Do Less, Achieve More: Discover the Hidden Power of Giving In [Hardcover]

Chin-Ning Chu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 1998

The Secrets of the Rainmaker

When the Rainmaker arrived in the parched village, he set up his tent and disappeared inside for four days. On the fifth day, the rain started to fall. The people of the village asked what he did to accomplish this miracle.
The Rainmaker replied, "I have done nothing."
And so the story begins.

In our modern age, we seem the opposite of the Rainmaker. We busy ourselves to the point of exhaustion, give up sleep to do even more, rush here, rush there, go everywhere, and get nowhere. We believe that an enormous effort is required to achieve success, and if we fail, it is because we did not work hard enough.

The Rainmaker, however, teaches us that the most successful people do not necessarily work harder. In fact, they are often more at ease than the people around them. The truth is that success comes to those who find a balance between effort and ease, striving and compromise. For those who know the Rainmaker's secrets, prosperity seems more like the result of good luck or being in the right place at the right time--the pieces just come together.

Using simple metaphors and exercises--and offering immediate applications--Chin-Ning Chu explains how you can discover the Rainmaker's power of doing less and achieving more. She teaches the arts of fine-tuning and focusing your actions, putting your mind at ease and seeing the fun in the game of life, and discovering the unlimited, miracle-producing power of giving in to and working with--rather than fighting against--your successful destiny.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Reputedly the most popular American author in Asia, Chin-Ning (Thick Face, Black Heart; Asian Mind Game) brings together her background as a Chinese-American, the writings of Carl Jung and current trends in time management and quantum theory in this unique self-help treatise. She refers frequently to the parable of the rainmaker, made famous by Jung, in which a man ends a five-year drought through inner "harmony with the Divine." Claiming that "[l]ife was meant to be easy," and "there is no need for suffering and struggle," Chin-Ning takes readers through the rainmaker's "three secrets?fine tuning your actions, putting your mind at ease, and tapping into the Divine power." Following these examples, according to the author, results in "creating an environment within yourself that attracts the elements of synchronicity and hidden coherence." But far from promising a life free of difficulty, stress or pain, she suggests learning to accept the "game" of life as a "fun" chance for your soul to "show off your skills" at coping with adversity. Using unusual metaphors and personal stories, Chin-Ning provides a brief, simple, clear path toward living our destiny and "returning to our Divine nature." Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Chu (Thick Face, Black Heart, AMC, 1992; Asian Mind Game, Rawson, 1991), president of Asian Marketing Consultants, has written a book that strives to teach people how to become more successful and satisfied with their lives. Though the publisher describes Chu as "the most successful American author in Asia," the book is slightly removed from reality. Chu uses Jung's story of the rainmaker, a myth in which a man who does nothing accomplishes much because he puts himself "in harmony with the Divine," as the foundation of the book. Unfortunately, she also uses bad science, bad history, and bad psychology to prove her points. Although some good advice is offered, it is well hidden in this mishmash of magic, psychology, and business advice. Not recommended.?Elizabeth Caulfield Felt, Washington State Univ. Lib., Pullman
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (September 9, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060392703
• ISBN-13: 978-0060392703
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #882,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Taoist "Habits of Highly Effective People", September 27, 2002

By 

newchapter "newchapter" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do Less, Achieve More: Discover the Hidden Powers Giving In (Paperback)

Taoist concepts to bring our modern go-go-go life back into a more natural rhythm.

1) "Everyone seems to be doing more and despite their best efforts, there is always more to do."

2) Busy is not necessarily always good. In Chinese, the two characters that mean busy are "heart" and "death".

3) Effort and ease are not opposites, but compliments. Think of a champion runner: Although they train mercilessly, when they run in a competition, they are trying to find their own internal tempo. When their effort becomes easy, then they really perform.

4) Don't try to manage time and fight it. Time is always the same, it is only the difference of our perception about time. Time is only a series of NOWs. So the way we spend NOW will determine our destiny.

5) Success does not necessarily mean more. Life is like a full glass. To put more in, you have to pour some out. Prioritize and do what is REALLY meaningful to you.

6) Be willing to walk away from negative relationships.

7) There is wisdom in irritation. It is a sign telling us to change our lives. Enjoy the game of life, and the challenge to find the real you.

8) There is no failure, only re-direction. We keep failing as we progress towards success.

9) Believe that there is a divine plan for you. Give into this spiritual guidance.

10) Accept death. It helps us to focus on what is most important, gives us fearlessness. Don't live a fearful life. "Thrive, not just survive."

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life lessons, disguised as a business book, October 9, 2005

By 

Bruce Kasanoff (Westport, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do Less, Achieve More: Discover the Hidden Powers Giving In (Paperback)

I love this book. Have read it at least four times, usually on long flights above the ocean or across a country. Here are its five principal lessons:

Desired outcome after reading:
Accomplish more by finding a better balance between effort and ease.

1. Trade what you have for what you want
"At any moment, your life is completely full... You had twenty four hours yesterday, and I guarantee that you used every minute and second of it." To make your life today different than it was yesterday, you have to give up something to make room for activities that will bring you what you desire. "Often, the greater the reward, the larger the adjustment you will have to make in your life."

2. Change your dreams, change your life
"Your dreams are like a movie projector reflecting your conscious and unconscious thoughts. If you want to know the quality of your life, examine the quality of your dreams." Do whatever you can to push your dreams to new levels: cut out pictures from magazines, imagine that you are (not will be, but are right now) wildly successful. Take long, imaginary rides in your yacht or Ferrari.

3. Surrender, and see your destiny
Giving into destiny does not mean doing nothing. It means "accepting life as you find it. It means using your given ability, talent and strength to do all you can to bring about a better life for yourself and others." She believes destiny reveals itself in three stages: first, you are dissatisfied with life; next, you come to some dramatic turning point - be careful not to get stuck here, as many do; finally you recognize that no one can take away what is destined to be yours, and then you have much in common with other great men and woemn.

4. Be willing not to survive
Once you turn to face the worst of all consequences, fear disappears. Death can actually become your protector. Once you accept death and turn to face it, daily stress and frustration drifts away. You gain the freedom to recognize what is truly important, rather than what you feel compelled to do.

5. Put your mind at ease
"The only reality that exists for you is in your own mind." Grant yourself grace. You can choose to enjoy or dread your ride through life; this is a choice that happens in your mind, not in the world around you.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, inspirational, very readable, July 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Do Less, Achieve More: Discover the Hidden Power of Giving In (Hardcover)

This book is titled 'The Secrets of the Rainmaker' in Australia, which I reckon is a title more reflecting the style of the book.

It is so logical, the thinking... that I wondered why I didn't see...but at the same time reading the book has increased my confidence because, on another level, I realised that it was exactly how I thought.

I know that the best things happen to me when I am cruising along with life and not trying to force it.

This book explains why it is so. I would recommend it and have recommended it to anyone wanting to connect the spiritual with the day to day.

I love Chin Ning Chu and am amazed at the depth of her writing ability. I have read all her books and I never do that (read more than two books from the same author). I even read Rainmaker twice and keep picking it up and letting it fall open where it may.

Get it, read it and relax into life!!