Customer Reviews

Rules for Renegades: How to Make More Money, Rock Your Career, and Revel in Your Individuality

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

There are people who market their consulting services by writing glowing 5 star reviews of *every* new book that appears on Amazon. Ignore these people.

Here's an honest review.

This book is basically the business version of "Chick Lit". The author's real passion is for recounting her affairs with various billionaires. First, there's Bill Gates with whom she had a one stand. Frankly, I thought Bill was too much of nerd to do this sort of thing. Then there's another short-lived relationship with Oracle's Larry Ellison who, according to her, has "buns of steel." Talk about TMI! Finally, there's a third mystery billionaire who is never identified.

Then there is the tiresomely long section on her problems with her New Age guru. He turned out to be a con man just like most western religious leaders. Apparently she couldn't see this coming.

The remainder of the book consists of high school level "wisdom" on how to succeed in life. For example, you need to master GSD (Getting Stuff Done). What a great insight!

To pad RfR out to book length she throws in a completely out-of-place chapter (CEO as Cash Extraction Officer) near the end on business funding sources which feels like a quickie Google "cut n paste" job.

The book's greatest strengths are the catchy chapter titles. Just scan them and you will absorb the book's total value in seconds.

Before the dotcoms exploded the author claimed to be a venture capitalist. All I know of her exploits as a VC is that she appeared in a business magazine sitting in a bubble bath wearing nothing but a cowboy hat and holding a cigar. That picture sums up the author nicely: a self-promoter and lime-light seeker with little of substance to offer the reader.

I was really hoping to like this book since there's so little writing from female entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, it's just disappointing fluff.

Ok, found this book in Business Week. A HUGE ad. Should have listened to my intuition. Great book for breaking old thoughts, getting out there and doing it! Yeah! But... Then the numerous parts on her 'relations' with 'various billionaires'. Yes, she outright brags! It's ridiculous and ruined her credibility for me. I did get something from the book, but without the kissing scenes. I reaffirmed my empowered feelings etc... but not much else. I did join her website: she sends you 'SPAM' about her teleconferences (the 1st wasn't too bad). Then builds you up for the Finale: the $200 conference she's holding. You had me at 'Unsubscribe'. Don't really recommend this one, but would highly recommend: The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz (Wow, REALLY gets you going) or 4 Hour work week (bit analytical but good inspiration and NOT just for those who want to quit their job). Hope that helps. Smile everyone, Have a great day!

I was really disappointed in this book. Do renegades even abide by rules? The book is a hollow collection of platitudes backed up by stories of dubious escapades. Not so much a book about business as a memoir book masquerading as a business book.

It is a fairly breezy read, however that's the problem. It breezes over many details, lacks depth, and throws in points that should be explained and are not. The author also contradicts herself in a damning manner.

First she admits to not having researched a business idea before going into it head first. She goes into training as a Geisha (no really, she does) and only after meeting someone who would become her benefactor does it dawn on her that being a Geisha means she would become a kept women. Seems to me that this is something that you should know going in, before you decide to set up a Geisha House in the US; and especially before you start training as a Geisha.

The second and most damning admission is that of her business partner. He is none other than a notorious cult leader to whom she gives half of her earnings. He is not mentioned until approximately half way into the book. Then only as an after thought does she slip in the "donations" she makes. She is forced to make these admissions because it leads into why she had to start over after this ultra-succesful business failure. She had "given" him half of the business, he wanted more.

After that chapter it was difficult to read on. How do listen to someone who sides with a cult leader, and says he is her "spiritual guide", and defends him; while admitting he is out for her money? She glosses over her involvement with this "guru", which makes it much harder to believe anything she says.

The author is typical of the Tech Elite, they will follow the hokiest of organizations, Gurus, Religions, Collectives looking for "meaning", which they never find. The failure of each new "fad", mostly New Age fads leads to them flailing desperately for some way to justify their existence. In this book, I recognize many of my former co-workers (Tech Elite). The author's failure to address this, is a major shortcoming of the book.

The author hits on all the requirements of being an "expert". Write book, check; create catch phrases, check; "buzz" words they have made up, check; offer free gift of little to no value, check; mention website several times, check. Her favorite phrases are "rock your career" followed by "rock failure" which she uses more as a mantra, than an emphasis on a point.

I don't mind people marketing their services or wares; however it annoys me when a book purports to be one thing and turns out to be nothing but a pre-sales piece. Can you learn something from this book? Yes, I think you can, however it's not rules, and it's not about being a renegade.

I used to review business books for a management magazine, so I've read a ton of books like this -- the "secrets" to getting ahead. Unfortunately, this book reads like more of a kiss-and-tell than a business how-to guide to success (the author lost all credibility when she started name-dropping about her affairs with Bill Gates and Larry Ellison).

I was eager to read this slim volume because the author -- a model-turned-monk-turned-programmer-turned-millionaire -- seemed to have a heck of a background to draw from. But instead of this being a concise instruction manual, it's a catch-as-catch-can recounting of various "rules" the author learned over her somewhat schizophrenic life. I wasn't sure if it was "do as I did" or "don't do as I did." Nothing was presented in any sort of cohesive fashion, so I found it nearly impossible to follow. Also, often major pieces of the story seemed to be missing (what was up with her guru-turned-criminal??).

I would skip this book unless you want a bit of an insider's look at how Bill Gates' mom used to plan his life (via whiteboard).

Renegades usually don't follow rules because that is what makes them renegades. Rules for Renegades aims to share Christine Comaford-Lynch's experiences. She states that she started with no special advantages and that 10 life lessons -- the rules -- she shares will help readers gain confidence and self-esteem, build strong relationships, and become financially independent.

The book oozes Comaford-Lynch's fiery style and rivets. This is a woman whose history consists of running away to New York to try modeling, becoming a Buddhist monk, inventing several products earning millions of dollars, and making a mistake that cost $8 million. She tells fascinating stories while interweaving advice on funding and starting a company. Reading the book is akin to reading People Magazine and getting the inside scoop on celebrities from a business perspective. Instead of reading about actors, read about an executive who meets celebrities and attempts to motivate.

What are the chances any of us will experience such meetings? Very little. The celebs with the biggest parts are Microsoft's Bill Gates, Oracle's Larry Ellison, and an anonymous billionaire. She drops plenty of names of people she meet along the way including Connie Chung, Maury Povich, Jane Fonda, and Barbara Walters. This book qualifies more the autobiography section than for the self-help section.

The author's writing feels loud and she sounds like she bounces off the walls. Few successful people have a personality resembling Comaford-Lynch's maniacal and hyperactive style. Thus, her experiences aren't something many of us can do or make happen even if we tried. Her advice seems more kitschy than insightful.

In talking about what it takes to be success, she believes a person's GSD (Gets Stuff Done) is more important than an MBA. She doesn't mean to slam education, but tells readers that the real world experience is what matters instead of the pile of degrees. A GSD means you know how to get your foot in the door, set goals, listening to the voice in your head, and avoiding pushiness. If you want to earn a GSD-style degree, David Allen's GTD (Getting Things Done) is better.

The most interesting thing in the "Work Your Money Mojo" chapter is its title. The advice on raising money from outside the company doesn't offer anything new: Prove you have a viable product, set measurable goals to track progress, and report to management. However, she does a valuable service in providing resources for getting funding. This information, though, feels out of place in the disjointed book.

Comaford-Lynch deserves congratulations for making millions, working as a CEO for multiple companies, and learning from her mistakes. Her path to all of money, career, and happiness isn't one most people would want to take to grow and prosper. In sum, Rules for Renegades proves an entertaining read with too much emphasis on things that are bigger than they really are.

TD's review was absolutely correct. This book is not a business resource book, but rather a self-serving, ridiculous recount of this author's affairs with wealthy businessmen. I bought this book because it was recommended in a trade magazine that I believed had credibility. No more! Ms. Comaford-Lynch's only business advice seems to be to promise to deliver on a business venture you know nothing about, start a company to provide that service, and - gosh darn it! - hope for the best. If you fail, you fail. Sleeping her way to the top seems to be the only surefire recommendation she has to offer.

After wasting 4 precious hours of my life reading this book, I am miserably ashamed of myself. This book is nothing but outright self-promotion and wishful thinking masquerading as a self help book. Every time Comaford-Lynch turns around, she is meeting a)somebody famous, or b) a stranger who she then runs off with to start a multi-million dollar company. Her attention span is shorter than that of my toddler's, and I cannot believe her peers tolerate someone as hyperactive and superficial as she describes herself to be.
I'm sure the author is a very nice person, but her repetitious platitudes (Be confident! Don't give up! Just get stuff done!) fall short of the mark when promising real help in the business world. Overall, a poorly written, somewhat maniacal glimpse inside the life of someone who must be the poster child for attention deficit disorder.

This book seems like it could not make up it's mind if it was a business self help book or an autobiography.
This author has been in the news for some dubious reasons before and she very briefly touches on her long time relationship with Zen Master Rama.
She also throws out lots of cliches that are jarring given her telling us about her steamroller approach to success.
(things like, "create a dream board, get a poster with a million dollars and stare at it, act it until you are it.")
These are good, but you have read it and heard it executed better in "The Secret".
She tells little stories, like her idea for being a geisha girl, (one of many ideas she tells us about.) and tries to create "lessons" for the reader. As a reader I found myself disliking her more with each chapter.
She came off smug and pretentious while telling us she is not pretentious. She brags and name drops like mad, and it feels like bragging rather then good stories.
As far as any valuable information, I found little. I doubt many people would go to the lengths she did to get a job interview, and she seems to think she is quite daring and unique, making me wonder how people actually liked working with her.
Rather then being so "daring", I found the level of dishonesty to her life throughout her stories quite distasteful.
I also do not trust book reviews when a whole bunch are posted on Amazon right when the book comes out and then the ones that follow months and years later seem more real and also more negative.
I do not recommend this book.

I can't believe my local public library paid for this abomination. Not a single page of substance. Ms. Rapaport (the book proposal writer) that the author credits in the foreword must truly be a genius.

I have to admit, I didn't expect much from this book. The author was doing a promotional giveaway of this book, but I checked my trusty library and found a copy. And I enjoyed reading it.

Since I ignored the title, I wasn't expecting a step-by-step how-to...and frankly, I don't trust most of those anyway. This book is more like having lunch with the kind of girlfriend many of us would like to have: successful, funny, smart and ready to dish. I'm reminded of Jane Trahey's book, Women and Power, which also combined how-to with kiss-and-tell. Of course, Trahey's book was published thirty years earlier, so the kisses seem tame today and frankly, there was a lot less to tell.

Is the book worth reading? Sometimes you learn just by being around high achievers, even flawed ones. I admire Christine's willingness to take huge risks. I admire her ability to rise from massive failure. I appreciate her perspective on goal setting. Her version of "law of attraction" seems fairly left-brained: she put a picture of a million dollars on her wall, an early version of today's ubiquitous "vision boards."

I didn't really mind the sections on her um. social encounters with Bill Gates and Larry Ellison. Living in Seattle, I periodically meet people who have "Here's where I met Bill Gates" stories. Her story was consistent with those third-hand accounts.

But I understand the frustration of other reviewers. Publishers and book sellers insist that books be categorized by genre. When a book straddles two genres, readers get annoyed. The title is misleading: as others have noted, renegades by definition don't follow rules and the book doesn't really deliver on the "how to" promise.

Despite the book's flaws, I am tempted to recommend it to some of my own clients. Christine exemplifies the "Take the charge of your life" on a large scale. No excuses, no whining, no waiting for the perfect moment. Sometimes you have to play the game before you feel ready. Risk-takers don't always win, but they tend to enjoy a great adventure. And you can't win a game if you remain on the sidelines.