The 4-Hour Work Week – Tim Ferriss (Review)

There has been so much buzz around the Four (4) Hour Work Week in the past year that I’ve always wanted to get myself a copy and check it out. I want to get out of the way a slight issue I had with the book and that is I’m not actually in a job that I want to escape which is what the main focus of the book includes.

I did manage to get a lot out of the book, and if I was in a job where I wanted to work more remotely or wanted to cut down my hours then I know I would have gotten even more out of this. Needless to say on an overall level I would recommend this to everyone.

WARNING: Do not read this book unless you want to give up your job

While that is the message on the back cover, I don’t especially agree with it. Why? I think even people who aren’t looking to quit their job will learn ways to be more positive, productive and efficient. You might also see why when I cover the topics the book includes:

1. Tim’s story – From an $80,000 a month business and working 4 hours a week, world champion in chinese martial arts and a breakdancer for MTV, Tim really has given life a ‘shot’.

2. Definition – A look at how everything popular is wrong and how you shouldn’t fear the choices and options you have in front of you.

3. Elimination – this section covers the ‘End of Time Management’ and a the ‘Low Information-Diet’ by using selective ignorance

4. Automation – the main focus of automation is Outsourcing your Life in terms of giving work to others, in particular virtual assistants

5. Liberation – an outline of how you can actually leave the office lifestyle, things you can do once you are there and an answer to “what’s next?”

I was especially interested in the last chapter which covers ‘what next’. The main reason is that many people think they are being lazy by leaving their dead end job or think that they should go back to having a clear, defined path in life. I’m very close to having a more free living and relaxed lifestyle so I was rather fascinated by this.

Thankfully the book does contain some of the observations and answers I was looking for on that topic. There is a small poem written by a dying young girl towards the end of the book and I wanted to share an extract of that as it has really touched me:

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift thrown away

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower.

Hear the music
Before the song is over.

If you click here you can purchase your copy of the book at Amazon. Just incase you are unsure, we would never recommend something we haven’t personally learned or gained value from as we want our readers to trust us and a poor purchase which was recommended by us would not look good.