The Flake Filter - How to Handle the Unreliable People Who Waste Your Time [Paperback]

Toby W. Unwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2003

Flakes are people who waste your time and don't deliver on their promises,normally because they were "too busy", or simply never interested to act in the first place.

How much time have you wasted in your life dealing with people who do not do what they say they will?

How much more effective and enjoyable would your life be if you only did business with people who could do what they said they could do, and then did?

How great would it be if you could quickly identify those that just "talk the talk" from those that actually "walk the walk," so you did not waste your time with any Flakes?

Have flaky people let you down?

Do you wish you had a better "read" on people to let you know which people to avoid in and which to approach in business?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you need to read The Flake Filter

How much of your time and money has been wasted by people like this?

Identifying them isn’t always easy, and dealing with one can be frustrating. Fortunately there’s now help-The Flake Filter, shows you how to spot there people before they waste your time. It also tells you how to deal with one if you’ve got stuck and how to take care of business so that people can tell you’re a solid person who can be trusted.

"The tools to him who has the ability to use them" - French Proverb

24 ways to identify unreliable people before they waste your time.
16 ways to stop them.
25 ways to "make it happen" now.
How to get the best deal with builders and contractors
How to get a company to provide you free support, even when the warranty has expired
11 things attorneys do to waste your time and money - what you can do to stop them
How E.R. paid $3,000 for a $50,000 lawyer bill, how you can too.
How to get your calls returned and avoid being put on hold
5 simple points to put in a contract to make people stick to it, without needing a lawyer.
How to get people to do your work, for free.
The "free help" you should always turn down
The 6 giveaways all liars have.
Why you should never pay anyone by the hour, how you should pay people to ensure they follow through.
Why you should never pay for a "legal opinion"
How to save $000's in lawyer fees.
What you should never do in a presentation
How to bind someone to a contract they haven't signed.
How to spot which "media darlings" are the "real deal".
6 things you shouldn't use to judge a person's ability on.
The magic phrase to get you through to a decision maker.
How to get any CEO's home phone number
How saying no can win you a sale
And much, much more

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Legal Stuff

The rules in this book are my opinions, not those of the publisher, or any associated companies. Opinions may change, the rules here may not be relevant in your situation, or they could be complete rubbish; that is up to you to decide. You should make any serious decision after consulting competent professional help. Do not rely on this book to run your life; I cannot and will not be responsible for the consequences. While I’m on the subject: do not run with sharp objects; if you drop coffee in your lap, it may scold you; do not spit in the wind; objects in the rear view mirror are larger than they appear; and always look both ways before crossing the road.

Lastly, if you are easily offended, or think you might be a Flake, then I suggest that you do not buy this book. There are plenty of other titles that will not challenge the way you think, or suggest that you might not always be perfectly correct. Please do us all a favor and put this back on the shelf and look elsewhere; there are lots of books around with pretty pictures, you might enjoy one with a cloth cover, or that in which you can color in.

From the Inside Flap

24 ways to identify unreliable people before they waste your time.
16 ways to stop them.
25 ways to "make it happen" now.
How to get the best deal with builders and contractors
How to get a company to provide you free support, even when the warranty has expired
11 things attorneys do to waste your time and money – what you can do to stop them
How E.R. paid $3,000 for a $50,000 lawyer bill, how you can too.
How to get your calls returned and avoid being put on hold
5 simple points to put in a contract to make people stick to it, without needing a lawyer.
How to get people to do your work, for free.
The "free help" you should always turn down
The 6 giveaways all liars have.
Why you should never pay anyone by the hour, how you should pay people to ensure they follow through.
Why you should never pay for a "legal opinion"
How to save $000’s in lawyer fees.
What you should never do in a presentation
How to bind someone to a contract they haven’t signed.
How to spot which "media darlings" are the "real deal".
6 things you shouldn’t use to judge a person’s ability on.
The magic phrase to get you through to a decision maker.
How to get any CEO’s home phone number
How saying no can win you a sale
And much, much more

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Element Limited Corp. (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972981411
• ISBN-13: 978-0972981415
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,601,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Talk about a waste of time!, January 6, 2004

By 

"catherineschumann" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Flake Filter - How to Handle the Unreliable People Who Waste Your Time (Paperback)

Almost everything in this book is blindingly obvious, naive or patronising to the point that it put my teeth on edge. The author seems entirely self-absorbed and bent on reminding us mere mortals of his marvellous achievements (on paper) and in making money from this book (in my admittedly not-very-absorbed read of which I have already come across 3 blatant instances of begging/threatening the reader to buy the book - sounding more like the threats from a cheesy chain letter).

(an example from the first chapter: )
"Note to reader: if you are standing in a bookshop still reading this, then go and buy it now. Do not be a deadbeat. Go to the register and part with some money. We are not giving you this infomation for free; plus you will need this book and its insights with you at all (italicised!) times to identify the various Flakes that pop up in your everyday life."

And while the author failed to make me feel like I wasn't merely a pawn in his latest get-rich-quick scheme, a quick flip to the back should definitely help you to feel like a valued fan: (NOT)
"Your Opinions:
Earlier on, I promised you a space all your own, where you could write down your own opinions. Please do not send them to me, because I really don't care. I do, however, keep my word. The following space is just for you, and it is all your own. Please take this time to "get it all out of your system." Whatever is burning you up, please write it down for your own benefit(s). Enjoy." Followed by a rectangle in case you could not find the space below.

I was extremely unimpressed with the content of this book; the formatting and style seem hurried and amateurish, and the spelling and grammar errors provide some light relief. However, if you feel that you can benefit from an entire bookful of the above, and feel that you need help in spotting your own flakes to the tune of the cost of this book, please don't let me be the one to waste your time.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Flake-y, December 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Flake Filter - How to Handle the Unreliable People Who Waste Your Time (Paperback)

Save yourself the money - this book's contents are common sense and a blinding flash of the obvious to anyone who has been working in business for more than a few years. Got an extra star because it did make me laugh in places!

Buy a copy of Robert Ringer's book Winning through intimidation instead, which IMHO is 1000% better value

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Getting rich by writing about it, July 21, 2005

By 

Fido (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Flake Filter - How to Handle the Unreliable People Who Waste Your Time (Paperback)

I received an email (not quite spam as it came as an 'extra' through a daily email service that I quite enjoy reading) about Toby Unwin's guide to getting rich through commercial property - yes even you or I could do it with no money down. It seemed to be too good to be true, so I thought I would google it to see if anyone else had written about it.

I then came across his other works - Flake Filter, Practice Without Fear (a physician's guide to asset protection), How to be a Powerseller on ebay and Wealth Without Fear (not a get-rich-quick book--it's a stay-rich-forever book - how lovely...). All of these approaches allegedly have made him rich beyond belief at age 26.

Having read the reviews (the one at the bottom is clearly a cut and paste job by either the author himself or his publisher and I wouldn't be surprised if the other 5 star reviews are as well considering they contain basic cheerleading rather than offer any insight), I have come to the conclusion that Toby Unwin is following the old adage that the best way to get rich is by writing about how to get rich. Personally, I very much doubt the author is an expert in all (any?) of these fields and I think the real benefit of reading the book will be marginal as attested by some reviewers. If you are feeling philanthropic, you could however help the author reach financial freedom. It's your decision, i've made mine.