Life Makeovers: 52 Practical and Inspiring Ways to Improve Your Life One Week at a Time [Paperback]

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.