Customer Reviews

The Ripple Effect: Maximizing the Power of Relationships for Life & Business (Second Edition)

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It's easy these days to feel adrift in a soulless world, where cynicism and selfishness reign and those who care about something other than quick sells and profit margins are considered weak and naive.

The Ripple Effect is a reminder of what life is really about -- helping each other and leaving a positive legacy. But not only does the book explain why our relationships with others deserve our conscientious attention, he goes on to provide practical tools and concepts to help readers make tangible improvements in their businesses and in their lives.

Part I, "Developing a Relationship Mindset", discusses the "science of ripples" and the innumerable and unpredictable opportunities, both personal and professional, that are possible in any given relationship. It also provides a simple personality model that makes it easy to tune your interactions with others to best maximize their potential.

Part II, "Planning A Relationship Strategy", gets you thinking about how you could explore the relationships you already have and how you could start cultivating more. It goes on to differentiate between good and bad networking and gives experienced advice on networking groups and identifying people whom you should seek out and those you should avoid.

Part III, "Practicing Relationships", defines different levels of relationships and discusses how to deepen them. It details a practical plan for overcoming inertia and starting your own ripples for everyone's benefit. The book wraps up by providing several inspirational stories of rippling and a final dose of encouragement and motivation.

The Ripple Effect will open your eyes to the wonderful possibilities of a life lived in cooperation, not competition, with others, and give you the tools you need to seek success in the world without selling your soul. Though some of the core concepts may seem like common sense, it's helpful to be reminded of them in such clear and pragmatic terms, and inspirational to know that there are a lot of people out there who want to join you in making the world a more fulfilling place to live.

It's an easy, sincere, engaging read, and a nice bookshelf filler -- every time your eyes glance past it you will be reminded of the karmic goodness it has brought, and continues to bring, into your life, and the lives of those around you. As Steve Harper says, "Ripple on!"

Most Relationship building books will tell WHY good relationships are important in business. 'The Ripple Effect: Maximizing the Power of Relationships for Life and Business, is the first to really tell you HOW to build the framework, the habits and the positive thinking that will allow you to master relationship building. Chapter 5, "The ROI of Selflessness" is a must read for all salespeople who want to take success to the next level.

Mr. Harper is also the first since Norman Vincent Peale to not forget about Family and how important it is to nurture the relationships of those most important to us as well.

The Ripple Effect: Steve Harper.

This book is a must have whether you want a quick refresher on networking or a practical "how to guide". We all think we have the answers and necessary approach on how to network but I can promise you that we don't have the tools to "Ripple" Anyone can network but it takes the committed and aware to Ripple. You have to network to be successful in today's competitive business climate and Steve Harper's approach takes us back to the basics. Treat people like the most important resource. So stop smoozing it's loosing its impact; I suggest you "Get Your Ripple On" think beyond the lead/business outcome and to the relationship. It's amazing when you network with relationship based intent how fulfilling the human interaction can be!

This book is creating quite a Ripple in networking groups across America. Steve Harper helps us to understand it's about the person not about the labels that we attempt to use to define our self worth . Go ahead, Get Real and Ripple On.... You will be astonished at how this book will change your perspective on how to network in today's environment. I personally have used it to train several of my direct reports in a corporate environment and today many of them hold leadership positions because of the critical skills this book provided to each of them.
This book is a must have whether for the college graduate, new manager, or your friends and family it's a book that if the recipient is ready to receive will change their perspective forever.

I don't get into these kinds of books. The seven, highly effective, customer experience-driven, habits of where's the cheese kinds of books. But this book turned out differently.

The Ripple Effect reminds us about the little things and how they really do matter. And that every seemingly insignificant moment flows into the next, defines our past, and shapes our future. It speaks to things we already know, but forget as we march through our very busy and important lives.

This book could help you sell more, grow your company, build better relationships, reach all of your goals...but it won't. What it can do is show you how little actions in your daily life conspire to either produce or prevent all of these things.

What you chose to do with that insight is up to you. You're already rippling (for better or worse), so you'd be crazy not to give the subject due consideration. Read it.

This book has really opened my eyes in both my personal and professional relationships. Being a truly introverted type of person, I tended to shy away from having to interact with people I didn't know. But since reading this book, it has helped me to step outside of my comfort zone and grow my relationships. Not only have I been able to greatly improve on the relationships I already have, but I have found it much easier to form new ones. This is a must read for anyone looking to step out of their own comfort zone and truly grow and form some wonderful bonds.

In the use of relationship models, The Ripple Effect is effective in showing how to leverage everyday encounters to build sucessful networks. The use of technology is suggested throughout the book to further maintain and build these networks. The book was well structured and easy to read with case studies provided as further proof of the benefits from maximizing more substantial personal and professional relationships. This book is a definate must read!

Steve Harper reminds us how it is often the simplest things we do that determine whether or not we succeed or fail. The Ripple Effect provides insight on how to improve and build relationships in order to be successful for the long term.

After reading The Ripple Effect, I kept thinking of more people to share it with -- so, I bought a case of books to share with associates. I have found the knowledge I gained from reading the Ripple Effect to be instrumental in building my business and in maintaining my personal relationships.

This is not a book just for adults or business people but for anyone looking for ways to have better relations with others

This review is for the revised and expanded second edition of The Ripple Effect. I read the first book over four years ago watched as ripples went out and came back in the most unexpected places. The Ripple Effect is a hands-on, immediately useful resource for people desiring greater relationships with anyone. In this new edition, Steve added new content to bring us up-to-date with social networking, offering sage advice on best practices as well as warnings.

This edition also includes points to ponder at the end of each chapter, as well as exercises for evaluating and improving how we interact with others. Steve's thought provoking questions and simple exercises are excellent and alone worth the price of the book. Invest the time in completing the Relationship Connector and Depth of Relationship exercises and you will definitely see shifts in your relationships. I am working through them now and already experiencing positive changes.

Also new to this edition is a chapter devoted to stories of ripple experiences from people who read the book, applied the philosophy, and sent Steve a story about the results. They'll touch your heart. My favorite part of this edition is the historical ripples beginning each chapter. Eleven stories that had me saying each time "Fascinating! I would never have imagined that. Where can I do that?" I find myself now looking for ripple opportunities everywhere.

If you get the chance, attend an 8-Minute Ripple Connection Event or hire him to present at your event. You want meet Steve. No kidding. He's one of the most genuine and interesting people you will likely ever meet.

I value The Ripple Effect enough to purchase ten more copies for customers and friends. My suggestion is for you to do the same. Let's see if we can change the world through positive ripples.

This is something you must read if you want your professional or personal relationships to improve! Really makes you look at your daily activity in a different way. I would highly recommend!

I'm not in Sales, in fact, I'm unemployed. And I was learning the power of the ripple, unfortunately not the kind I intended. It had taken me months to make contact and get a meeting with an exec at a company I would have died to work for, it was a dream come true. Then I opened my mouth. I was so obsessed with making SURE this COO knew I could single-handedly turn his company around that every time I opened my mouth I sent out a ripple that literally made him cringe. The more he cringed, the more I was SURE I had to open my mouth one more time and feed him one more fact, one more piece of experience - surely, then he would understand!

I left that interview sure of three things 1) there was no way I was EVER going to get that job, 2) I had lost the opportunity to work for probably one of the coolest companies out there, and 3) IT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN!

I needed help. And that help came in the form of Steve Harper and his book "The Ripple Effect". Although the book often discusses positive ripples in relation to increased sales, I could easily apply it to my job search. Steve and his book turned my thinking around.

This book improved my personal and professional relationships, it taught me how to network fearlessly, how to understand and relate to the person I was interviewing with, and how to start creating positive ripples immediately. The relationship-building techniques I learned in this book have turned my job search from fruitless and frustrating to exciting and productive. And although I don't have that dream job just yet, I do have the second interview next week!