The 4-Hour Workweek
“Escape 9-5, live anywhere, and join the new rich”
Timothy Ferriss
320 pages, 2007 (Amazon)
While reading the 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss I kept asking myself: what world does this guy live in?
Then deja vu hit.
I’ve seen this world and actually lived in it for a few years. It was called a “bubble” and the year was 1999. Everyone was at the center of their own world of self-aggrandization chasing down pre-IPO stock, throwing lavish parties with chocolate fountains, and creating money losing companies at breakneck speed.
It’s as if Ferriss had time traveled from 1999 or is some kind of fossil a book publisher dug up trying to cash-in on a perceived market for a 2.0 generation of greed seekers.
Yes, this book is that bad.
It’s shallow and seemingly written with no good intentions other than to make a quick buck.
I’ll admit perhaps my perspective is distorted. A few weeks back I was able to take in the BlogWorld keynote with the author, Tim Ferriss and Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park. Here you had a first time author next to a rock star who has sold tens of millions of records. How surprising that Ferriss came across as an egomaniac, and Shinoda as humble, easy-going, blogger/artist/rock star.
The first question that came out of the Q&A at that very keynote came from a somewhat ruffled man: “I read your book. Followed the advice. And absolutely nothing has changed in my life”.
Of course not.
The idea is not to change your life. You’ve changed Timothy Ferriss’ life; he now has one more royalty payment and can afford another tango lesson. Mission accomplished.