Dare to Prepare: How to Win before You Begin

During his forty-year career in the worlds of law, sports, business, and politics, Ron Shapiro has worked with a great variety of people. He's found that the secret for getting into the winner's circle is simply disciplined preparation.

In Dare to Prepare, successful people such as wine guru Robert Parker, investment legend Bill Miller, pianist Leon Fleisher, Goldman Sachs partner Lisa Fontenelli, broadcaster Bob Costas, firefighter Ann Marie Tierney, New York Mets manager Willie Randolph, and many others share the way they apply discipline in preparing for career-changing games, deals, meetings, and interviews.

Cal Ripken, Jr., played thousands of games in the major leagues but prepared for each like it was his first. Here are the steps necessary for you to prepare like a champion.

Ronald M. Shapiro has had a rich and varied career as civil rights lawyer, sports agent, entrepreneur, and business executive. He is the founder of the Shapiro Negotiations Institute and has trained over 250,000 people in the art of negotiation, dealing with difficult people, and the skill of being a great listener. He has represented Hall of Fame players such as Cal Ripken, Jr., and Kirby Puckett, and he helped end the major league umpires strike.

Gregory Jordan is a writer from Baltimore. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, The Hill, and Crisis magazine.