Customer Reviews

Action!: Nothing Happens Until Something Moves

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.

This is the first book I have ever reviewed. It's also the first book I've ever read in one sitting. I simply could put it down because every sentence set off flashing bulbs in my head. Once you read the first chapter -- perhaps the best insight into life I've ever read -- you're hooked. Everyone pays lip service to action, but Robert Ringer makes you see action in ways that are new and powerful.

What I thought was especially remarkable though is how he explained the relationship between action and so many basic principles and problems we experience in our day-to-day lives...things like truth, creating value for others, virtues, self-discipline, and more. The killer chapter is the one on "people taxes" where the author explains how problem people rob you of time, energy and other personal resources and get in the way of your taking action. That one really hit home with me.

People with serious physical handicaps will especially appreciate the chapter on adversity and action. Ringer gives a unique perspective in that he makes the point that everyone has many handicaps, because a handicap is really anything that makes achievement more difficult. And since so many people with serious physical handicaps have found ways to overcome them and lead meaningful lives, the minor handicaps that most of us have to deal with are relatively easy to handle. Again, this one really got to me. It made me realize that I have to stop thinking in terms of "problems" and start focusing on taking the kind of action that will assure that things will come out right.

Don't miss this book! It has everything you need to get where you want to go in life. Ringer even ties in some key material from his other books to show their relationship to the phenomenon of action. I'm going to reread it this weekend...and probably many more times after that.

I've experienced a great deal of success over the past 20 years, in no small part due to what I've learned from Robert Ringer's incredible books. Once you've read anything written by Ringer, you have difficulty reading any other authors' books on motivation, self-improvement, or success.

I've read, or tried to read, many other books in these fields, and they all have several things in common. First of all, most of them -- especially some of the most well-known self-improvement and business books -- bore me to death. Secondly, the authors almost always take the safe, conventional path and say the same old tired things that they apparently believe will make them look like Boy Scouts in the public's eye. In other words, they don't write about the way things are in the real world. Finally, none of them has a sense of humor -- certainly not anything close to Robert Ringer's unique sense of humor.

But what amazes me most about Robert Ringer is that each book he writes somehow manages to outdo his previous classics...and, make no mistake about it, they are all classics. Now, Ringer has done it again with Action! Nothing Happens Until Something Moves. The scope of this book is breathtaking. It ranges from spirituality to value creation to happiness -- and everything in between.

I believe Ringer is the only author alive who could write about spirituality in such a way that it can be embraced by people of all religions -- or even atheists. And that's exactly what he does in the very first chapter of the book with his awesome job of explaining the link between spirituality and action. He got me to think about things I had never thought about before, which is vintage Ringer: getting the reader to think!

What I appreciate perhaps more than anything else is that Ringer has a remarkable knack for addressing simple things that we all take for granted, and helping the reader to see them in a whole new light. For example, in Action! he does this brilliantly with the law of averages. Most people have a reasonable understanding of how the law of averages works, but I don't think they really give this universal principle much conscious thought. Action! explains the law of averages in a way that makes you realize that its power is literally unlimited.

In conjunction with the law of averages, what really hit home with me was Ringer's explanation of why the mere act of asking is the simplest and most rewarding action a person can take. All you need to do is ask, and ask, and ask again, and your success is virtually guaranteed by the law of averages. This unique discussion of the law of averages is worth the price of the book alone.

However, it's only the tip of the iceberg. The book's broad range is like nothing I've ever read before, including Ringer's past books. There's something here for everybody -- how to handle problem people, how to free yourself from the things that prevent you from taking action, how to use action to overcome adversity, and more. It goes on and on and on, and every word is a gem.

It would be impossible for me to recommend this book too highly. It's another in a long line of Ringer classics, but it's easily his best work to date. I've said it before and was wrong, but I'll say it again anyway: I can't imagine him outdoing Action! Nothing Happens Until Something Moves.

If you want to read stuff that will stir your brain cells, that will excite you, that will get you to see things in a whole new light, and that will show you unique and realistic ways to accomplish your goals, this is a MUST READ. It reminded me all over again why I have been such a rabid Ringer fan for so many years.

Action! Nothing Happens Until Something Moves marks the first time in my life I've taken a highlighter to the pages of a new book.

Twelve days ago, I had no idea how I was going to motivate myself to even begin what I considered to be the single most discouraging task a person can undertake: look for work. The next day I stumbled on Robert Ringer's latest self-improvement book Action! during a random bookstore search, and today I have a job.

Mr. Ringer describes the very real principles which take effect once you begin to move toward your goals. Since most of us have a fairly accurate idea of where we want to be (in contrast to where we actually are), and are able, with the expenditure of sufficient time, energy and honesty, to determine the "cost" of getting there, the missing ingredient tends to be the ability to take action.

I discovered, as I read Action! in between job interviews, that my mistake had been a paralysis based on my fear of making mistakes, which is precisely why taking immediate action is such a lifesaver. I did make mistakes, which led me to be much more confident and prepared once I found myself in the right place and time, interviewing for the position I wanted the most.

Action! is much more than a Nike advertisement ("Just Do It"). The author brings a lifetime of experiences to the discussion, detailing both his successes and failures. It was the latter that inspired me the most, as his humble, self-depreciating tone gradually won me over.

Second only to Mr. Ringer's ability to communicate clearly and effectively is his ability to use his personal experiences and narrative style to make the reader like him (which, of course, goes a long way toward inspiring the discouraged or apathetic reader, as it's much easier to take advice from a friend than it is from an instruction manual). The further I read, the easier it was to digest and apply these principals, primarily because I felt a sense of trust toward the author.

I also found it interesting that Mr. Ringer, with a lifetime of success as an entrepreneur, author and public speaker, avoids the mistake made by so many financially successful self-help authors: that of too often addressing those on the higher rungs of the socioeconomic ladder. Action! is written for the clerk, the assembly line worker, the student, the parent, and anyone else who desires a better life, but finds the day-to-day complications of living to be overwhelming to his or her ability to overcome inertia. The author's counsel on making oneself as valuable as possible to an employer was of particular value to me, as I "sold" myself to prospective employers during my job interviews, and the same advice will continue to benefit me now that I've reentered the work force.

Of course, the end of the journey should not simply be a higher paying, more complex version of the rat race you're now running, and Action! addresses this as well. Conversely, reaching one's goals does not mean finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Taking action, by itself, is what leads to happiness; or, in the words of the author, "achievement implies inertia, or an end to the action that brought about the achievement."

Adversity is covered in detail, the fear of which is possibly the greatest deterrent to taking the action necessary to lead a fulfilling life. Mr. Ringer brings to the discussion a worldview which shows the reader how to find the up in every down, the opportunity in every disappointment, the success in every failure. If you've become accustomed to concentrating on your past (or expected) disappointments and failures, Action! will show you how "the difference between success and failure ... is not as great as most people might suspect."

I was extremely disappointed with this book. The only thing this book gave me was the notion that action makes everything happen. Trouble is, I already knew that, and I bought the book to learn more about it, and perhaps gain new insights to enhance my life's actions.

It seems Ringer has patched together a bunch of disparate ideas which are all supposed to be related to "action", but really they are just conventional wisdom forced to fit what his book is (supposed to be) about. A perfect example is his chapter "People Taxes and Action". He talks about all sort of "people taxes" (people who tax your ability to act), such as "The Evilness Tax" (evil people), "The Dishonesty Tax" (dishonest people), and "The Negativism Tax" (negative people). The conventional wisdom he offers is basically this: avoid evil, dishonest, and negative people, as they will get in the way of your ability to act. I found this chapter, and the book in general, trite and patronizing.

This book was not even close to what I expected based on the reviews I read before buying it. I am suspicious of all the glowingly positive reviews about this book. My strong recommendation is to leaf through it in a bookstore or library before you buy it, to make sure it is what you are expecting. I sure wish I had.

Since reading Mr. Ringer's "Winning Througn Intimidation" several years ago, I have become a great fan of his writing and purchase each new Ringer book as soon as it is published. "Action! Nothing Happens Until Something Moves" is the best of his best. Although it will serve you well to read the entire series, probably in sequence of publication, this book distills Mr. Ringer's basic philosophy into vintage form. The basic philosophy has changed little over the years, but his continuing business and life experiences combined with his ongoing study and perpetual search for enlightenment make this book the one to keep on your shelf to be read periodically. For those of us who tend to study things to death, the message is clear, get off your duff, and make something happen. My suggestion to you is read the book, then take action. You can't lose.

This book removed every excuse I've ever thought of for not taking action. It would have been nice if it had been written 10 years ago, but I'm sure glad it's finally arrived. I discovered "Action!" through a friend of mine who was raving about it as being an end-all, be-all for anyone interested in getting ahead in life. I was a bit skeptical, but now that I've read it (twice), I can tell you that he was right.

Part of my skepticism stemmed from the fact that I had never read anything by Robert Ringer before, so I feel as though I've just crawled out of a cave. This guy is one great writer. He's also a great thinker and an original thinker. And he somehow manages to be super funny on top of all that.

What really resonated with me was how he zeroes in on the basics. He grabbed me in the very first chapter with his incredible analysis of the phenomenon of action. Everyone talks about action, but it wasn't until I read this chapter that I realized that few people have really thought through what it's all about. Ringer discusses action from a scientific perspective, from a spiritual perspective, from the perspective of how it relates to the law of averages, and from the perspective of what he alludes to as "genius, magic, and power." This chapter held so many revelations for me that I had to go back and reread it several times before moving on to chapter 2.

I was also pleased to find that, unlike most books in the success/motivation genre, it doesn't tail off. "Action!" is strong from start to finish. I especially like the author's emphasis on such basics as truth, virtue, and creating value for others. If your actions aren't based on truth, you're destined to fail. If your actions aren't based on virtue, you're destined to fail. If your actions aren't based on value creation, you're destined to fail. It opened my eyes to so many aspects of action I had never thought about before.

But maybe the most important area that the book covers is how action is the key to overcoming adversity. Robert Ringer's examples of handicapped people who have accomplished great things is truly inspiring. Anyone who reads these stories and anecdotes will never feel sorry for himself again.

So, again, I have to admit it -- this book really is an end-all, be-all. I feel like I just got a Ph.D. in Insights Into Life. I have three young children, and this is the one book I'm going to make sure they read before they graduate from high school. It deserves 10 stars, but unfortunately the limit is only five.

Take action, buy and read this book. Robert Ringer is a masterful genius at taking those perplexing roadblocks of life and business and giving you simple,efficient solutions that embolden you to take actions that will transform your dreams into reality. Mr. Ringer's insight will get you off the couch and into the arena were things magically work out to your advantage.
Barton Murray
President,BMA Executive Search

Every Robert Ringer book I've read becomes my new all-time favorite, so I wasn't surprised when "Action!" blew me away. I have to go out on a limb on "Action!" and say, flat out, that it is simply the best book I've ever read. I don't know how the man does it time after time after time. Ringer has no peer when it comes to motivation, self-help and powerful insights into living. Literally, he competes only with himself.

When people (who have not read any of Robert Ringer's books) have asked me over the years what's so special about him, I always tell them the same four things:

First, his material is original. It's not the "same old same old" like most of the other motivational books on the market. He comes up with thought after thought after thought that smacks you right between the eyes. Sentence after sentence, you just find yourself shaking your head and thinking to yourself, "He's right...he's so right."

Secondly, Ringer has a tremendous talent for making complex issues easily understandable to virtually anyone. I always marvel at the impeccable way he organizes his material. He doesn't assume anything on the part of the reader. He takes you step by step through every idea, strategy, and principle, and always brings them to a logical conclusion that makes a strong and clear point.

Thirdly, his writing is brilliant. Unlike most other motivational and self-improvement authors, he is a professional writer in every sense. Aside and apart from the depth of his material, his writing is lucid, well organized and brimming over with great anecdotes and stories. And he has a unique way of explaining things that sets him apart from the field. Cliché as it may be, you can't wait to turn the page to hear what he has to say next.

Lastly, Ringer is always entertaining, and at times out and out hilarious. As readers of self-help books know all too well, the vast majority of books in this genre are totally devoid of humor. One of the many reasons that you can't help but to like Ringer is that he clearly does not take himself too seriously. Which is especially admirable considering the fact that his insights and ideas are life-changing.

As to "Action!", the first chapter stops you dead in your tracks. It could be a book all by itself, because you learn more about life, and how to succeed in life, in that one chapter than in any other book you will ever read. In particular, I had never thought about the law of averages the way Ringer discusses it in this chapter. His emphasis on the importance of asking...and asking again and again and again...has forever changed the way I will approach every aspect of my life. His original insights into just this one subject is worth many times the price of the book all by itself.

From the first chapter on, "Action!" is one gem after another...the importance of truth-based actions...how action is a necessity for overcoming adversity...eliminating people from your life that drain you of the time and energy you need to take action...and much more. And woven though all of this invaluable material are stories and anecdotes that have you laughing at times and nearly crying at others. Robert Ringer is a master storyteller cut in the mold of Mark Twain or Will Rogers.

Above all, I like the fact that he ends his book on happiness, because, when it's all said and done, that's really what we're all after. I never saw the connection between action and happiness until I read this awesome final chapter.

I used two of Ringer's previous books to help educate my children about life. Needless to say, I'm going to buy all of them copies of "Action!" There is not a lot to know about life that isn't in this incredible book. I can only hope that Robert Ringer has more books in the pipeline. Hands down, he is the most original thinker and motivator of our time.