Deconstructing the Tim Ferriss four hour work week
I’ll get straight to the point. The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss is a colossal waste of money. If you really have to read it grab the audio book version for free from Audible. They have a free trial that allows you download two free audio books and the Tim Ferriss best seller is on the list.
If you do decide to grab a free copy let me know if you share my feeling of irony that the audio book is eight hours long. Presumably Ferriss wants you to listen to it over two weeks.
The contents of the book can be summed up pretty easily. Outsource everything you can and ruthlessly apply the Pareto principle. Only concentrate on the 20% that generates the 80% of your income. The rest of the book is filled with a combination of the sort of advice you can find in any number of useless self help books and narcicistic self promotion. Ferriss, according to no authority other than his own, is apparently an advisor to over thirty olympic gold medalists, a holder of numerous world records, a world class body builder and a feared cage fighter with numerous world titles to his name.
Google him and you’ll find a plethora of sycophantic reviewers who appear to believe he can breath underwater, fly, and shoot flames from his fingers.
The list goes on. And on, and on.
Of course this is all nothing but marketing fluff. Indeed, in the book Tim Ferriss tries to convince the reader that anyone can become an expert in anything, with proper certification, within a few days. Presumably this is how he got his qualifications.
He even claims that whilst in education he got A grades for everything he did. The story behind this is laughable. Apparently, the first time he got a lower grade he ran to his tutor and demanded a three hour long intensive discussion. This persuaded the tutor to never mark him low again for fear of another grilling. Presumably he wasn’t doing the whole four hour thing at this time since that would have only left him with another hour to do everything else.
There’s a word for someone who gains qualifications that way. A fraud.
No doubt in reality Tim Ferriss only has these qualifications in his own deluded mind. After all, he only needs them to persuade people to buy his book. Add in a blog to generate the publicity and he has a great little product, albeit one that is rooted in dishonesty.
It pains me to say it but The Four Hour Work Week Blog is what has allowed Tim Ferris to push his product onto the radar of all the right people. I’ve always said that blogging can sell anything, and this really proves it.
In truth, Tim Ferriss is marketing nothing more than a lifestyle. A four hour work week lifestyle which appears to be such a wonderful way to live. Making hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, all for just four hours of work each week.
Unfortunately it’s all a load of rubbish. Like most books of its ilk, The Four Hour Work Week is all about the dream, not the reality. All sizzle and no steak. Still a best seller though. Because blog marketing works.
But don’t worry, if you are looking for a way to make money in only four hours a week all is not lost. Many successful blogs run quite happily, generating a good income, in under four hours a week.
Take a look at this quote from one of the many affiliate laced reviews of The Four Hour Work Week cluttering up the blogosphere,
It inspires you to be part of the new rich who work 4-hours a week, are independent of location, and earn enough money to do whatever they want to, e.g. travel the world, speak Chinese, etc.
It shatters the notion of the conventional rich, who slog their whole life to earn mountains of money, only to retire old and unfit to do anything they wanted to. A BMW is bought with their hard-earned money, the rest of which stays in the bank as the owner wiles away his retirement vegetating and getting fat on some beach, on the road to ultimate boredom.
The new rich, independent of location and earning enough money to do whatever they want. Sounds like a good description of any successful blogger to me.
If you want to make money on your own terms start a blog. Choose a niche you are passionate about and spend those hypothetical four hours a week writing good content and commenting intelligently on other blogs in that niche. Of course, it won’t make you a feared cage fighter, nor will it give you the ability to shoot flames from your fingers, but it can and will make you money.
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Ashley Morgan is a UK jazz trumpet player and owner of independent record label 447 Records.
Ashley Morgan is the trumpet player with Enormous.
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If this blog is about sharing how be successful at blogging – you should mention the tactic you just used in this post to gain traffic. Find a hot topic on the internet and join in with a blog post of your own. Be sure to mention the key phrase(s) quite a few times to be sure anyone searching for it will find your post. And don’t forget to throw in the word “free” a few times either!
Ashley,
We’ve become a society always looking for the quick and easy way; less to do with increased productivity and more to do with work avoidance. Sadly this is why books like this do so well.
Hard work on something that you’re passionate about is the surest recipe to success. And what the heck, if it isn’t a smashing success, at least you’ll have fun.
I have read The Four Hour Work Week. I have to agree on a lot of your points. Even though it takes longer than four hours to read/listen to, I think he was going under the assumption that you have not yet reached the goal of four hours when reading the book.
Tim Ferriss is a very good marketer. He does have some good travel tips every now and then, though, as he does travel the world. Fraud might be a bit harsh as I’ve never looked to him for any expertise on his “credentials” other than as an author of a productivity method.
I think your idea of starting a blog to make a four hour work week lifestyle is very applicable and would fit well into his proposed methodology. The ultimate thing to do would be to write a book about productivity and market it for four hours a week for the rest of your life. Isn’t that what Ferriss did to make money?
Of course, whether you are writing a blog or a book, you need to believe in what you are selling, otherwise, people will see through it and not buy your product.
It does take time and hard work to obtain the ability to live a 4 hour workweek lifestyle. And he talks about this in the book. Your review appears to be based on you quickly reading a summery of his book, not the entire thing.
He doesn’t claim you can get a few qualifications and be an expert. He directs you on how to become recognized. There a many known experts in most industries that actually know less then the unknown (Dr Phil, Clark Howard, a couple famous examples). He points out this issue and gives advice on how yourself as an unknown expert can become known.
I live less then a 4 hour work week. When I want.
It took hard work to get here, and I take advantage of it for months at a time, but I always go back to work when I find inspiration to succeed to a higher level. Tim’s book gave me a bump and helped me add another 20% to my income. Books like Tim’s are great inspiration, not blue prints. It provides examples of what can be done, not the only way.
Your review doesn’t appear to take a fair look at Tim’s ideas. Plenty of people are living the 4 hour work week, many through blogging, like yourself. Others through web apps, others through ecommerce, others even through remote work as an employee. It can be done, it just takes research, belief, and hardwork to get there.
Your readers should read his book with an open mind and see for themselves, not with a negative predisposition.
lol – I’ve never listened to the audio book – I love that it’s 8 hours long :)
I read a copy from my local library – well skimmed is more like the phrase – I thought a fair bit of it seemed like Charles Handy et al that I read back in my uni days……but I enjoyed bits of the book – even if the ideas aren’t revolutionary, they are all in one handy (haha) package. And, you have to hand it to Tim, he sells the *dream* of a 4 hour work week extremely well and he does understand how to leverage the media delivery systems we have at our disposal – I read or listened to an interview (can’t remember which) where he mentioned that even the name of his book was chosen by split testing a bunch of adsense ads. His marketing is selling exactly what a lot of people want to buy.
I’ve read the book and quite enjoyed it, but what amazed me was that his biggest income generator was writing a best selling book. He talks about having self generating “muses”, but surely the authoring process is almost exactly the opposite?! It shouldn’t simply take care of itself..?!
He is painstaking to add that the 4 hour work week is simply the hours you spend doing stuff you don’t love. He loves writing, promotion and other such things, so regularly tallies 70+ weeks.
You have to give him credit: it’s a catchy title.
I’m sure his book was a decent money maker but based on his numbers in his book, by far not his first ‘muse’ – He sites 40-70k/mo incomes in multiple stories of his past and present.
I’ve also considered a book, not as an income generator (though it would be nice if it took off) but as something new to challenge myself with. Once you are making 6 figures without much required monthly effort new challenges are a stimulating blast. New businesses, writing books, new blogs, charities, new languages, new hobbies, etc.
Tim Ferris is a liar and a cheat. He’s a classic example of the money that can be made by conning people. He made his money selling illegal body building supplements and now he’s trying to go legit as an author. The guy’s a fraud, plain and simple.
Todd, you’re obviously a shill. And who the hell are those so called famous people. Doctor Phil? Doctor Phil who? Clean up your grammar next time as well. You wrote “couple famous people” when you should have written “a couple OF famous people”. Learn English for crying out loud. For someone who is claiming to earn over six figures with little effort you are coming across as an idiot.
Of course people can earn big money working four hours a week. Some make it in only one hour a week. I’d happily bet that you, Todd, aren’t one of them. And if you are, tell us how you did it. Time to put up or shut up.
You guys are all halarious – Bashing someone on your blog is nothing more than link-bait… Whether I’m a fan of the book or not is irrelevant – and I have read it 3 times.
What really makes me laugh is how most of you guys sit behind a computer talking trash, but if you were to see the person you were talking trash about in public you would continue talking under your breath and not say a damn thing to their face, eye to eye.
I’m with you on some points Ashley, and others not so much. To the rest of you guys.. Man up and contact the guy directly telling him how you feel.. and if you get a response, post that up on your blog.. it’ll give your trash talking a little more credibility – just don’t hide behind your computers talking smack.. do something about it.
Elijah, why don’t you take your own advice? You think it’s wrong for people talking “smack” behind a computer screen and that’s what you do your entire post.
I cannot believe I have just come across this post, on a completely unrelated site to the book as I’m halfway through it!!
My take on it so far has been; glimpses of Antony Robbins; many truisms and stuff you pretty much knew anyway. I think the crux, however, is that if you buy a book like this then you likely needed some motivation, and the glossy rose-tinted view of the world that this book provides is probably just the ticket.
I love your blog!
I laughed, I cried… LOL. No really I am not a huge “pusher” of the 4 hour work week. I agree with you on MANY points about Ferriss, you just said them in the funniest and most simplistic manner.
I do however have respect for the guy. Regardless of being a fraud (such as him highlighting some cheating tactics to attain world records). The guy has gumption, He is a great marketer, so I am not going to bash on someone’s success in that manner. I wouldn’t do things the way he does them.. But I truly do believe in opening up the majority of my time toward other endeavors, rather than the “old school” way of thinking (Go to college, get a job, and work your ass off for the man for the next 45 years etc…) ICK.
But Sweet blog. Loving it! Very critical.
savage-girl.blogspot.com
Dear Jonah Hawk,
Thank you for your diligent efforts as chief of the grammar police. I was baffled by Todd’s comment until you pointed out his exclusion of the word “of”. I thought he was speaking some sort of foreign language. I suppose that since he isn’t as obsessed with insignificant minutia, that he has found financial success. so thank god we have people like you to scour the internet to point such trivial meaninglessness.
I believe Tim Ferriss’ point is to think big and not let all the little things that COULD go wrong stop you from trying. so if you are busy pointing out grammar mistakes in blog comments, you are light years away from thinking big picture. Of course you think his ideas could never work. You are way to obsesses with the irrelevant.
PS- Dr. Phil is famous. Everyone knows who he is. And also, you’re an idiot.
BC, or whatever your real name is, you have proved my point. Todd was and is an obvious shill. You are clearly the sort of blinkered, inbred, living in their parents house redneck who thinks that the world revolves around America.
It doesn’t. It never has and it never will.
Dr. Phil maybe famous to you in your country but he or she is unknown to the rest of the world.
Maybe you should think before you shoot yourself in the foot. Read what I said, try to understand it (I realise that English is second language to you so I won’t hold my breath) and then try again, there’s a good chap. One more thing, have the guts to use your real name if you are going to start throwing your probably more than ample weight around.
Wow – it’s amazing to me that people can be so mean to each other for no reason or gain. It accomplishes nothing.
Tim has accomplished something pretty great with both the book and the blog and he has a host of fans. Yeah, he is selling the dream. That’s perfect. Who wouldn’t want to have their income automated so they can pursue non-income related dreams?
The book talks a lot about streamlining practices that can be applied to nearly every business I’ve ever worked for. The practice of not multitasking alone is priceless as are most of the others.
The guy is sharp. He’s great a self promotion, but he’s also got something unique to promote. If anybody on here thinks that he’s so terrible, I’d ask this:
Have you contributed more to the world than he has? He’s sparked the imagination of many and let people who may have been willing to pass on their dreams a reason to believe that dreams come true. When was the last time anybody did that on here, and if you have, that’s great! Let’s hear about something like that – something positive!
Rick – I’m not being mean. My problem with Ferriss is that he doesn’t tell the truth. Yes, he’s sharp and great at self promotion but so are most con artists. The fact that so many people have fallen for his tall stories is, frankly, astonishing.
Are you serious?? I listened to Ferriss’ book and thought it was brilliant. It changed the way I think about working and I find myself on his website all the time.
It seems to me that you all are just hating on him because he is more successful than you.
Why is Tim a Con Artist? Thats a ridiculous claim. And yes, Im familiar with all of his exploits, and how he has gone about them. Only a petty hater would call that ‘fraud’. Tims book has brought a cohesiveness to a particular method of running a business that didnt exist in print before, at least in a way as usefull and well written as Tims book. Everyone who has skimmed the book and has judged it as bad, please dont read in more depth. No need to crowd the marketplace with more competition.
These are just a couple thoughts…
I have been reading a variety of books lately. These have included the 4 hour work week, other self-help,fiction and Plato etc… I have come to the conclusion, that there is something rather wonderful about books that inspire us to challenge the status quo and condition our brains to achieve more or perform better. This are positive aspects because I believe that not everyone has a perfect upbringing or social circle that would benefit them into this type of thought process. Everyone has elements that shape them in some sort of way…
However, there is something to be said about products that make people excited a little too quickly. Perhaps, I can illustrate it this way: It’s like sugar- you an have a short-term high but you will dip back down to your “normal”. Some common mass market tools that are successful today include : self-help books, luxury products,spas, sexy cars , drugs, etc. Basically anything that screams shortcut!
Nothing is that simple but it is nice to believe it is. That way our hard work will feel like it is always paying off. Everyone can lie and bend the truth. That’s marketing and even human nature. The best way is to know what you like and find things that will enable you to do that. Perhaps reading the book is a good wake up call to how we think and what makes us fizzle with excitement.
It is up to people to be the proper judge. The truth lies in the middle.
I appreciate your time.
Ferriss bragged that he beat someone in a fighting match not by fairplay but by simply and immediately pushing them off the mat–causing them to step into technical foul territory. He admitted the participants’ outtrage, but such tactics didn’t bother him. I’d even imagine a fair number of his readers would find that type of behavior ok. “Whatever works,” and “me first” are the name of his game.
His whole approach is about “gaming” the system–taking questionable advantages in the outer fringe. If we all did that, we could never hold a conversation with each other, because we would trust no one.
I purchased and read Ferriss’ book, amidst the initial hoopla. But the reality is, it’s just repackaged and reformulated dream candy for the masses.
I’ve applied all his ideas to my own work and have more than quadrupled my income and work. Don’t know if that was all me but I’m pretty sure the book helped. Was a great motivator and helped me think of new ways to get my work done and further myself. Don’t know how many people will actually go out and apply these tactics but for me its worked great. Not sure if people expect to read a book like this, go to sleep, and wake up a millionaire… But so far that’s what it seems like to me. I do have to say though, reading this then reading David Allen’s ‘getting things done’ was what really helped me. Honestly though I don’t believe people actually try this stuff, from what i see they just read it and don’t believe it and move on. If youre an action oriented person I do think this really helps.
just my opinion
There is a lot of good stuff in the book and there is a lot of marketing hype. I definitely wouldn’t want the guy dating my daughter. I just DON’T trust him. You can call it good marketing all you want. Is it misleading…. yes. We DON’T need more marketing people like him. That’s how we got into the mess were in.
I believe Mr Ferriss came up with the title to his book by running A B Split tests on google adwords… no doubt about it that 4 hour work week outsells 14 hour work week 2 to 1. What I don’t like is that it’s misleading to young people.
Starting and building a real business takes a LOT of work. Even slinging some supplement online is a bit of work. But building a business scratch and getting in churning out $500K a year in profit is a LOT OF WORK.
My point is that MR. Ferriss did NOT get to where he is kicking back in a hammock around the world. Now that he is there, yes he can kick back here and there… but if you just look at the time he spends running his business he IS working. The book gives people a real FALSE impression of what it takes to be successful.
The MOST entertaining facet of this book to me is all the people I know who read it and get absolutely HIGH from it. Then, they start telling me that I’m doing everything wrong and in some cases that I don’t know what I’m doing. Keep in mind I run a business that does over a $100,000 a month and last year I earned over $300,000 on my tax return AFTER just about every legal deduction in the IRS Tax Code.
Yes, Mr. Ferriss is brilliant but we do NOT need more people like him in the world. We need more straight shooters (even if they sell a little less and pay a little less in taxes). While he delivers a lot of good info, he is pulling the masses in under a false pretense… kind of like your fiancee coming out and saying “Oh, by the way… now that it’s been 2 years and were going to get married I need to let you know I used to be a prostitute but didn’t want to tell you until you REALLY got to know me”.
Most of the people who buy his book and info are NOT business people but new aspiring business people I think. Anyone running and internet company with employees I invite you to entertain yourself by reading the post from his blog below. Pay attention to the posts from readers.. it would be funny to actually follow up with the followers.
See here:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/01/21/the-holy-grail-how-to-outsource-the-inbox-and-never-check-email-again/
Part of the problem in business today is there’s too many chiefs and not enough indians – LOL!
ONE HOUR A WEEK:
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20090101/and-the-money-comes-rolling-in.html
Just have to get creative, and put in some hard work.
I totally enjoyed the book. Whether or not I can get to a four hour work week or not is irrevelant, because my goal is to have the freedom of time and place. Work when I want, go where I want to work. Technology allows this. I started my company (http://www.thegmatcoach.com) with Tim Ferriss’ principals and it has gone great. I “tested” it to see if it would work and made $3000 in 3 days. Not only that, I was able to help people reach attain their dreams of getting into the best b-schools. I’m not writing formal business and marketing plans with the eventual goal of me being able to run and manage the company from anywhere in the world with just hours a week. (Run your company, don’t “get run” by your company)
Without the book, I could not have done any of this because I would have been micro-managing and not focusing on the 80/20 principle. The goal isn’t to work only 4 hours per week people!! The goal is to become more efficient and effective with your time to allow you to spend more of it doing what you LOVE, whether it be traveling, writing, blogging, twittering, whatever.
The book is simply great. Take its principles and apply them to your life and your situation.
Wow, thanks for publishing this. I’m a professional Web site developer with a client who thinks the 4 hour work week idea is brilliant. He thinks that he can hire us, we’ll build his site for him (a stupid idea – we’ve tried to help him improve it, but he won’t listen). Unfortunately, this client is an idiot. I believe the whole concept is insane. Does Donald Trump work 4 hours a week? Does ANYONE? It’s a nice fantasy. But that’s all it is. I have owned my own business for 11 years and know that hard work, not just ideas, is what sustains a business over the long haul. I can’t believe people are reading this crap. I should come out with the three hour work week! It’ll probably sell even more since it’s a better fantasy. Or maybe “Work Two Hours a Month!” Idiots.
Ashley,
Why don’t you mention any evidence to why Tim is a fraud? He seems to give many indications that he is telling the truth, yet you call him a liar and fraud numerous times without backing it up one iota.
Mark – If you read his book you will see that he practically admits to being a liar. Want proof? Go through his list of fantastic claims, like the cage fighting championships, and check them out. You’ll find he’s made most of them up to build up his reputation.
Tom G – Exactly. Fantasy sells. That’s why the book is a success.
If this books creates motivation for people to think & reflect about their lives, I am happy with that.
Well, all the people defending this Ferriss guy here have just proven to the world that his book does not work. Why didn’t all you Ferriss fanboys follow his advice on information diet? What business benefit do you have from defending him on the internet? Why do you waste your time defending him here instead of living your New Rich lifestyle that he promised you? See, he has tricked you, and you’re even better for him than his VA people in India, because you are doing his marketing work for FREE. How does that calculate into your needed TDI/TMI? I apologize to give you the bad news, but: Whoops, you didn’t make any money out of posting here and just wasted your previous time here, you naive fools.
Feel free to bash my post, but you’ll just confirm even more that i am right…
Jonah Hawk,
That’s not incorrect English (“a couple” functions as an article: no one says “two OF famous people”) , and even if it was a typo, it wouldn’t invalidate what he said. I haven’t read the book, and I don’t care if it’s a scam or not, but your nasty, jealous comments have to be corrected. I hate it when people arrogantly argue about facts when a freaking Google search could show them they’re wrong.
Learn to speak ENGLISH Steve. English, not pseudo American English hybrid rubbish. Check ANY English dictionary and you’ll see that what I’m saying is true. The phrase “a couple of books” is correct whilst “a couple books” is just a typical American simplification of true English.
You probably pronounce “thorough” as thu-row as well, instead of the correct thu-rer. Don’t get me started on your ridiculous over simplified spelling.
If you are going to use a language that you were given by someone else then at least have enough respect to learn to use it properly.
Jonah is correct Steve. Think about it for a moment and stop confusing true English with American English.
Hi, why are you so negative, have u ever tried anything that he suggests? I am one of the biggest skeptics out there, but I actually tried the workout he has up on his website and blog, and it it really works! And guess what, I am a personal trainer…
it seems that some people are just jealous or negative because they never achieved much in their own lives and can’t stand others trying to help others out there…it may be more of a subconscious thing rather than a concious one…and honestly, in order for your view to be valid, which i respect, we would need to see your own lifestyle… would u be willing to open that up to us all [directed to all the people on this page who are negative].
Bob Ray – You might want to take another look at your comment. Are you really suggesting that anyone who thinks Ferris is a liar and a con-man doesn’t have a valid point of view unless their lifestyle, and presumably income, is impressive enough?
Ferris probably didn’t write that workout plan that you find so useful. He simply took it from someone else, a technique that he espouses again and again. Doesn’t that seem a little vacuous to you?
Tim Ferriss tells the truth…
He makes it sound easy though.. that’s the only problem.
The four hour work week is doable, but it is alot of work. You need to build a corporation that runs on its own. That’s not easy by any means.
I’m building the four hour work week. And.. it’s not easy. Otherwise it’s a good idea.
I love reading blogs. Its how I see idiots like Jonah bashing people around to make himself feel better.
Jonah, go ahead, bash my english – its all you seem capable of anyways :)
The point of the book is to start your own business, preferably in retail, taking orders from a website, and eventually it will be successful and you can outsource the work and it will run on autopilot. If you read the book, it took him several years to get to that point. He tried several other businesses, including a gym, a informational tape, a speed reading course, and finally his nutritional suppliment company. So the point of the book is to start your own business, but don’t think it’s going to happen overnight.
The thing about being dishonest is that true honesty gets you punished in the business world. When your boss asks you if the project is ready to go, you say “You bet!” if you want to look good. If you want to be honest, you say “It should be, barring as-yet-unforseen last minute complications” then you sound wishy-washy and, paradoxically, like you’re trying to get away with something – that you’re somehow being dishonest.
Sounding competent, sounding confident and reassuring your co-workers and clients that you’re a go-to guy all require a measure of dishonesty. I made the unfortunate mistake of taking “You should always tell the truth” literally until I was about 25, and I lost more than one job by only ever telling my bosses and clients the absolute, unvarnished, all-things-considered truth. I had to learn that lesson the hard way. Ever since I started keeping my mouth shut when I’m not saying “You bet!” I’ve done pretty well for myself.
I suppose my point is that if you excoriate Ferriss for speaking the language of business, then it’s an equal indictment of the business world at large.
Tim Ferris certainly provokes a heap of controversy, and has managed to engender both loathing and idol worship in his audience. The lion’s share of thought however seems to be along the lines of ‘I like some of his ideas but there’s something fishy about the guy…’.
Watching his talk on TED my impression was that behind his eyes he was wondering if people were really buying what he was selling.
Personally, I think Tim takes ideas readily available, and repackages them in the personal mythology he has created for himself, the Tim Ferris brand. He then sells them with the familiar ‘you too can be rich/slim/successful’, quick-and-easy pitch.
As for the claims that Tim’s book has brought success to others, I have to posit this:
If I read a book that inspires me to run a marathon and I do so, should the book receive credit, or should I? Tim might inspire you to be successful, but the credit is not his.
When I visit his blog I can’t help but get a picture of the guy from the Sham-wow commercials… So quick! So easy! But wait, there’s more!
The thing is, it is actually kind of quick and easy to make money online, just by doing something like that. But at the cost of your reputation.
Writing such crap information products and having so many people fall for the content quickly = money. I prefer not to sell my soul like that, but to instead work on things with passion, even if in the end they don’t make me much money, if any at all.
I don’t know who taught you English Jonah.
Your quote:
“Dr. Phil maybe famous to you in your country but he or she is unknown to the rest of the world.”
Proper English
Dr. Phil may be famous to you in your country but he or she is unknown to the rest of the world.
Make sure you never make such a disastrous mistake like that in the future.
Oh Mr. Zach,
Do forgive this poor little thing called Jonah. We know he’s English, but please do understand that he does come from rather uneducated and uncouth beginnings.
He’s been coming to our etiquette and language classes for past four years, 4 hours each week. And while he gets a hundred marks for spelling and a hundred marks for grammar, it’s a rare occasion where he does slip up.
Once again, have a big heart.
Sincerely,
Dr. Markov
School for the Uneducated and Uncouth
Bradford, U.K.
Well the proof is in the pudding.
You didn’t read the book, yet you criticize.
There is so much more covered in the book than the 80/20 rule.
You used Tim’s fame to put up a blog title to generate traffic to your site.
Tim’s blog documents with photos and videos what he has and is doing with his life, so what have you done and created in your life that is so life changing?
Like I said, the proof sin the pudding.
I agree with those that said Tim’s book is more about lifestyle that anything else. Anyone that thinks the book is really about how to get a “4 hour workweek” hasn’t actually read it.
If you REALLY UNDERSTAND THE 4 HOUR WORK WEEK it WILL CHANGE your LIFE. Book actually Inspired us to take a 3 year trip around the world with our portable business. We are Currently on month 18. Come Follow Journey WE ARE LIVING THE 4 HOUR WORK WEEK.
Rhonda Swan
Unstoppable Family
I find it laughable that the only way the author of this blog attracted traffic was making a conscious decision to stir up controversy using the subject of Tim Ferriss and the 4 Hour Work Week.
If Ferriss is a fraud then the blog author should just admit to being the same, they both are using a message designed to attract attention. I’d actually rate Ferriss a lot higher on the scale of people to listen to…at least his ideas are meant to inspire people to improve, while the blog author is only seeking to drive traffic to this site.
If the blog author is incapable of adding anything of value to attract legit traffic and instead has to rely on controversy might I’m sure we could all come up with a long list of public people he could skewer and label as frauds….without having any qualification or redeeming actions of his own.
Eeh… is it just me or does the author of this blog post completely omit to explain WHY Ferris’ book is bullshit?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no fanboy, but isn’t it a bit too easy to just say something sucks without explaining why?
Ferris’ is an excellent book! One needs to read the full book, AND understand the points it is trying to convey. He is selling a life style, and what is wrong with that? I thought he made an excellent point that we are programmed to be employees (even the self employed among us), and always produce to make some other entity rich. It is the idea that you CAN (though you don’t have to) take advantage of that life style. He even had chapters on how to improve your work as an employee .. for example, the approach to minimizing the chit chat at the office … that alone saved me about an hour per work day
I thought the summary for me was, if you consider being rich is to have millions in the bank, then you are the “old” or traditional rich. Chances are, you worked many long hours to attain the millions, and will have to work many more to keep it. How old would you be to enjoy those millions; to travel, to live your dream hobbies,..etc? If, on the other hand, being rich to you, is to have high productivity, with total independence from time and location, you are on your way to become a new rich.
I think it was a refreshing book!