inspire joy and a sense of heightened awareness. The titles of Ringer's books always sound as if they were focused on amassing material wealth. Take it from me, there is a lot more to Robert Ringer than that.
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Robert writes about value-for-value relationships (akin to the law of kharma/psychological reciprocity), and how this concept determines the outcome and rewards of relationships, whether love, friendship or employer.
I have studied psychology, and have read more than twenty self-help books, and though this might be a little surprising (in the sense that people might find it cynical to an extent), I think there's so much truth to it. And because of the title, I found myself telling people "it's a good message - it's not about stepping on others." In fact, when one looks out for him/herself, that's when he can give or provide to someone else if he/she wants, and what he or she can give. So, it's also a message of independence. I've seen it happen where people help and give, sometimes giving what they cannot, and they end up frustrated, and things are worse than where they begin.
Though the book might seem a bit cynical, I think it is on the money, and Robert was an author who could come forth and talk about reality (though I think we all need to escape it once in a while, or not focus on the negativity).
I can related to a lot of what is in this book, though sometimes I do not want to believe in all of it - but it's reality. And I've found myself losing touch with it at the wrong times, and this book gives me a great message that will prepare me for future situations.
Good job Robert.
Ringer covers all the bases: personal relationships, money, work, and the importance of striving to see the world as it is--not as we might like it to be.
If you are unhappy, dissatisfied, or wonder why things are not quite the way you would like them to be, then chances are that you will find an answer in this book.
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His book also helps people to resist being influenced into other people's guilt-trips.
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Ringer was just getting started in real estate when he discovered that bankers and property owners would not treat him with respect, despite the value of his services, because he was "only a broker." So he set out to present himself and what he did in a different light. He became the "mysterious expert from afar," amazing lenders and principals with his well trained staff, detailed presentations, calm manner, refusal to accept last-minute fee reductions, use of an attorney at closings, and, eventually, his own Lear jet.
He was still the same person, offering the same services. But suddenly, fewer people were attempting to defraud him of the fees he had earned for his services, or otherwise treat him dishonestly.
Ringer realized that these lessons learned in real estate could apply to many business situations and, indeed, to any situation in life where you have to deal with others.
He offered the book to several publishers, most of whom would not touch it, so he finally published it himself, and it became a runaway best seller.
"Winning Through Intimidation" may seem amoral to some, but read closely, it is really an interesting account of a "little guy's" successful effort to make the "big guys" take him seriously and treat him honorably in their dealings with him. It is well worth reading and its lessons should be pondered.
I think the title of the book is misleading in that it appears to be negative. I don't think anyone really believes that he is suggesting that we intimidate other people on our way to success, but from a defensive standpoint, it is important to understand that we are very often intimidated almost to the point of begging.
I particular liked the story (or was this in another of his books?) about the young attorney who was trying to collect a judgment against him by negotiating with Ringer for a reduced payoff of some kind. Ringer pointed out (not to the attorney!) that right next door, Ringer had more than enough cash on deposit in the bank to pay the judgment. All the attorney had to do was levy the bank account. This story and others point out, at least to me, that Ringer hates attorneys. I know a lot of people who agree.
I would recommend this book to people who negotiate on a regular basis. It's not about arm twisting as much as it is about preventing people from twisting your arm. Even if you don't negotiate on a regular basis, his summary of the different types of people is instructive. For an inexpensive paperback book, it's not a bad deal.
I'm giving it four stars for the great true stories he tells. I would say a lot of the material is original in that it comes from his experiences. I like that. I also give it a high rating because many of those stories are downright hilarious. I don't give it the highest rating because, well, intimidating people really isn't something I want to do anyway. But I'm sure the title sells a lot of books.
"Winning Through Intimidation" teaches you how to use images and stories on yourself to make the proper preperation and careful execution of any job meaty and palletable.
"Looking Out For Number one" is Karate for the salesman or businessman. Great ethicle well written book.
Anytime a lecturer or author puts down one of Ringers books as being self serving or immoral you can count on that person not having done their homework. Sort of an I.Q. test.
Add these books to your own business library. You'll read them more than once and they will save your fanny more than once.
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