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Rhinoceros Success: The Secret to Charging Full Speed Toward Every Opportunity by Scott Alexander
sunray_sunburn's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
1.0
My boss wanted me to read this book and I had only heard good things about it, but as I read it I continued to get the ick more and more as the book went on. This book is riddled with religious undertones - or outright quotations of the bible. The "advice" is just "be a rhino and you will have success", which is not constructive advice. He tells readers that everything they need to learn to be successful is in the Bible and to just read that. He also openly says to give 10% of everything you earn to God and you're money problems will go away. This confused me because later he said that you can and should follow God without going to a church or joining a religious organization, however, tithes are directly tied to Christian organized religion.
Regarding children in his family section he states "I don't have children yet so I cannot comment on this, but you're a rhino, you'll figure it out." That sums up what this book is in its entirety.
The book encourages you to become a rhino and not a cow or sheep and not to hang out with cows or sheep. He even talks about going somewhere and being surprised by how many cows work there. Maybe I am biased, but I grew up around cattle farmers and I was so frustrated by how much shit talking there was about cows and sheep.
He praises "the most foul mouthed leaders" he ever met because later he realized that he was a rhino.
He also says that if you are overweight that is something you have chosen and you should just choose to loose the weight. If you get winded walking up the stairs, which has so many reasons for, how can you expect to charge toward your goals? Those don't make any sense and aren't connected in anyway. I was surprised that I didn't see my brain by how much I was rolling my eyes.
He says that if you are sick that is an excuse. If you are terminally ill, then now is the time to "be a rhino" before time runs out. This made me unbelievably upset when reading.
I should have known it would be bad because its forward was written by Dave Ramsey who I already have problems with. Don't read this book if you want to learn to be successful. The more I think about this book, the more pissed off I get. Condescending bullshit wrapped up in an annoying and cheesy metaphor with no other substance.
Regarding children in his family section he states "I don't have children yet so I cannot comment on this, but you're a rhino, you'll figure it out." That sums up what this book is in its entirety.
The book encourages you to become a rhino and not a cow or sheep and not to hang out with cows or sheep. He even talks about going somewhere and being surprised by how many cows work there. Maybe I am biased, but I grew up around cattle farmers and I was so frustrated by how much shit talking there was about cows and sheep.
He praises "the most foul mouthed leaders" he ever met because later he realized that he was a rhino.
He also says that if you are overweight that is something you have chosen and you should just choose to loose the weight. If you get winded walking up the stairs, which has so many reasons for, how can you expect to charge toward your goals? Those don't make any sense and aren't connected in anyway. I was surprised that I didn't see my brain by how much I was rolling my eyes.
He says that if you are sick that is an excuse. If you are terminally ill, then now is the time to "be a rhino" before time runs out. This made me unbelievably upset when reading.
I should have known it would be bad because its forward was written by Dave Ramsey who I already have problems with. Don't read this book if you want to learn to be successful. The more I think about this book, the more pissed off I get. Condescending bullshit wrapped up in an annoying and cheesy metaphor with no other substance.
amvp's review against another edition
2.0
Not all that insightful, but possessive of an energy and a Saunders-esque strangeness that make it an easy read.
janjanjukebox's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Rhinoceros Success: The Secret to Charging Full Speed Towards Every Opportunity by Scott Alexander 100 pages
1 hour and 33 minutes read by author
1 hour and 33 minutes read by author
Genre: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Self Help > Personal Development; Productivity Currency > Money Inspirational;
Humor, Philosophy
Humor, Philosophy
Featuring: Metaphors, Dave Ramsey, Finances, Marriage, Success, Failure, Complacency, Allegories
Rating as a movie: R - for adult situations and content including violence.
My rating: πππππ
Quotes: "Your attitude is the most important ingredient in being an effective rhinoceros. If you donβt really want to be a rhinoceros, you wonβt charge like one"
βCharge with rhinoceroses, fly with eagles, run with cheetahs, and eat with lions. Donβt hang around with cows or sheep. They will pull you down.β
βIt all starts with minutes. Waste enough minutes and you could waste a lifetime.β
"A rhinoceros charges with singleness of purpose. All energy is directed toward the attainment of one burning desire. The reason you are so dangerous is that once you set yourself charging at something, nothing can distract you. And you never charge two things at once. You concentrate on getting your first target and then you fix your concentration on your next goal. Never spread yourself thin. A magnifying glass will not start a fire until it remains in one spot continuously for a certain length of time. If it is constantly moved from spot to spot, nothing will get warmed up, much less start a fire."
βYou can like money a lot, but never let it become your god.β
βIf you always live with those who are lame you will yourself learn to limp.β
My thoughts: This is my second time reading this book and first time via audio. Overall it's fantastic and I completely understand why it's required reading at some companies.
Recommend to others?: Yes, but you may be offended if you're a cow.
wmartin's review against another edition
1.0
This book simultaneously energized and terrified me! On one hand, I love the rhinoceros mentality - charge ahead towards your goals, without fear of failure while also embracing the reality that you will experience setbacks is good advice. On the other hand, there were enough self-serving and idol-building mantras mixed in with the "good stuff", that this book could be really dangerous to a young person who believes the world is their playground and everyone else should play by their rules. I'm not sure if this summary makes sense, and I guess that's my problem with this book - it's difficult to make sense of - to distinguish the helpful from the destructive, the selfish from the generous and the Christian from the capitalist.
bayougirl85's review against another edition
I really enjoyed this book. It gave my different mindset to approach my goals that would lead me to be more successful in my endeavors of choice.
errantreads's review
2.0
A good premise, poorly executed.
It's fun, even silly, which is fine. In fact, that's all it has going for it really. But it has nearly zero depth. It's incredibly short, but still far too long. Rip out the copious fluff forcibly added to make it into a book and tone down the religiosity which adds nothing (and comes across, to be frank, more than a bit creepy) and this becomes a 5 to 10 page solid essay. I suspect the follow-on books add some depth, but after this... I'm just not going to waste my time.
It's fun, even silly, which is fine. In fact, that's all it has going for it really. But it has nearly zero depth. It's incredibly short, but still far too long. Rip out the copious fluff forcibly added to make it into a book and tone down the religiosity which adds nothing (and comes across, to be frank, more than a bit creepy) and this becomes a 5 to 10 page solid essay. I suspect the follow-on books add some depth, but after this... I'm just not going to waste my time.
krisfj's review
3.0
Super short read and more motivational than practical. If you see it, pick it up. Warning: gets a little religious sometimes.
mikayakatnt's review
1.0
Too many bible references. Not applicable to everyone. Oversimplified view of life.
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