The Boston Rob Rulebook: Strategies for Life Paperback – May 4, 2013

Boston Rob captured the essence of his philosophies in this book. If you admired him in Survivor and want to see his thoughts on paper, then this book captures him perfectly. Here are some of my favorite quotes and key points from the book:I believe it was Socrates who said, "Know thyself."Be yourself. Consistency is key. Take a stance.Have a plan. And a backup plan, and a backup plan for your backup plan. Be able to make changes on the go.I think it was Sun Tzu who said: He who shows up prepared has already won half the battle.Education is the key to success. The best type of education is real-world education.If you want something bad enough, you have to work for it. Take action. Change your situation. Make something of yourself.Clean it up.Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.Know what the competition is up to at all times. Never get comfortable and let your guard down.Things aren't always going to be fair. Don't let others dictate your destiny. My destiny is in your best interest!At first it may seem ingenuous to be so obnoxiously positive. And you know what? It is. But you have to teach your brain to think in a new way. You may not believe what you're thinking or saying at first, but in time being positive will just come naturally. Soon people will see you not as the downer they used to know but as a positive person they want to be around.If people like you, they'll want to be around you. You have to rewire your brain to focus on the positive.If you want people to like you, be like me.No one gets anywhere in life on their own. Not all relationships last, but those that do are the important ones.It's another staple of human psychology: Build people up; don't break them down. No one likes to be told they stink at something.Instead, try to figure out something - anything - they're good at and make sure you let them know you recognize it.Phil used to use this particular tactic when he was dealing with us, and he did it so seamlessly that it was completely natural. He had a way of never making us feel as if he was above us in anyway. He seemed genuinely thrilled that we would work for him, almost as if we were doing him a favor. Sure, he expected a solid day of work out of you, but let me tell you, this guy was loved by all of his employees.Phil brought out the best in us by encouraging us to pursue what we loved about our jobs.Phil was genuine. He listened to us and treated us with respect. In return, we would always go the extra mile for him.Be genuine with your compliments. Focus on others' strengths.Zip it. In other words keep your mouth shut.In my experiences, people tend to respect people who don't talk as much. When you're always talking, either you're going to come off as a know-it-all or you're going to end up saying something stupid. And, believe me, I'm talking from experience. I've stuck my foot in my mouth on more than one occasion.There's a reason why God created us with two ears and one mouth. If we only talked half as much as we listened, we'd all be better off for it.Like Mark Twain said, it's better to be quiet and let people think you're a fool than to open your big, fat mouth and remove all doubt.Shut up and listen. You just might learn something. Listen twice as much as you speak.But no matter what, you have to be honest with one person at all times: yourself. Whether it's in a game, at work, in your relationships, with your finances, etc., you always have to be 100 percent honest with yourself and know where you stand.It's easy to get caught up in everything that's going on around you lose perspective on reality. As a result you end up making the big picture seem a little prettier than it actually is, which can be dangerous.Only you yourself know if you're giving it your best. So stop deceiving yourself.If you're a mature adult, you know what you have to do. Just be honest with yourself and you'll be fine in the end.Be honest with yourself 100 percent of the time. Have perspective. Keep in touch with reality.where Brad Pitt's character, Tyler Durden, gives this convenience store clerk an ultimatum: change your life or die.Playing it safe will only get you so far. If you don't take a chance, you'll never know what might have been.Luckily I've always been able to keep my mind calm when everything around me is out of control.The key is staying focused.Whatever situation you're in, start making a checklist in your mind, figure out the easiest steps, and then just take it one step at a time.Champions thrive under pressure. Focus on the task at hand.If you want to be more successful, you have to be tuned in. You have to keep your eyes and ears open at all times.You have to pay attention.They're saying one thing while giving off all these tells that they really mean something else.Keep your eyes and ears open at all times. Pay attention to body language.Whenever you take on any task, whatever it may be, the first thing you need to do is get organized.Again, it's all about being organized. There's no excuse for not having your act together.So clean it up, get your act together, and get organized.Get things organized before you takeon any task. Put proven systems into place.Family comes first. Always."A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man."The basic premise of this rule is that nobody will ever love you unconditionally like your family. Nobody will ever have your back likeWhen your family is strong and unified, when you have a strong core of close friends, it can serve as a solid foundation in whatever endeavor you pursue.At the end of the day, loyalty is the most important quality a person can have.Don't take your family or friends for granted. Align your own best interests with those of your family.Life is a social game.One of the most important lessons I've learned is that life is a social game.People are social beings. You can never discount their feelings and emotions.You may only have one shot at showing people who you are.I went into the first day like I'd been there before, like I knew what I was talking about.One of the most important skills I use in my everyday life is accurately assessing not what I know but what I don't know.Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Watch what they do in certain situations and try to emulate it. Listen to them and soak up as much knowledge as you can.Make them think you know what you're talking about. Seek out people who are smarter than you."It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Mark Twain.It's not how big or strong you are; it's how much effort you put into it. Put your whole heart into everything you do."Tell me who you go with, and I'll tell you who you are."Hang out with intelligent, successful people, and some of it is sure to rub off on you.The thing you have to ask yourself is: What do I want out of life, and are the people I'm currently hanging out with the right ones to get me there?Your companions and environment directly influence who you are. If your friends are bringing you down, maybe you need some new ones."Listen kid I'm going to give you the only piece of advice you'll ever need: When it comes to your relationship, you can choose to be right or to be happy--the choice is yours. And in case you can't read between the lines, it's better to be happy."Choose to be happy. To hell with being right.Never, ever, ever give up.No matter how bad or hopeless you think things are, you should never, ever give up. Expect the unexpected. Keep fighting. Keep working your way back, even if it seems impossible. Sometimes it's just a matter of perseverance or even a twist of fate that can get things back on track again.Circumstances can change in an instant.Keep fighting."Common sense trumps everything."

I bought this for my mother, who is a big survivor fan and Boston Rob is her favorite player. It is a pretty short book for the money, but it is a piece of "fan" memorabilia, so that is to be expected, I suppose. It is not disappointing for a fan, but it is not a work of great depth either. Like I said, it is certainly a must for the Boston Rob fans. It has lots of pictures of him throughout his life and definitely enough of a look into his thoughts to feel like you know him much better than you do on the show. I would have to say that he had a somewhat different attitude towards his fellow players during his 4th and winning stab at Survivor than comes across in the book, though. On that season, beyond cold and indifferent towards them , he seemed to genuinely think of them as idiots to be toyed with, even though he really had an unfair advantage playing his 4th season, including two seasons against other veteran players, when his 4th season competition were essentially all first time players (yes, Russel Hantz was there, but nobody trusted him and he was soon gone). Nevertheless, Rob was charismatic enough to make it back on the show four times, more than any other player.

This is not just a novelty item as some might think. This is Robert Mariano (Boston Rob) ‘s well written book of how we should all conduct our lives. He was smart to go to Boston University and get his degree in Psychology. It certainly paid off for him... and for us too if we take everything he write to heart. His parents obviously raised a very well rounded man who inspires me. He’s twenty something years younger than me so I was skeptical when first buying it. But I am truly amazed at the things he says. It’s an easy read, but with enough information to make you think. Yes, I am an avid fan of his from Survivor so was extremely surprised at his words, thinking initially it might just be a novelty. I wish I knew how to get it signed. A great buy.... a great gift... an impressive piece of work. Thanks Rob!

I am an avid Survivor fan, and except for Season 2, I haven't missed one episode. The reason I missed S2 is because I was disgusted with Richard Hatch winning S1. Survivor is definitely a great study in human relationships; we are truly bizarre, greedy, backstabbing creatures. Very few winners, in my opinion, have deserved to win. Boston Rob is one of those who deserved to win. I didn't like his arrogance on his first Survivor stint but it's as if I've watched him mature in the other 3. That's why I had to buy his book as soon as I saw him promote it on TV. It's a quick read, although the editing needs some work, and it sounds just like the way he talks: full of cliches, straight forwardness, street wisdom, and humor. I read it in one evening and will keep it for reference. I really like who Boston Rob has become so why not buy his book.

Let's face it....those of us that have bought the book at BR's fans. He genius to put it out there, admitting even in the book he sleeps til 10 and never plans to work an actual job again. Great profit making decision on his part.While it may not be the BR rules of the "game" as we expected, Rob clearly comes from a solid family background with a good upbringing. His rules go along well with any other self help book and strategies that are ingrained in the true winners of life. He presents them in his style which is straightforward and direct with the comedy relief present. It's a good read and has probably actually helped quite a few people that are his fans that may never have had the motivation to read other inspiring authors.

I bought this book because I'm a big survivor fan and like Boston Rob. I thought it would be just a fun read and probably funny. I was so surprised though on how great the lessons are that he writes about. He did a really great job on this book. He really nailed down some important life lessons. I think everyone should read this. I'm having my teenage girl read this. It's short, entertaining, yet packed full of good content. Great job Boston Rob!!

Read this book in an hour or so as it is very short. If you are a Boston Rob fan then you may find some of his life story interesting. It does have some decent bits of advice.Would recommend for fans, but possibly not for casual readers.

Excellent

Sans être un grand amateur de télé-réalité, on peut apprécier le jeu Koh Lanta : une vingtaine de personnes vivant dans des conditions difficiles, obligées de multiplier les alliances sans jamais oublier qu'il n'y aura qu'un seul gagnant... Comment faire pour être le meilleur ? Personnellement, constatant au fil des saisons que les joueurs les plus méritants étaient éliminés, j'ai fini par me résigner et accepter l'idée d'une part de chance trop importante. Puis j'ai découvert Survivor, la version américaine de Koh Lanta, et ce fut une révélation : pour gagner, il faut jouer comme Rob Mariano, alias "Boston Rob" !Rob a participé à quatre éditions de Survivor :En 2001 :  Survivor 4 : Marquesas , en Polynésie.En 2003 :  Survivor 8 : All Stars , au Panama.En 2010 :  Survivor 20 : Heroes Vs. Villains , aux Samoa.En 2011 :  Survivor 22 : Redemption Island , au Nicaragua.Saison après saison, Rob a perfectionné sa technique pour devenir le maître de Survivor. Ensuite, histoire de se faire un peu d'argent supplémentaire, il a écrit ce petit livre qui, il faut le reconnaître, est un peu une arnaque : 75 pages en gros caractères, quelques blagues, des photos de Rob et des conseils plus ou moins originaux du type : "Il faut se connaître soi-même" ; "Soyez positifs pour que les gens aient envie de vous fréquenter" ; "Persuadez ceux qui vous entourent que votre intérêt est leur intérêt" ; "Ayez toujours un plan de secours" ; "La meilleure éducation est celle de la vie" ; etc.Honnêtement, ce "guide" ne présente guère d'intérêt en lui-même. Néanmoins, je suis content de l'avoir acheté car, en plus de me faire réviser mon anglais (niveau peu élevé), j'ai pu rester un peu plus longtemps en compagnie d'un joueur exceptionnel à la personnalité forte et attachante, qui a su démontrer qu'à l'instar du poker, Koh Lanta n'était pas qu'un jeu de hasard. Survivor 4 : MarquesasSurvivor 8 : All StarsSurvivor 20 : Heroes Vs. VillainsSurvivor 22 : Redemption Island

For Survivor fans and fans of celebrity contestant Boston Rob, this is a fun read... advice for life mixed with experiences from the show.

I loved the book, Boston Rob is hilarious and to the point. Just common sense really and love his cocky attitude! Some people don't like that but I find it refreshing and when you have followed Rob like I have, it's just true to form! Nice light read!