The 4-Hour Work Week

Tim Ferriss can be hard to take at times, and I agree with many on that. In the book he speaks very frankly about his story and how to stop wasting time by using the Pareto principle, so you can run your business in just a few hours per week. At times it feels questionably ethical and grating, but there are a few takeaways to extract (and he writes fairly well; I read it in a few days in Tuscany).

Notes

1. Drop the idea of grinding until 60 and then being bored because you are used to grinding: take mini-breaks throughout your life (great idea, I agree here). The “New Rich” are rich in experiences and freedom, not just money
2. Be an entrepreneur (as an employee it is hard to have this freedom)
3. Your most important resource is time, and you should optimize it as much as possible: here are some interesting practices, like
   • Avoiding meetings and using email instead (often with FAQs and autoresponders)
   • Doing things in batches (like checking bills once a month)
   • Delegating and giving decision power in minor cases, people like having control
   • Checking email and messages sparingly
   • Limiting interruptions by appearing very busy
4. 80/20: most profits come from a few big clients/activities. Make those excellent, and you can give less time to the rest
5. Avoid excess information, for example newspapers and social media (agree), which often fill your head with nonessential info
6. Do not be afraid to reach out to important people for advice and mentorship
7. Some fluff about changing your life and jumping in without overthinking, not my thing
8. Start businesses that scale and can run on autopilot (agreed)
9. A final list of recommended books worth noting

All in all, a brash and at times not-so-ethical approach (especially when he suggests pretending to be an expert in a niche after a couple of courses), but it is a readable book.

Also, it was thoroughly criticized on If Books Could Kill, an excellent podcast