What do you think?
Rate this book
Mad Genius: A Manifesto for Entrepreneurs
Create your next breakthrough
Mad Genius is a unique book for entrepreneurs--and for employees who want to think like entrepreneurs. It will help you unleash the innate creative genius inside you.
Every industry has its sacred cows and accepted practices. These are often based upon foundational premises that are no longer valid--if they ever were.
There's a reason Facebook was birthed in a dorm room, Amazon.com came from people not in the bookstore business, and UBER was created by people who weren't from the taxi industry. Innovation, discovery, and creating disruption require blowing up conventional thinking and unleashing your entrepreneurial brilliance.
Mad Genius is a fire hose of creative stimulation that will spark breakthrough ideas and show you how to nurture them.
Get ready to think different.
Mad Genius is a unique book for entrepreneurs--and for employees who want to think like entrepreneurs. It will help you unleash the innate creative genius inside you.
Every industry has its sacred cows and accepted practices. These are often based upon foundational premises that are no longer valid--if they ever were.
There's a reason Facebook was birthed in a dorm room, Amazon.com came from people not in the bookstore business, and UBER was created by people who weren't from the taxi industry. Innovation, discovery, and creating disruption require blowing up conventional thinking and unleashing your entrepreneurial brilliance.
Mad Genius is a fire hose of creative stimulation that will spark breakthrough ideas and show you how to nurture them.
Get ready to think different.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 2016
30 people are currently reading
527 people want to read
About the author
Randy Gage
100 books141 followersRandy Gage has been called “the Millionaire Messiah” because he believes that you are meant to be rich, and it is a sin to be poor! Through his prosperity workshops, books and CDs, he travels the world teaching that health, happiness, and wealth are possible for all who desire it. Randy reveals how to harness the power of thought and intention to manifest success in all areas of your life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 18, 2022
★★½
If the book’s going to tell me what I already know, then why read it?
Well, I’m sure many will find this book pretty helpful or motivational enough -as a daily basis- and blessings to the the writer for that —if he ever stops bragging.
To me though, it just didn’t work. Perhaps because I don’t usually read this kind of yellow books in which the writer puts some motivational phrases together and promises if you read this you’ll be rich or whatever. Don’t get me wrong, there are many good self development books that can help one with their habits or business struggles or even relationship problems. So when I say it wasn’t good (enough for me) it’s because the writer doesn’t seem to follow a certain thread to his ideas. In the first glance It appears to be a guidance for businesswomen and men and entrepreneurs to help develop creativity but that just turns out to be the theme. Sure these people are the main target but even to them the book offers nothing. He just keeps jumping from one topic to the other, bringing up different aspects of views and actions and reactions and just “mentions” the point without further explanation. It very much sounded like the writer just “wanted to write a book” about anything that flashed passed his mind. And even if one does not instinctly have those notions of their own, they may or will have a hard time enjoying this book either.
If the book’s going to tell me what I already know, then why read it?
Well, I’m sure many will find this book pretty helpful or motivational enough -as a daily basis- and blessings to the the writer for that —if he ever stops bragging.
To me though, it just didn’t work. Perhaps because I don’t usually read this kind of yellow books in which the writer puts some motivational phrases together and promises if you read this you’ll be rich or whatever. Don’t get me wrong, there are many good self development books that can help one with their habits or business struggles or even relationship problems. So when I say it wasn’t good (enough for me) it’s because the writer doesn’t seem to follow a certain thread to his ideas. In the first glance It appears to be a guidance for businesswomen and men and entrepreneurs to help develop creativity but that just turns out to be the theme. Sure these people are the main target but even to them the book offers nothing. He just keeps jumping from one topic to the other, bringing up different aspects of views and actions and reactions and just “mentions” the point without further explanation. It very much sounded like the writer just “wanted to write a book” about anything that flashed passed his mind. And even if one does not instinctly have those notions of their own, they may or will have a hard time enjoying this book either.
Read
February 18, 2016Self absorbed rubbish.
I wanted to like the author after a touching introduction in which he discusses his struggles with drug addiction. But then he seamlessly transitions into ego stroking white dude bullshit. I think Brian Griffin might have written this book.
I wanted to like the author after a touching introduction in which he discusses his struggles with drug addiction. But then he seamlessly transitions into ego stroking white dude bullshit. I think Brian Griffin might have written this book.
January 31, 2016
I always love @RandyGage's books and this is another winner! Sure as hell makes me wanna get off my seat and get going! So much energy, so much truth and so much to learn from. Thank you Randy!
February 25, 2016
I found this book thin and weak in both style and substance. Platitudes and catch phrases do not offer true insight or amount to a manifesto.
April 17, 2018
This book made me question myself deeply.
I listen to most of my books. I was driving along listening to this, and the guy says "What's the opposite of success? 99 out of 100 people get this wrong. It's not failure."
And we say it together: "mediocrity."
Then he goes on to make it clear what a massive asshole he is.
If you're above the age of 50, and/or have absolutely zero nerdy interests, and you want a jerkface privileged dude to explain to you what he thinks the big new technologies on the horizon are, and how to make a profit off of them, this book is for you.
If you think it's okay to make throwaway comments about how cool it would be to clone sex workers, this book is for you.
If you're an unemployable, egomaniac misfit and want someone to emotionally wank you off and tell you it's because you're a genius who thinks outside the box, this book is for you.
Glad I got it from the library.
I listen to most of my books. I was driving along listening to this, and the guy says "What's the opposite of success? 99 out of 100 people get this wrong. It's not failure."
And we say it together: "mediocrity."
Then he goes on to make it clear what a massive asshole he is.
If you're above the age of 50, and/or have absolutely zero nerdy interests, and you want a jerkface privileged dude to explain to you what he thinks the big new technologies on the horizon are, and how to make a profit off of them, this book is for you.
If you think it's okay to make throwaway comments about how cool it would be to clone sex workers, this book is for you.
If you're an unemployable, egomaniac misfit and want someone to emotionally wank you off and tell you it's because you're a genius who thinks outside the box, this book is for you.
Glad I got it from the library.
February 3, 2017
This book has a great beginning and I really enjoyed the first 50 pages (or "Book One" as it's sectioned). After that, I felt a little lost and confused. The second section seemed to tangent wildly off onto the eventual AI/robot uprising and how that will impact marketing and then the third section was I would assume a collection of blog entries with varying chapter lengths and no flow between them.
Overall I felt like what this really needed was a strong edit to create the energy and cohesion the first 50 pages had.
Overall I felt like what this really needed was a strong edit to create the energy and cohesion the first 50 pages had.
July 1, 2017
Listening to this in audio form was a ton more enjoyable then those who are probably reading the book. Yes, he does say "Mad Genius" about 2000 times throughout the writing. And yes, after hearing it the first 1000 times, the concept of beginning to look for those new opportunities in obscure places does begin to sync in.
Many of the topics covered provide great pointers for entrepreneurs. I think there is a secondary audience for corporate folks who are on the lookout for opportunities to start turning their ship around and developing more new profitable businesses.
Many of the topics covered provide great pointers for entrepreneurs. I think there is a secondary audience for corporate folks who are on the lookout for opportunities to start turning their ship around and developing more new profitable businesses.
September 1, 2021
I think two is way too generous. Also feel sad for the Ghost Writer.
November 8, 2016
There were some insightful thoughts in here, though I'm not in love with the book. Don't regret reading it--quick read.
Notes:
The herd doesn't always follow the leader, sometimes they just follow whoever speaks first.
If I've learned one universal truth about marketing, it's that the bigger the budget, the more stupid shit get greenlighted.
Ask any hundred people with the opposite of success is and 99 will probably answer,"failure". That's the big lie. The real opposite of success is not failure, but mediocrity. Not only is failure not the opposite of success it's actually an integral and necessary element of success. There has never been a call worthy of achieving that didn't warrant some failures along the way.
The entrepreneur or that doesn't make mistakes doesn't make anything.
The old definition of insanity, "doing the same thing and expecting to get a different result" no longer applies. The rules have changed. Today's marketplace changes by the second. Doing the same thing and expecting the same result today is insane.
The greatest killer of creativity and innovation is our predisposition to want to keep things the way they are.
For entrepreneurial creativity, an attitude of 'why we should and how we will' is imperative over 'whether we should or why we can."
Books recommendations:
Steven Pressfield:
The War of Art
Turning Pro
Do the Work
Seth Godin:
The Icarus Deception
Telling people what they want to hear makes you popular, telling people what they need to hear
Creativity is like a muscle and can be strengthened with exercise.
The SCAMPER Technique helps get your lateral thinking ability engaged.
Substitute
Combine
Adapt
Modify
Put to Other Uses
Eliminate
Reverse or Rearrange
Notes:
The herd doesn't always follow the leader, sometimes they just follow whoever speaks first.
If I've learned one universal truth about marketing, it's that the bigger the budget, the more stupid shit get greenlighted.
Ask any hundred people with the opposite of success is and 99 will probably answer,"failure". That's the big lie. The real opposite of success is not failure, but mediocrity. Not only is failure not the opposite of success it's actually an integral and necessary element of success. There has never been a call worthy of achieving that didn't warrant some failures along the way.
The entrepreneur or that doesn't make mistakes doesn't make anything.
The old definition of insanity, "doing the same thing and expecting to get a different result" no longer applies. The rules have changed. Today's marketplace changes by the second. Doing the same thing and expecting the same result today is insane.
The greatest killer of creativity and innovation is our predisposition to want to keep things the way they are.
For entrepreneurial creativity, an attitude of 'why we should and how we will' is imperative over 'whether we should or why we can."
Books recommendations:
Steven Pressfield:
The War of Art
Turning Pro
Do the Work
Seth Godin:
The Icarus Deception
Telling people what they want to hear makes you popular, telling people what they need to hear
Creativity is like a muscle and can be strengthened with exercise.
The SCAMPER Technique helps get your lateral thinking ability engaged.
Substitute
Combine
Adapt
Modify
Put to Other Uses
Eliminate
Reverse or Rearrange
June 3, 2017
Audiobook: Young-ish jaded adult male voice, he is the author. Enthusiastic and animated at times. Even tone and volume otherwise is suitable for x2 speed.
Seems like a pleasant, clever guy at the start. Just 30 minutes into part 4 of 5, the ratio of good information to ranting turned the book around. I'm now waffling between 2 and 3 stars. It's actually made worse by listening to the author himself tell the stories, who gets all worked up about his past issues. This is what I will remember from the book -- not the good stuff. Once he started talking about "small-minded people" and "institutional stupidity", I wanted the book to end sooner. He's snarky and arrogant, but he's successful and wants to share the nuances of his success with us... In short, I disliked the energy of this book.
Favourite quotes:
"The real opposite of success is not failure but mediocrity. Not only is failure not the opposite of success, it's actually an integral and necessary element of success."
"To create a world-class organization and nurture true entrepreneurial thinking, you have to program to the top 10%, cull the 20% on the bottom continuously, and nurture the 70%. The culture you set determines the thinking through all levels of the organization."
"Imagination by itself is not creativity. Creativity requires that you actually do something with whatever you're daydreaming about. Start that company, launch that new product, develop that innovative app. Not everything you try will work, but that's not the point. The point is that you're in the game, doing things, moving forward. You'll learn as much or more from your failures as you will from your success. Celebrate it all."
Seems like a pleasant, clever guy at the start. Just 30 minutes into part 4 of 5, the ratio of good information to ranting turned the book around. I'm now waffling between 2 and 3 stars. It's actually made worse by listening to the author himself tell the stories, who gets all worked up about his past issues. This is what I will remember from the book -- not the good stuff. Once he started talking about "small-minded people" and "institutional stupidity", I wanted the book to end sooner. He's snarky and arrogant, but he's successful and wants to share the nuances of his success with us... In short, I disliked the energy of this book.
Favourite quotes:
"The real opposite of success is not failure but mediocrity. Not only is failure not the opposite of success, it's actually an integral and necessary element of success."
"To create a world-class organization and nurture true entrepreneurial thinking, you have to program to the top 10%, cull the 20% on the bottom continuously, and nurture the 70%. The culture you set determines the thinking through all levels of the organization."
"Imagination by itself is not creativity. Creativity requires that you actually do something with whatever you're daydreaming about. Start that company, launch that new product, develop that innovative app. Not everything you try will work, but that's not the point. The point is that you're in the game, doing things, moving forward. You'll learn as much or more from your failures as you will from your success. Celebrate it all."
January 2, 2017
Picked up a few very noteworthy concepts and lessons about keeping a creative edge and not being comfortable or faithful in the status quo. After a few of the base concepts, the book spirals around his stories of wealth luxury to business predictions ranging from virtual reality to cyber sex. Latter half is not very organized but I can still confidently say that I took valuable ideas from this book.
June 26, 2016
This book is probably best titled, "Mad Man: The Rantings of an Entrepreneur". I can understand the lessons that the author is trying impart on the reader; however, the majority of the book reads as individual rants and raves about particular instances in the author's life. If you're looking into this book, I'd say part 3 is probably the most worthwhile section of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2016
Should be required reading for anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur or better their life.
Read
July 25, 2016I loved, loved, loved this book. The concepts / theories are great and best described not as Genius but Mad Genius! Plus, a lot of humor included which had me laughing a lot.
August 8, 2019
I try really hard to formulate my own opinions and craft my own world view. As hard as I try I find myself still jaded by certain things. While listening to the book Mad Genius by Randy Gage I was very intrigued by some of the things that he talked about. He certainly has a style akin to that of big sales speakers like Robert Kiyosaki, Tony Robbins, and Zig Zigler. Much of the book has been helpful and insightful with its share of cliche lines and ideas. As much as I was enjoying some of his insights my view of the entire book changed immediately once I discovered who he was and what his background was.
As soon as I discovered that Gage was an Amway guy my opinion of everything that he has said in his book changed. It nearly shifted 180 degrees in a split second. I had to step back and really think if I agreed with what he was writing or if I just got caught up in the hype of his dynamic personality that is entrenched in sales lingo and technique. I tend to allow this to happen to me a lot. Sometimes I question something or agree with something until I realize who said it or who wrote it. It certainly plays off of my own belief patterns and prior experiences. This is even something that Gage discusses in his book.
After reflecting on my affinity or dislike of the book I decided to continue listening to the last half of it. I am glad that I did. The idea of setting a manifesto, doing things differently than I have done them in the past, and stepping away to reflect on how I do things have been helpful insights. Certainly, there are things that are over the top in this book like when he discusses how he lost $30,000 on a real estate transaction because of the ineptitude of the modern banking system or his lavish seminar destinations. Not a lot of humility in his writing that is for sure.
As he discusses the attributes of a mad genius I can certainly agree with that. I have been a fan of what Steve Jobs accomplished in Apple and during his time away from Apple. I am not a fan of his personal life, but I like the way that he wasn’t afraid to go against the grain in business and do things differently that were often ridiculed. By working at our creative abilities we are certainly more able to take on many of the challenges and changing dynamics of the world that we live in.
Mad Genius is a fairly short read or listen. While listening to the audiobook I could certainly sense his enthusiasm as he read his own book. If you can weed through the vanity, cliche multilevel speak, and his sometimes crude references, then you may want to pick it up. Not my favorite book, but certainly not the worst one that I have listened to. The most important thing that I have gained from listening to the Gage’s book is the need to formulate my own views and beliefs without being persuaded by the individual that is doing the talking and where they come from. I feel that I am much more open-minded than I ever have been in the past but this taught me that I still have a long way to go to improve at that still. Even though Gage comes from a heavy multilevel marketing background and writes in that vein he still brings up some valuable aspects of business and what we can do to look at things differently and challenge the status quo to be able to change the future for the better.
As soon as I discovered that Gage was an Amway guy my opinion of everything that he has said in his book changed. It nearly shifted 180 degrees in a split second. I had to step back and really think if I agreed with what he was writing or if I just got caught up in the hype of his dynamic personality that is entrenched in sales lingo and technique. I tend to allow this to happen to me a lot. Sometimes I question something or agree with something until I realize who said it or who wrote it. It certainly plays off of my own belief patterns and prior experiences. This is even something that Gage discusses in his book.
After reflecting on my affinity or dislike of the book I decided to continue listening to the last half of it. I am glad that I did. The idea of setting a manifesto, doing things differently than I have done them in the past, and stepping away to reflect on how I do things have been helpful insights. Certainly, there are things that are over the top in this book like when he discusses how he lost $30,000 on a real estate transaction because of the ineptitude of the modern banking system or his lavish seminar destinations. Not a lot of humility in his writing that is for sure.
As he discusses the attributes of a mad genius I can certainly agree with that. I have been a fan of what Steve Jobs accomplished in Apple and during his time away from Apple. I am not a fan of his personal life, but I like the way that he wasn’t afraid to go against the grain in business and do things differently that were often ridiculed. By working at our creative abilities we are certainly more able to take on many of the challenges and changing dynamics of the world that we live in.
Mad Genius is a fairly short read or listen. While listening to the audiobook I could certainly sense his enthusiasm as he read his own book. If you can weed through the vanity, cliche multilevel speak, and his sometimes crude references, then you may want to pick it up. Not my favorite book, but certainly not the worst one that I have listened to. The most important thing that I have gained from listening to the Gage’s book is the need to formulate my own views and beliefs without being persuaded by the individual that is doing the talking and where they come from. I feel that I am much more open-minded than I ever have been in the past but this taught me that I still have a long way to go to improve at that still. Even though Gage comes from a heavy multilevel marketing background and writes in that vein he still brings up some valuable aspects of business and what we can do to look at things differently and challenge the status quo to be able to change the future for the better.
January 5, 2022
I generally avoid self help / motivation books, but picked this one after reading the first few pages.
Randy Gage (the author) is a 'critical-thinker' and written books and speeches helping business think critically and out of the box.
The best part of the book was anecdotes (I always love anecdotes) and the push to question everything. References to future and possibilities it can bring are also interesting. key takeaways for me was to nurture a creative habit, schedule time for creative stuff, and continue to question stuff ' Curious not furious'
On the downside its spread too thin , covers many unrelated topics (ex his drug addiction ) and I am still not able to connect the name of book to the content.
Randy Gage (the author) is a 'critical-thinker' and written books and speeches helping business think critically and out of the box.
The best part of the book was anecdotes (I always love anecdotes) and the push to question everything. References to future and possibilities it can bring are also interesting. key takeaways for me was to nurture a creative habit, schedule time for creative stuff, and continue to question stuff ' Curious not furious'
On the downside its spread too thin , covers many unrelated topics (ex his drug addiction ) and I am still not able to connect the name of book to the content.
March 7, 2024
Book one gets a star, and the overall motivation gets the other one.
I’m not quite sure how does it get to be called a “manifesto”, it’s hardly a book. All you get is bragging about “how you should be a great entrepreneur like myself” without actually telling you how.
I found it funny that he mentions it somewhere in the book, how you shouldn’t expect no tips on becoming a mad genius, because if he did know it, then he wouldn’t be telling it to us in a low-price book.
I had to finish this book to kill my guilt tripping over paying for it with my own money while I’m unemployed. So sad I thought it would be a start for me to end the miserable reality of the business world of today.
I’m not quite sure how does it get to be called a “manifesto”, it’s hardly a book. All you get is bragging about “how you should be a great entrepreneur like myself” without actually telling you how.
I found it funny that he mentions it somewhere in the book, how you shouldn’t expect no tips on becoming a mad genius, because if he did know it, then he wouldn’t be telling it to us in a low-price book.
I had to finish this book to kill my guilt tripping over paying for it with my own money while I’m unemployed. So sad I thought it would be a start for me to end the miserable reality of the business world of today.
May 8, 2017
Тази книга може да ви отегчи, да ви ядоса, разгневи дори, да ви вдъхнови, да ви озари, да ви накара да се намръщите, да си кажете WTF или да ви насочи към едно ново Aha!.
На момени звучи налудничаво, на моменти логично и обосновано. Но кой може да каже в бъдеще, дали двете (налудничавостта и обосноваността) няма да си сменят местата. Така де, Илън Мъск създаде Neuralink - after all, точно преди броени дни.
Точно затова й давам 3 - защото за мен имаше от всичко това.
Но ми беше ценно да изспринтирам по страниците й - точно заради моите си Aha!
На момени звучи налудничаво, на моменти логично и обосновано. Но кой може да каже в бъдеще, дали двете (налудничавостта и обосноваността) няма да си сменят местата. Така де, Илън Мъск създаде Neuralink - after all, точно преди броени дни.
Точно затова й давам 3 - защото за мен имаше от всичко това.
Но ми беше ценно да изспринтирам по страниците й - точно заради моите си Aha!
August 1, 2020
I wouldn't call it a manifesto, but a good motivational book for entrepreneurs or "wantepreneurs".
I really enjoyed the rant style of the author and resonated with some of his views for the future, reading this in 2020 is still relevant to at least get your blood flowing to the brain.
You will find a Positive, can do, defiant attitude, that you might harvest either from within yourself or from other books in a "less-mad" approach, but nonetheless good read since it's a short book.
I really enjoyed the rant style of the author and resonated with some of his views for the future, reading this in 2020 is still relevant to at least get your blood flowing to the brain.
You will find a Positive, can do, defiant attitude, that you might harvest either from within yourself or from other books in a "less-mad" approach, but nonetheless good read since it's a short book.
February 20, 2026
I don’t think this book ever achieved vast commercial success, but I really liked it.
I like the cut-to-the-chase tone woven throughout. It pulls back the curtain of delusions that you might be experiencing in your career (or faulty mindsets). Honestly, I don’t remember a whole lot about it, but it definitely sparked a few ideas and a few projects. Isn’t that the whole purpose of a self-help book in the end?
Perfect for when you need a good kick in the butt.
I like the cut-to-the-chase tone woven throughout. It pulls back the curtain of delusions that you might be experiencing in your career (or faulty mindsets). Honestly, I don’t remember a whole lot about it, but it definitely sparked a few ideas and a few projects. Isn’t that the whole purpose of a self-help book in the end?
Perfect for when you need a good kick in the butt.
June 10, 2017
The first chapter had a really good tone and got me through it fast. Then it kinda went downhill as the author jumped from one topic to another which seemed unrelated and didn't really seem to fit the overall idea of the book. I also had a feeling that the author likes to show off quite a bit about how rich he is, especially in the section with the banks, which is not really my thing.
June 24, 2019
Nothing groundbreaking in this, but it was a good read. I always like being reminded of important business lessons. I did appreciate that this book examined 'intrapeneurs', the entrepeneurs that want to bring that kind of thinking to an existing employer. That's a topic not discussed enough.
Like I said, good read. Not great, but definitely worth a read if you need inspiration.
Like I said, good read. Not great, but definitely worth a read if you need inspiration.
August 30, 2017
I finished the whole book and I couldn't tell anyone what it's about. Randy changes topics all the time and he can't seem to coherently explain what he's trying to say. It seemed like he wrote this while he was high!
June 24, 2018
I really did not know what to expect from the book. I ready it over a few days and found it interesting yet could be considered a bit vulgar at times. It is not just for entrepreneurs but for anyone who is looking to better themselves.
April 29, 2023
I enjoyed the last part of the book about thinking outside the box very much. The first part of the book was a bit out there for me. I understood his point and I’m a huge fan of Randy Gage but it was just too out there for me.
September 4, 2018
It's a good read, that motivates you to get out of here thinking. It challenges a lot of common ideas and provides alternate strategies to unlock your "Mad Genius".
June 24, 2019
repetitive , with few good points .
August 18, 2019
Inspiring
August 19, 2019
3 stars to 1st book, 4 stars to 2nd which was interesting, and 5 stars to the inspiring last chapter.
September 5, 2019
Best Book To Read Before You Start Any Type Of Business In This World😍🤩 #Neverendloveonrandywritings❤ #Bemadegenius💯 #Everypageistodeep👏
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews