Winning Through Intimidation

I love reading success books. I have read alot of them in my time, and I have a pile of the very current success books on my night table, ready for me to start reading them as soon as I get to them. Yes, I love reading these books, but I have learned to take the advice these books give with a grain of salt. Most of these books are filled with the "serve the customer" and "give the other guy what he wants and he'll give you everything you want" philosophy. This philosophy sounds good in theory. However, out in the real-world business jungle I have found that by the time the other guy gets what he wants he has forgotton your name! Then along comes Robert Ringer with this classic book. Unlike all the other success books I have ever read, this book tells it like it is. Ringer points out in this book that whether you and I like it or not, the world of business is not played on a nursery school playground. It is played in a brutal jungle where the name of the game is to finish with the most chips(money) in your lap. You either accept this reality and play the game to win,or get out of the business game altogether. Ringer also takes on the two cornerstones of most success books--"postitive thinking" and "working hard". Ringer's philosophy demolishes these two traditional theories. If you're used to positive thinking, new-age, give and give to the other person and hope you're going to be paid in the end kind of book, then Winning Through Intimidation isn't for you. However, if you're tired of losing, buy this book and read it ten times.

I am a real estate agent and after first reading this book my first reaction was to keep it a secret. I felt it was so powerful I did not want it in the hands of my competition or co-workers. I read the whole book 16 hours after buying it. When done, I knew his philosophy would earn me money. Ringer explains the personality types that try to screw others and how to handle these people. His view of business describes the playing field as a jungle where few have ethics in the 11th hour when it is time to cash in the chips. He is right and anyone who has not read this book is at a distinct disadvantage!

Poor Robert Ringer! Somebody's always misquoting and misunderstanding his books! It doesn't matter whether it's WINNING THROUGH INTIMIDATION, or LOOKING OUT FOR NUMBER ONE, somebody always getting his ideas backwards! WINNING THORUGH INTIMIDATION is not about going thorugh life pushing people out of the way, it tells you how to avoid being a victim of other people who would do that to you. More than any writer I've ever read, Robert J. Ringer emphasizes that we should keep life in perspective--because we're all going to die--and that we should strike a balance between money, health, and happiness, and be aware of all the potential obstacles to these goals along the way. And boy, is he funny! He uses real life examples--and pulls no punches when it comes to race, the sexes, and class--and when you're through you realize you've gotten your money's worth--and more! And not only that, you know that Robert J. Ringer is a damn fine human being, who's simply honest and upfront about making as much money as he can, while giving something of value to us--his customers--in return! Chari Krishnan [email protected]

It was first published in 1973, it has been continuously in print ever since, and it will be around for a long time to come. Because it's simple, it's brilliant, and it has a great title -- alright, I take a bit of that back It's true that the author's background and focus is on one-time transactions (big-ticket sales), whereas ongoing relationships are more important in life. It's also true that many people would find this book pedestrian or brash or both. Nevertheless, the book is a masterpiece of assertiveness training self-help. I still have "the theory of reality" and "the theory of intimidation" in my soul even though it's been many years since I read it.As everyone who's read it agrees, it's not about intimidating others, it's about not being intimidated yourself. The most pervasive intimidations are based on generally accepted values, expectations and pecking orders in a community. There are situations where you can and should act contrary to those things, but it takes some boldness. The book presents the advantages of boldness while stressing the necessity of always looking at the situation's realities as acutely as possible. It shows that deliberate analysis of realities is fundamental to success -- which ought to be obvious, but I wasn't doing it before I read the book (except unconsciously & partially). I especially recommend it for the young and the unprestigious.

For those raised by the golden rule who just seem to get chewed up by conniving, dishonest sharks. Especially insightful is the discussion of the passive-aggressive wolf in sheep's clothing who is just as amoral as the shark but manages to justify its actions to maintain its "nice" self-image. This is the most direct, plain-speaking and useful book of its kind.This book has nothing to do with bullying or overbearing behavior and everything to do with establishing value and defending that value. Ringer explains how you can hang onto the values that you believe in while recognizing the signs of a con up front. Most importantly, he presents practical, concise truisms which teach you the judo you need to prevent being taken advantage of. If you believe that closing your eyes makes the problems go away, then this book isn't for you. If you're looking for misty-eyed psychobabble, this isn't it. This book should be required reading in schools because it isn't about drifting through how you wish the world was, it's about paying attention and dealing with the way the world *is*. IT WORKS. As long as there are victims, there will be sharks. Here's to Robert Ringer helping to reduce the food supply.