UPDATE 081201: For a great example of what the ROWE book should have been, check out: The 4-Hour Work Week, by Timothy Ferriss. Think automation, lifestyle design and “massive output”. It’s packed with helpful detail, not warm-and-fuzzy anecdotes.
A Results-Only Work Environment is a great idea. But the book sucks.

If a consultant’s idea is SMALL, they’ll hide the detail behind case studies and vague “our productivity increased X%”-type testimonials. And they’ll turn a 10-page memo into 200 unhelpful 5″ x 7″ pages so it’s the “right size” according to their publisher.
But if an idea is BIG, the author will lay it all out there, [...]

“So somebody else built a successful business on that idea you had three years ago. What does that mean? That if you would just have pursued that idea, you would now automatically be enjoying their spoils? Sorry to burst your bubble, but I really don’t think so. Ideas on their own are just not that [...]

Once upon a time, we used pen and paper to record and calculate. If we made a mistake, we used an eraser. If a pencil lead broke, we sharpened it. If the pencil lead was low-quality and constantly breaking, we threw the pencil away and picked up a newer, better one.
So answer this: If you [...]