Rating: 
Summary: A Helping Hand to a Fantastic Life!
Review: "Life Makeovers" helps you to take action in your life in your own unique way. Cheryl Richardson gives you examples with exercises week by week on how to create positively long lasting change in your life. I began looking at all the positive aspects in my life and times that I have done the right thing. With her "take action challenges" the book helped me to develop qualities about myself that I am proud of now I can focus on the more positive things instead of the negative and recognize who my true self really is. I have become more satisfied in my life taking it one day at a time and not rushing through it. I have become more aware of the people I keep around me and my surroundings.It feels like I have found a fresh start in my life. I have been able to clear the clutter and drains from my life so I can feel more invigorated and energized to keep moving forward. I would recommend this book for anyone who has ever felt exhausted and overwhelmed with your life. This book holds the key to freeing yourself from the automatic ways of being you were born into and to experience who you really are. There is another book, which I highly recommend, titled- "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work- A Book About Instantaneous Transformation" by Ariel & Shya Kane. Through their 3 principles of Transformation you can have the life you've always dreamt about and more.
Rating:
Summary: A Helping Hand to a Fantastic Life!
Review: "Life Makeovers" helps you to take action in your life in your own unique way. Cheryl Richardson gives you examples with exercises week by week on how to create positively long lasting change in your life. I began looking at all the positive aspects in my life and times that I have done the right thing. With her "take action challenges" the book helped me to develop qualities about myself that I am proud of now I can focus on the more positive things instead of the negative and recognize who my true self really is. I have become more satisfied in my life taking it one day at a time and not rushing through it. I have become more aware of the people I keep around me and my surroundings. It feels like I have found a fresh start in my life. I have been able to clear the clutter and drains from my life so I can feel more invigorated and energized to keep moving forward. I would recommend this book for anyone who has ever felt exhausted and overwhelmed with your life. This book holds the key to freeing yourself from the automatic ways of being you were born into and to experience who you really are. There is another book, which I highly recommend, titled- "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work- A Book About Instantaneous Transformation" by Ariel & Shya Kane. Through their 3 principles of Transformation you can have the life you've always dreamt about and more.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Place to Start Your Journey
Review: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If you're interested in taking a journey toward life-improvement, this (older) title is still one of the most helpful, easy to follow "guides" around. The book works, I think, because Richardson keeps the weekly steps easy and "do-able", so you're more likely to take a stab at actually doing the work, not JUST reading her suggestions. Give it a shot. Even if you only get halfway through the weekly assignments, your life will improve my half!
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing new
Review: As a career coach, I am always seeking books to recommend to clients and to use for my own growth. This book would not be one of them. As another reader commented, there's not much new here. Richardson does not offer exciting new ways of looking at the world. A number of Richardson's suggestions, such as extreme self-care and clutter-clearing, are included in Coach University's training program, and possibly in others. It is not clear whether Richardson developed those programs for CoachU or whether she is adapting those ideas for her book. What's missing is a theoretical worldview that would explain WHY these ideas work. Authors like Martha Beck, Carolyn Myss, Julia Cameron and Rick Jarow have well-developed, thoughtful, original insights that frame their books. What we have here is a group of tips -- useful, but not meaty. Each chapter concludes with a list of recommended books; however, some recommendations are not related to the chapter and some seem to miss the point (e.g., the recommendations for "focusing"). I'm disturbed by Richardson's recommendation to get a "well-trained experienced coach," followed by her listing of Coach University. Like many people, I responded to media hype when I sought a coach for myself. I looked up CoachU's referral lists and managed to find two CoachU graduates who had no idea what they were doing. One self-styled business coach encouraged me to start a business without a plan, recommending a resource who turned out to be his relative. Another, after praising me for weeks, admitted she would never discourage someone from pursuing a goal, even if she realized the client was walking into a wall. She believed her sole response should be, "That's wonderful!" Neither CoachU nor the International Coach Federation has a disciplinary process or a way to remove coaches following a complaint. I'm not aware of academic or other prerequisites for attending a coaching school, other than the ability to produce a credit card. By appearing to endorse these organizations, Richardson endows them with a credibility that readers can misinterpret. There ARE other coaching schools; however, in evaluating schools for myself, I have not identified any coaching school that is based on scientific and/or scholarly principles. What's taught is ideology, i.e., "principles" created by the founder, as well as a set of ad hoc techniques. I believe coaches should be viewed as consultants -- you buy the person, not the training. Many coaches believe "get a coach" is a magic formula for success and become angry when any aspect of the field is questioned. CoachU's website proclaimed (last time I looked) that, "Coaching can do no harm." This belief is false. I've been harmed by bad coaches and doubt I'm the only one. So read this book with a very large grain of salt! The tips aren't bad -- anyone who wants to change needs to take action, and Richardson offers some actions. Cheryl's experience is certainly applicable. I just wish she's clarify her position more rigorously.
Rating:
Summary: Read with care
Review: As a career coach, I am always seeking books to recommend to clients and to use for my own growth. This book would not be one of them. As another reader commented, there's not much new here. Richardson does not offer exciting new ways of looking at the world. A number of Richardson's suggestions, such as extreme self-care and clutter-clearing, are included in Coach University's training program, and possibly in others. It is not clear whether Richardson developed those programs for CoachU or whether she is adapting those ideas for her book. What's missing is a theoretical worldview that would explain WHY these ideas work. Authors like Martha Beck, Carolyn Myss, Julia Cameron and Rick Jarow have well-developed, thoughtful, original insights that frame their books. What we have here is a group of tips -- useful, but not meaty. Each chapter concludes with a list of recommended books; however, some recommendations are not related to the chapter and some seem to miss the point (e.g., the recommendations for "focusing"). I'm disturbed by Richardson's recommendation to get a "well-trained experienced coach," followed by her listing of Coach University. Like many people, I responded to media hype when I sought a coach for myself. I looked up CoachU's referral lists and managed to find two CoachU graduates who had no idea what they were doing. One self-styled business coach encouraged me to start a business without a plan, recommending a resource who turned out to be his relative. Another, after praising me for weeks, admitted she would never discourage someone from pursuing a goal, even if she realized the client was walking into a wall. She believed her sole response should be, "That's wonderful!" Neither CoachU nor the International Coach Federation has a disciplinary process or a way to remove coaches following a complaint. I'm not aware of academic or other prerequisites for attending a coaching school, other than the ability to produce a credit card. By appearing to endorse these organizations, Richardson endows them with a credibility that readers can misinterpret. There ARE other coaching schools; however, in evaluating schools for myself, I have not identified any coaching school that is based on scientific and/or scholarly principles. What's taught is ideology, i.e., "principles" created by the founder, as well as a set of ad hoc techniques. I believe coaches should be viewed as consultants -- you buy the person, not the training. Many coaches believe "get a coach" is a magic formula for success and become angry when any aspect of the field is questioned. CoachU's website proclaimed (last time I looked) that, "Coaching can do no harm." This belief is false. I've been harmed by bad coaches and doubt I'm the only one. So read this book with a very large grain of salt! The tips aren't bad -- anyone who wants to change needs to take action, and Richardson offers some actions. Cheryl's experience is certainly applicable. I just wish she's clarify her position more rigorously.
Rating: 
Summary: You Can Change Your Life
Review: As the Disabilities host on BellaOnline, I found this book to be excellent. It's not too complicated that you could never change your life yet it doesn't talk down to you. The tips are useful and makes you take a deeper look into your life. Even if you want to change one thing; the book is worth it.
Rating:
Summary: This book has helped!
Review: As the Disabilities Host on BellaOnline, this book has definitely helped me get my life in order. It is fun, and easy to read. The methods she writes about are very useful and anyone can do them.
Rating:
Summary: Strong advice; can be difficult to follow
Review: Change your life in a year? It would be great, no doubt. Cheryl Richardson expects the best from her readers, and anyone trying to follow these 52 lessons will find himself or herself breathless with exertion by the end. One week may simply not be enough to change deep-rooted personality traits. However, it's worth a shot, and if you do them in a different order, or miss a few, or don't finish, the changes you do implement successfully will more than merit the cost of the book and the time spent on self-improvement. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST THERE IS
Review: Cheryl Richardson is also the author of the # 1 New York Times Bestseller "TAKE TIME FOR YOUR LIFE ". How often do we day dream about living a better life? I know that we all wonder what's missing in our lives. So many of us long for time to discover who we are and what we really want out of life, I know that I do. At 46 I sometimes feel lost and wonder where my life has gone to. LIFE MAKEOVERS is showing me how to know what I want and how to achieve it. The author shows us how to identify and eliminate the things that are draining our energy and how to exchange unhealthy forms of fuel, like caffeine and sugar for healthier forms, one being a personal spiritual practice. Some of the other wonderful chapters are: Week 6 What's Draining you Week 8 What's fueling you Week 13 Spring into fitness Week 26 Throw caution to the wind Week 37 Fix what's broken Week 39 Settle for more Week 43 The power of love Week 50 Shake up your life Week 52 The power of prayer All through LIFE MAKEOVERS, each and every chapter is very special in it's own way. The chapters listed above are the ones that helped me the most and enabled me to make some hard decisions for myself and my life that I was afraid to make. Believe me when I say that this is a book that will empower you like never before.
Rating:
Summary: Coach extraordinaire
Review: Cheryl Richardson's book reminds us to focus on what's most important in our lives. She challenges us to forge our unique and creative life path and to dare to live by our personal values. Her philospohy is both practical and profound. I am so honored that she recommends my book The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women as a resource in Week One. Cheryl is one of those rare and lovely people with the courage to tackle and master the challenging issues of living a life with purpose and passion. She has stepped forward as a leader to help us remember the importance of self-care and nurturing. Oprah knows Cheryl is a wise woman. I strongly endorse this book to help you to become the centered and creative being you were meant to be.
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