Action! : Nothing Happens Until Something Moves

Rating:
Summary: The first 50 pages deserve 5 stars
Review: I am currently reading this book and I must say I am buckling up for a great ride. This book is obviously heart felt and defines true wisdom. Robert Ringer shows you how to boost yourself by simply "asking" more questions, speaking your mind, and taking Action! Now you may think a review or a summary of the book is all that's necessary. If you just gave a silent nod do me me a favor and smack yourself in the face! Realize that this man is the truth. If you dont click the buy now button after reading this review you definitely have some major issues. Action! cant save you if you dont buy it.

Rating:
Summary: This is the book to end all books!
Review: I made my fortune long ago, so I'm a bit jaded when it comes to self-improvent and success books. But Action! is in a class by itself. Robert Ringer is right on in everything he says. Whether he's writing about people problems, virtues, freedom, closing deals, adveristy, or any other subject, his insights are unlike those of any other author.

What makes this book stand out from anything else I've ever read is that anyone can put Ringer's ideas, insights and philosophy into practice immediately. In fact, the foundation of this remarkable book is action -- which prompts the reader to get up out of his chair, stop making excuses, and get moving. When Robert Ringer explains action, YOU ARE MOTIVATED TO TAKE ACTION!

On top of Ringer's unparalleled wisdom, his personal stories and anecdotes are entertaining, sometimes even hilarious. Thank you, Robert Ringer, for writing this masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: excellent book
Review: I'm an avid reader of Mr. Ringer's books and this was the kick in the butt that I need in order to make some changes. I've spent the better part of last year writing down goals I want to accomplish, and trying to come up with the "perfect plan" for each of these goals and waiting for the "perfect time" to take action. The reality is that there is no perfect plan and there is no perfect time.

There much invaluable wisdom in this book (as in your previous books), and I would advise any college-aged student to read it. It's an excellent piece of work and one of the best books that I've read.

Rating:
Summary: Lots of New with a little of the Old - ONE EXCELLENT BOOK!
Review: I've been reading Ringer since his first infamous book "Winning Through Intimidation".

I just recently reread "Looking Out for Number One" and was astonished at how it had influenced me in the last 15 years. That book is a real lesson in how to get a reality based viewpoint on life and how to recognize that most of the social engineering and the propaganda we are subjected to daily is a negative influence.

Which leads to the review of this book. Some have said that it covers no new ground. That be hogwash, in my opinion.

The first 70 or so pages is virtually all new material, created from Robert"s investigation into the value of action and the amazing things action will bring into your life. He explains why action always works - even if it doesn't lead you the direction you thought it would. He offers many new and original insights and will get your brain working on steroids as he shatters so many of your pre conceptions about everything from wealth to spirituality.

After the first third of the book, he does do a bit of rehashing of much of his previous writing, although in many cases he puts a new slant on it based on the action concepts. This is not really a critisism as any book must be written for a first time reader, an author can't work from the assumption that a reader knows their previous material.

I give this boook 5 stars because of the power of his analysis and the inherant truth in all he says. You should buy it and read it, that is for sure.

That said I do have a minor critisism. You can almost feel 2 Robert Ringers in this book. He has, whether he really wants to admit it, gown kinder, gentler wiser and more spiritual as he gets older, like many of us. That is a good thing and you can hear the more spiritual side in most all of his new material.

He does a brilliant fable about the state of the world (Two Tribes Story) that perfectly demonstrates the folly of our violent ways. I will be using a version of that fable in my story telling.

When he bases parts on his old material, his older more abrasive Ringer comes out, including his statements such as "all lawyers aren't bad, only 97% of them" and pointing fingers and denigrating "long haired, ring in the nose" young folks.

Which, in my opionion is pointless judging and actually doesn't agree with the voice that wrote the first part of the book, which advocates a "live and let live" attitude towards those different from you.

That said, buy it (even if you are a long haired, ring in the nose youth). This is one book purchase that I cannot imagine NOT improving anyone's life tremendously.


Rating:
Summary: same old stuff
Review: If you've read "Million Dollar Habits", don't bother reading this. Most of the ideas and stories are straight from the other book. I've never before known an author to write a "new" book, and say the exact same thing as the old book. At least he changed the cover.

Rating:
Summary: Ringer is a master
Review: Ringer is a master at understanding human behavior
and then communicating his points to
create power in our lives. This is a must read!

Rating:
Summary: BUY THIS BOOK
Review: Robert Ringer has long been my favorite author and ACTION! just reinforces why. Mr. Ringer started out in real estate/business so his books are filled with practical examples of how the real world works. He is far more thoughtful than most. Every page of this book is filled with gems. His writings force you to think about how you can improve your life. He also has an uncanny knack of taking complicated issues and describing them in a way that you can understand and benefit from.
Even though I have been a successful entrepreneur for many years,I still appreciate the wisdom of Robert Ringer. He has made a positive influence in my life as I'm sure he has for his millions of fans. Action! provides the encouragement that you need to move ahead with your plans and dreams no matter where you currently are in your life. Some Ringer gems:
* If you want something to happen, make it happen.
* Actions have consequences.
* Honesty is the absolute refusal to lie, cheat , steal or deceive in any way.
* Rather than loving truth, people try to make true that which they love.
*Two key questions to ask when facing a problem: Does it matter?; If so, how much does it matter?

If you want Robert Ringer's help in improving your life, I strongly recommend that you BUY THIS BOOK !

Rating:
Summary: Action! will "kick you in the shins" to take action
Review: Robert Ringer writes another gem with Action! In typical tortoise fashion, Ringer extols dozens of nuggets of practical wisdom and backs each up with stories and examples that will keep old fans as well as new ones nodding with approval. A must have for Ringer enthusiasts and a great gift for anyone with enough common sense to appreciate it. A five star book!

Rating:
Summary: A good introduction to Ringer, and a great book
Review: The problem with many business books is that they seem to describe a world that's totally unlike the real world of business. Richard Branson's autobiography is fun to read, but completely worthless to someone who's a budding entrepreneur, for instance. Typical business books are exciting, but also sort of useless, even damaging. A lot of them are sort of like reading twenty copies of Playboy back to back. It's fantasy, and after a while, it gets to be a little much. It also screws up your understanding of the real world.

This book is sort of a distillation of the key themes in Ringer's other books, and the great thing is that it's all about the real world, beginning to end. It's very unsentimenal, and baloney-free. I think Jack Welch said once that the key to business success is understanding the difference between what's really going on and what we wish/think/hope is going on. Ringer takes that basic point and builds on it, both with respect to interpersonal issues and business matters.

Much of what he writes about is so painfully obvious that it's amazing it has to be written down. But Ringer's genius is that he's a master of the basics, and in fact, the painfully obvious stuff is typically what everyone gets wrong. Now that I think of it, this book is part of a toolset of concepts that can be used to see through the smoke of day-to-day business to the underlying truths that are really driving everything.

It's amazing that his books are best-sellers, because they don't provide a lot of fun illusions. Tony Robbins makes you feel like success is a function of sheer enthusiasm; Ringer, the self-described Tortoise, takes the opposite position. Success is the result of steady, disciplined, organized effort and thought. Robbins is more fun, but he's also wrong. Ringer is right, and if you listen to him, you can avoid learning a lot of business lessons the hard way.

As an example, one of his points is that if a contract is too one-sided, it's not going to be executed. Or, to put it another way, if you really take someone to the cleaners in a deal, they're not going to do their part, no matter what the agreement says, if they believe they're getting taken. Lots of business books glamorize negotiation, and make it seem like striking a deal is a battle, and winning means really sticking it to the other guy. But in the real world, the one I inhabit, the other guy is going to stop and say to himself something like "Wait. I know there's a contract and everything, but why am I doing all this work for nothing? What's in this for me?" If the answer is "nothing" he won't do it. Ringer's point is that fantasy aside, a contract is worthless if it isn't executed, and you have to make a deal that the other guy feels is reasonable to him as well. Simple, right? But nobody actually takes this position, meaning that an awful lot of deals get made but never happen. The Harvard Business Review made the exact same point in their November, 2004 issue, in an article entitled "Getting Past Yes: Negotiating as if Implementation Mattered." Ringer got there first, and says the same thing in far fewer pages.

This book is a good introduction to his thinking, and a particularly useful tool for someone who would like to understand how the real world of business actually works. When you're ready to outgrow pretending you're Gordon Gekko, and you actually want to start making things happen in the real world, this is the book for you. Especially recommended for entrepreneurs.





Rating:
Summary: The Antidote to Action
Review: This tome should inspire. Unfortunately, it serves as a sedative. It has been years since I last tossed a book only partially read. With "Action," I concluded that time is better spent acting on something else, like a nap.