So, readers beware: there are authors who republish old books under new titles, and it works - on suckers like me.

If you are still interested, please read my full review of the new edition, called "To be or not to be intimidated?: That is the question".

It's true that the author's background and focus is on one-time transactions (big-ticket sales), whereas ongoing relationships are more important in life. It's also true that many people would find this book pedestrian or brash or both. Nevertheless, the book is a masterpiece of assertiveness training self-help. I still have "the theory of reality" and "the theory of intimidation" in my soul even though it's been many years since I read it.

As everyone who's read it agrees, it's not about intimidating others, it's about not being intimidated yourself. The most pervasive intimidations are based on generally accepted values, expectations and pecking orders in a community. There are situations where you can and should act contrary to those things, but it takes some boldness. The book presents the advantages of boldness while stressing the necessity of always looking at the situation's realities as acutely as possible. It shows that deliberate analysis of realities is fundamental to success -- which ought to be obvious, but I wasn't doing it before I read the book (except unconsciously & partially). I especially recommend it for the young and the unprestigious.

This book has nothing to do with bullying or overbearing behavior and everything to do with establishing value and defending that value. Ringer explains how you can hang onto the values that you believe in while recognizing the signs of a con up front. Most importantly, he presents practical, concise truisms which teach you the judo you need to prevent being taken advantage of.

If you believe that closing your eyes makes the problems go away, then this book isn't for you. If you're looking for misty-eyed psychobabble, this isn't it. This book should be required reading in schools because it isn't about drifting through how you wish the world was, it's about paying attention and dealing with the way the world *is*. IT WORKS.

As long as there are victims, there will be sharks. Here's to Robert Ringer helping to reduce the food supply.

The ideas are boiled down into simple maxims like the Law of Reality, the Ice Ball theory, and so on. Very simple, but very powerful. Much like the two laws of Algebra: any number plus zero is the same number, and any number times one is the same number.

The trick, as in Algebra, is how to make the most of simple rules to get what you want. People who are able to think logically will get it. People with preconceptions and other prejudices may never get it. People of the latter type probably ought not to waste their time with this book. They certainly won't get an apology from the likes of Ringer.