Thursday, August 26, 2010

I Should Have Read This Book Two Years Ago: 4-Hour Workweek

If I had read the book The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content a year or two ago, I would have saved a huge amount of a very valuable asset: time. I also would have made a lot more money. I also would have reduced a lot of stress. I also would have done a lot more traveling.

You may have heard about the author, Timothy Ferriss. He's the one who started his own nutritional supplement business which became extremely successful, yet he was able to get away with answering his email only once a week, and working only four hours a week (just like the book says). He was also able to travel around the world for many months of the year, yet still keep his business running.

Want to start your own business? Ferriss tells you how. Still working for an employer, but want to spend less time at the office? He tells you how, even how to transition from employee to self-employed if you so desire. Want to travel around the world like a millionaire even if you are not yet a millionaire? He takes you through the whole process, right down to the kind of underwear you should buy.

The overriding concept behind the book is to be able to make more money, yet have a lot more time to spend with your family and friends, more time to travel, more time to do whatever you've ever wanted to do (learning martial arts, learning to play the piano, learning another language, or whatever) but never had the time or opportunity. He even has a chapter called 'Filling the Void: Adding Life After Subtracting Work,' which is all about the psychological aspect of having this free time, how some can actually have postpartum depression, and how to get through it.

If you have read some of my previous book reviews, you would know that I like books with meat, i.e. specific sources and resources with descriptions and contact information. This book is filled with resources, making the book 100% Grade A prime beef. The web page section alone has 48 resources, many with rankings by readers who provided the author with feedback.

Want an executive assistant a very low cost? Ferriss tells you how to find one, how to separate the good from the not-so-good, and how they can make your life so much easier, even right down to paying your bills and sending out gifts for you.

In case you can't tell from the previous paragraphs, I really, really like this book. If you think I'm off base on the book, check out the ratings on Amazon: 97% of over a thousand reviewers gave the book either five stars (most of the reviews) or four stars.

Get out of the rat race. After family and health, time is the most important thing in life, even more than money (my opinion). Read the expanded and updated version of The 4-Hour Workweek.

No comments: