Book Review: Rules for Renegades - How to Make More Money, Rock Your Career, and Revel in Your Individuality by Christine Comaford-Lynch

If you say nothing else about Christine Comaford-Lynch, you have to admit she’s got moxie. She must have. How else do you explain how she’s gone from model to monk to multimillionaire? Her book, Rules for Renegades: How to Make More Money, Rock Your Career, and Revel in Your Individuality, recounts her unlikely rise and offers simple advise as to how to thrive on your own terms.

According to Rules for Renegades, the secrets to an abundant life of riches can be broken down into ten simple rules:

Rule 1: Everything’s an Illusion, So Pick One That’s Empowering

Rule 2: An MBA is Optional, A GSD is Essential

Rule 3: Problems + Pain = Profit

Rule 4: Build Power Instead of Borrowing It

Rule 5: Rock Rejection and Finesse Failure

Rule 6: Learn to Love Networking

Rule 7: Only You Can Lead Your Life

Rule 8: Work Your Money Mojo

Rule 9: Resign as General Manager of the Universe

Rule 10: Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There

It all sounds very empowering on the surface, if a little too cut and dried. Indeed, much of the book reads like a motivational speaker’s notes. Still, Comaford-Lynch’s enthusiasm is infectious, and she backs up her “rules” with solid advice for realizing one’s dreams.

Self-empowerment is at the core of her message. There’s nothing particularly new about that, but this book has a different take on it. The author begins with the tenet that if reality is made up of illusions, the best course of action is to build a reality around empowerment. She doesn’t dismiss the value of education, but insists that in the real world, the ability to Get Stuff Done pulls more weight.

She knows whereof she speaks, and unabashedly shares her own triumphs and failures throughout Rules for Renegades. The anecdotes are really what make the book entertaining, in fact. Particularly amusing is the recounting of her failed attempt to start a company called American Geisha - until she realized what such a venture would actually entail. Comaford-Lynch probably shares more information than she needs to when she reminisces about dalliances with Bill Gates and Larry Ellison, though in context, they’re more life lessons than gossip.

More irreverent than incisive, Rules for Renegades is a light read that’s both entertaining and informative. While some of the advice (like post-it notes affirmations on the bathroom mirror) are a little hokey, the underlying theme still rings true. All in all, this is a valuable resource for anybody tempted to start a business. It’s not a panacea, but it does serve as a compass for the would-be entrepreneur.

Article Author: Ray Ellis

Ray Ellis is a freelance writer who has been dissecting pop culture and its effect on how we view ourselves for over twenty years, ruffling feathers and dragging unsuspecting pedestrians along for the ride whenever possible.

Visit Ray Ellis's author page — Ray Ellis's Blog