The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris

Thinking about reading The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris? Want to know a bit more about the book before you buy a copy for yourself.

In this review of The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich I’ll let you know what you can expect to find inside the book, as well as sharing my own thoughts to help you decide whether it is the right book for you to read.

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CONTENTS

First and Foremost
FAQ – Doubters Read This
My Story and Why You Need This Book
Chronology of a Pathology

Step I: D is for Definition
1: Cautions and Comparisons: How to Burn $1,000,000 a Night
2: Rules That Change the Rules: Everything Popular is Wrong
3: Dodging Bullets: Fear-Setting and Escaping Paralysis
4: System Reset: Being Unreasonable and Unambiguous

Step II: E is for Elimination
5: The End of Time Management: Illusions and Italians
6: The Low-Information Diet: Cultivating Selective Ignorance
7: Interrupting Interruption and the Art of Refusal

Step III: A is for Automation
8: Outsourcing Life: Off-loading the Rest and a Taste of Geoarbitrage
9: Income Autopilot I: Finding the Muse
10: Income Autopilot II: Testing the Muse
11: Income Autopilot III: MBA – Management by Absence

Step IV: L is for Liberation
12: Disappearing Act: How to Escape the Office
13: Beyond Repair: Killing Your Job
14: Mini-Retirements: Embracing the Mobile Lifestyle
15: Filling the Void: Adding Life After Subtracting Work
16: The Top 13 New Rich Mistakes

The Last Chapter An Email You Need to Read

Last but Not Least
The Best of the Blog
Proposal to work remotely on a contract basis
Living the 4-hour workweek: case studies, tips, and hacks
Restricted reading: the few that matter

Bonus Material

 

INSIDE ‘THE 4-HOUR WORK WEEK’

Early on in the book, Tim writes “People don’t want to be millionaires – they want to experience what they believe only millions can buy”. He adds “$1,000,000 in the bank isn’t the fantasy. The fantasy is the lifestyle of complete freedom is supposedly allows. The question is then, How can one achieve the millionaire lifestyle of complete freedom without first having $1,000,000?”

Tim has created an acronym to summarise the process you need to follow in order to become a member of the New Rich. That acronym is DEAL and stands for Definition, Elimination, Automation and Liberation.

This becomes the structure of the book.

D is for Definition
This chapter of the book focuses on seeing how the new rich differ. It highlights how you don’t have to follow old rules and gives examples of the philosophies that a new rich person embodies. The Tim challenges you to really think about what you want and then use his Dreamline template to work out how to make your dreams come true.

E is for Elimination
At the beginning, Tim tells you to forget all about time management. For Tim the focus isn’t on doing more things in your day, but instead doing the things that matter and bring a result. The book discusses being effective vs. being efficient and Tim states that “Being efficient without regard for effectiveness is the default mode of the universe”. Tim then shares some tips to help you to be more effective and have the time to do the important work.

A is for Automation
Whilst the title mentions automation Tim actually starts this section by focusing on outsourcing. He shares stories of how he began to outsource aspects of his life and then helps you to work out which areas you could be outsourcing too. Then he shows you how to create a business that you run and creates a regular income stream, but doesn’t involve much of your time. This is called management by absence and he’ll show you how to achieve this for yourself.

L is for Liberation
This chapter starts off by showing those who are currently working in an office how they can free themselves from the office without saying goodbye to their job aka remote working. For some they love their job and the freedom of working from anywhere will drastically change their quality of life and help them to achieve the dreams. However, for those who hate their job, Tim also has covered how you can say goodbye to your job. Once you are free from the office it is not time to embrace a mobile lifestyle and whilst that doesn’t mean you have to travel many people do decide to travel. Tim walks you through the practicalities of doing this. For some this new lifestyle will mean they have more time on their hand so Tim also shares top tips on how to fill your new time positively in a way that adds to your life.

Then you have a collection of Tim’s best blog posts, case studies of people who have applied the rules since the original version was written and further reading to help you on your journey.

FINAL THOUGHTS FROM CHARELLE

The first time I read The 4-Hour Work Week I hated it. I became fixated on how Tim was showing you how to create a business that you didn’t actually run – “This is not for people who want to run businesses but for those who want to own businesses and spend no time on them”. I didn’t understand why anyone would want a business that didn’t actively work in. So I put the book back on my shelf where it stood untouched for years.

Now I see the book in a different light. Now I can appreciate that Tim is showing you how to challenge the status quo, how to make decisions yourself about how you want to live and is giving you a framework to have more time in your life to do the things you enjoy.

WHO WOULD I RECOMMEND READS THE 4-HOUR WORK WEEK BY TIM FERRIS

This book is for anyone who wants to take control of their life, their money and their time. Most obviously this book is great for people who currently feel stuck in a 9-5 job and want to find a way out. Tim shows you how to free yourself from the office, but still keep your job, as well as how to set up your own business. It is also a great book for anyone who is working and would like to do so more effectively. A key part of creating the New Rich lifestyle is by being effective and the tips in that section will help everyone. Furthermore, the book is also a great choice for those people who really want to embrace the laptop lifestyle and travel the world. There is great advice for helping you to understand how you can travel and work at the same time, or how to take mini-retirements throughout your life.

 

If you like the sound of you The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris you can buy a copy for yourself by clicking here

OTHER BOOKS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

• • Your Money or Your Life (Read my review)
  • Chillpreneur (Read my review)
  • Free Range Human (Read my review)
  • The Millionaire Fastlane (Read my review)