Richard Templar

Stop being neurotic, show some emotional intelligence and political savy, and realize that you at work, all the time. I waffled between concurrence and wanting to take a shower after reading. Most tips are spot-on. Many are a bit insincere, disingenuous, perfidious, but oh so true.

How to Get What You Want Without Having to Ask by Richard Templar is a simple examination of the techniques to get people give you what you want. I didn't learn anything new from this book, but that's probably not a fair way to judge the book. I tend to usually get what I want anyway. The techniques described are simple and easy to understand even if a few do seem to contradict others. He sometimes points this out and explains why there are two approaches listed. It may serve someone who show more struggles to get what they want with some simple techniques to make their desires known. Even though Templar stressses that manipulation isn't the way to get what you want, some of the techniques described certainly border on manipulation. Others though are simply about learning to express one's wants in a more effective way. How to Get What You Want Without Having to Ask is well written with a bit of humor thrown in from time to time. show less

This book examines 100 commonly-held rules or sayings and show why we should not always follow them. Examples he turns on their heads include “the best things in life are free” and “a place for everything and everything in its place”. Each rule is discussed in 2 pages. The books ends with 10 rules you shouldn't break.

The author writes in an engaging style and the book provides moments of inspiration and ideas to reflect upon. Nothing deep, but readers can take away important insights.

Deceptively Simple!

Rules of Money is not a get-rich-quick book but a series of short one-page chapters with some advice on how to build wealth slowly and when you get it, how to keep it. It's tough to write a review of a book that is broken down into so many bits & pieces, but I will point out a few bits that really impressed me.

First is the concept of shopping! Everyone loves to shop. But it may not be the best to go for the cheapest. Templar's book emphasizes Value over Price. Something show more may be cheap (his bag of tee-shirts for five dollars for example) but you end up throwing away cheap items that break, tear or become rags. While his wife (always the smarter of the couple) buys a tee-shirt that may be expensive, but with years of wear you actually save money. He got a used Mercedes that he has been driving for years (known for its mechanical superiority) as compared to his friends who go through cars and many repair bills, despite the original cheaper sticker price. Food for thought.

Another is the concept of investing. What kind of investor are you? How patient? And related to that was the idea of paying for your retirement through your pension and 401K, the idea of retirement being difficult for younger people who don't see themselves not working and so spend like crazy. Change of attitude.

And, knowing where you are at, financially, before you can even begin to figure out the future wealth of yourself and family. This step is so important it is in the front of the book! You'd be surprised how many people really have no clue as to their net worth and continue in bad spending habits, avoiding taxes (which he strongly admonishes against) and having a mind set that leads to the poor house.

107 bite-sized chapters with more advice than Mom and more common sense than, well, your Mom! Scary!

Bottom Line: Great little book; not perfect but really makes a point that with hard work and an ethical, positive outlook you too can make enough common sense decisions to do well financially. Maybe you will never be a Bill Gates or Donald Trump, but you can change your mind about your situation.

Recommended.


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