The Four Hour Workweek Book Review

The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss is an interesting read. I liked some parts, didn’t like others, and think that in some cases I probably missed the point. We’ll get to all of that, but first let me tell you about the book.

In the Four Hour Workweek, Tim writes a lot about his personal experience of removing himself from having to work long hours, in a bad work environment, which truly was making his life miserable. He talks about setting up his own company and what it took for him to make the company self-sustaining so that he could enjoy life. It’s full of testimonies from others who have successfully implemented these steps in doing this for themselves. There are TONS of resources and “how to” information for simplifying your work load and being able to do it from a remote location.

I loved Tim’s ideas on productivity, especially checking emails at specific times (and only twice a day), getting your most important task done before 11am (and knowing what it is the day before), and his thoughts on reading the news online. He’s totally right in all these aspects. I also love the ambition that he shows and inspires in the reader, to go out and do something crazy and unique. His book has already inspired me to look at my life and how I can be more proactive in setting up my own business. He also talks at great length about how to make your business profitable and reducing your workload in running it. Great info and I can’t wait to use these principles. And Tim is really a funny guy, which made the book even more enjoyable to read.

In some cases the book felt more like a “get rich quick” scheme, and I was a bit leery of some of its angles. I enjoyed when Tim talked about people getting more time to spend with their families, but I was not interested in hearing about how people just wanted to party in every corner of the world. That’s just not me and it isn’t a strong motivator for me. To Tim’s credit he did end the book talking about how freeing up your time should be used for yourself as well as helping others, and I find that incredibly motivating.

I live in China and this book really reinforced some decisions I have made as well as gave me things to consider as I move forward. It isn’t for everyone, but if you don’t like your job or have big dreams, then you will find value in it.

Enjoy this day,
Matt

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