"4 hour work week" anyone read? recommend?

[dwixi]

Lots of books like this just are to get you thinking big but not acting big. I was wondering if this book is actuly useful?
Thanks.

[WanderingOak]

I started it about a year ago, but never finished. Quite a bit of the book is the Author's self-promotion, along with endorsements of various services that he uses. It does include some interesting ideas on how to to 'jump-start' yourself into action, but they primarily work for highly agressive people. People with other personality types might bennefit from this book, but only if they are willing to follow through with the (extremely difficult) exercises at the end of each chapter.

I feel the book is based on faulty precepts that may work in some cases for some people, but is far from working for everybody in all situations.

[brandongilbert]

this will save me from buying this book.

however i may read it for free at borders sometime..

[Justin Razmus]

I recommend reading four hour work week. It has given me numerous great ideas, and really changed the way I look at work. It is not for everyone, but nearly anybody can pick up some good points that could help them out along the way.

[Justin Razmus]

Here is another thread about "four hour work week". There are quite a few responses there.

The Book: Four Hour Work Week

[Raymond Burton]

I read Four Hour Work Week and it's the thinking patterns he uses that are the most useful. To actually see the WAY he sets things up. It's a bit of a paradigm shift if the ideas are new to you (I guess that was an obvious statement). It is not a step by step approach per say. I did try almost all the approaches he mentions. Got burned on some and the rest helped contribute to the lifestyle I now enjoy.

I think if a book isn't crap and has some useful ideas then it would be a good use of your time and such was my experience with the four hour work week.

[Parthon]

It's very useful. While you could use it as a specific template for how to enjoy the 4 hour work week, the best thing I got out of it was learning how to challenge my own view of how the world works. That was more valuable than anything else.

As for "worth it or not?" .. it's 20 bucks! There are a lot of crap books out there, and the more you read, the more you realise they are all the same. However, just finding that brilliant source of life changing information that you've always wanted is worth it, every time.

[RT Wolf]

Different things impact different people differently. I've read the book maybe 4-5 times in the last year or so and listened to the audio version probably 15-20 times in that time. I absolutely love it. It's one of the most influential books on my thinking.

I also almost completely disagree with WanderingOak's review. Like I said, different things impact people differently.

The questoin is not whether the book itself is any good, but whether you'll get something out of it, and I believe you will, even if its just a coupla ideas on handling email better. It's really packed full of ideas about a whole bunch of things, from what the point of life is to becoming more effective vs efficient, to overcoming fear.

[Raymond Burton]

The tip on setting up your answering machine and times to check has REALLY been a great thing over the last year for me and after only a couple of weeks, people knew when I would and would not answer my phone.

A huge headache GONE.

[thesecretlaws]

this was a good book.

[Murphy]

Amazing book.

There's a lot of stuff about minimalising the distractions and things you don't want to do in your life so you can do the things your passionate about.

I.e. Information overload. A lot of people spend an hour or two a day reading newspapers, watching the news, catching up on their favourite blogs. etc.

Tim Ferris (the author) spends half an hour a month reading a trade magazine for his industry and gets the world news by occasionally asking his friends "Whats new in the world?"
The time he saves he uses to do things like learn to Tango.

[ggwbach]

all about working smarter, not harder.

its not the amount you put in, its the quality of the return.

and doing things that have a continued revenue -

StevePavlina.com Podcast #006 - How to Make Money Without a Job

a very good podcast above.

[jthomson71]

this is like many books in the catagory it isn't really about implementing everything Tim suggests but rather using the concepts he presents as a way to challange your thinking a bit. If you're looking for this book to tell you step by step how to work only 4 hours a week and be successful its not it. If you are looking to change your view on how you work, where you can work and how you can be more productive I think this does a fantastic job. I have implemented some of his time saving ideas and they have been tremendously helpful and it is a constant work in progress to increase my effeciency. I also think the way we think about work - 40 hours a week for a corporation, in an office - is changing with technology and the demise of Corp america and I think this book captures some of those ideas at a time when we are in the midst of transition.