Ask for the Moon and Get It

by Percy Ross, Dick Samson

Are you looking for answers on how to be successful? Have you ever considered that the way to success lies not in knowing all the answers, but in asking the right questions? As a young man from humble beginnings, Percy Ross vowed that if ever he became successful he would use his knowledge to help others. In fact, he became a multi-millionaire and for the past 20 years has been giving away money to those who need it - and who have asked him for it. Full of personal anecdotes and tried and tested advice, this book reveals the secrets of his success, the ten basic rules of the art of asking; how to prepare a good case before you ask; making sure you ask the right person; how to encourage others to contribute to your success; and how to help other people achieve success.

Genres: Self Help

219 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Laurent]

A son of immigrants, Percy Ross grew up in deep poverty. After half a life of selling stuff and creating several businesses, he ended up a millionaire and swore to help back those in needs. He spent the second half of his life giving small amounts of money to people who asked him for various things (a bike, an education abroad, a job,...). He ended getting a couple of thousands of requests a month and had to chose which ones to accept and which ones to reject.

This book offers his rules on how to successfully ask people for something. Every rule comes with examples and counter examples from his personal experience and from his requests. Easy read but worth reading.

The main ideas:
* know what you need and ask for something specific
* show that you are hardworking and that your request will have a strong impact on your life
* offer something to your requester: a promise of results, appreciation, something he would want in return of your request

Reads like a Dale Carnegie book, but with less content. Some examples from the book come from How to Win Friends, so if you already read the book you will find some redundancy.