Getting What You Want: The 7 Principles of Rational Living
No one can accuse Robert J. Ringer of pulling punches. But, then again,   as the author of such previous bestsellers asWinning Through IntimidationandLooking Out for No.   1, it should come as no surprise that this writer calls it like he sees   it. Unfortunately, inGetting What You Want, Ringer seems more interested   in persuading readers not to like many of the things--and people--he doesn't, as   opposed to providing a road map to rational living, as promised by the   subtitle.Ringer begins by defining a rational life as "a life guided by conscious effort   to make rational decisions that result in an individual's getting what he wants   over the long term, so long as actions stemming from those decisions do not   involve the use of force or fraud against anyone else." He then divides the book   into seven chapters, each focusing on one of his seven principles of rational   living, ranging from "Base Your Actions on Truth" (principle 1) to "Avoid Those   Who Drain Your Personal Resources" (principle 4) to "Learn from Bad Breaks, and   Move On" (principle 7). Ringer repeatedly hammers home the theme that we live in   an increasingly values-challenged, irrational world (hence, the need to be   rational), offering up examples at every possible opportunity.Consider Ringer's thoughts on Elvis Presley, who, he argues, exemplifies the   need of so many people to idolize celebrities--"a contagious strain of   self-delusion" that is a direct assault on principle 1:He never wrote a song, couldn't play a musical instrument (other   than barely being able to pluck around on his guitar prop), couldn't act, and   put himself into an early grave with a remarkable lack of self discipline that   ballooned his weight and saturated his body with harmful substances. To his   credit, he never championed a cause; in fact, he never claimed to believe in   anything.Bill Clinton, criminal defense attorneys, all political causes (including the   American Revolution), the rapper Ice Cube, O.J. Simpson, and McDonald's founder   Ray Kroc don't fare much better in the author's opinion, each being an affront   to one or more of the seven principles.What does all this have to do with getting what you want? Not much, but Ringer,   at least, starts off well by noting in his opening paragraph that there have   been "thousands of books written on the subject of achieving happiness, each   offering the author's views on how to bring about that much-sought-after, but   very elusive, state of mind." Want it or not, here's one more.--Patrick   Jennings