The Myth of The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

The Phenomenon of The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss.
First published in 2007, this hardcover book on lifestyle management has not even come out yet in a soft cover edition and has gone #1 on the New York Times bestseller. The first edition of The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris has now gone into 31 printings. It is popular worldwide, available in 25 languages.

What is The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss About?
It's about saying goodbye to what bestselling author Timothy Ferriss calls the "deferred-life plan". Instead of waiting to travel or take time off, Timothy Ferriss both preaches and lives the life, taking extended vacations for months at a time. It doesn't mean a life of laziness. Rather, he has used his time off to learn skills such as kick boxing and tango. The book outlines ways to generate income to make this kind of lifestyle possible.

The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. Fact or Fiction. Myth or Reality
In addition to the book, Timothy Ferriss regularly provides updates on his lifestyle blog, "Experiments in Lifestyle Design - The Blog of Tim Ferriss"

On a recent posting he invited readers in an open source document, to pro-actively make edits and changes to an upcoming revised edition. I was surprised by postings on the web and some of the comments and skeptics who decry Ferriss as full of bunk and categorize his book as shallow and meaningless as "The Secret". Timothy Ferriss lives the kind of life he promotes and has taken the time to provide step by step thorough instructions. Some people just can't see past how to apply the program to their own situation.

The Oprah Syndrome. Rescue Me.
Someone on the document posted "you know most people are NOT going to act on the principles...." which is somewhat self defeating and ultra depressing. I see with other lifestyle gurus such as Oprah that even though Oprah is very specific and provides many solutions on how to make your life better, there are still others who pin their hopes on having Oprah rescue them. They write desperate pleas to put them on one of her makeover, home improvement, do-over shows in the hopes Oprah will whisk them away like some fairy godmother and make their dreams come true.

Franchising The Four Hour Workweek
I am sure Timothy Ferris has been contacted many times over to do the same. Some of the people on this open document, suggested Ferris franchise The Four Hour Workweek concept to have lifestyle coaches work with individuals. But the whole book is very specific and is like a recipe book with steps laid out on what to do. Unlike the lightweight bestseller "The Secret", which implies to feel it and think it to let the power of attraction work for you, The Four Hour Workweek relies more than the power of positive thinking to get the ball rolling. It basically provides all the instructions. But you need to do the leg work. If you do, you'll achieve the kind of lifestyle Timothy Ferriss promotes.

The Reality of The Four Hour Workweek
I am by no means a millionaire but I have taken chances to live a richer, more rewarding life. It take courage and determination. Last year, I took 16 weeks off and I was a manager responsible for co-managing a department which generates close to $2 million/year. I am married, live in Washington, DC and was able to go back home to Vancouver, Canada twice last year to visit my aging parents who are still active and healthy in their seventies. I was able to spend almost a month in the winter and a month in the summer. Why do we make it a priority to drop everything to fly to someone's funeral? Or quit our jobs and care for our parents when they're in ailing health? I want to take the time now while they're still vital and conscious.

You're Not Getting Any Younger
I'm in my forties and if there was ever a good time to start this program, for me, it is while I am still young and healthy to be able to enjoy traveling. This year, when things weren't working out well where I was working, I decided to just take the leap to quit my job to do what I really wanted. Here I am, spending 4 months in Barcelona, Spain with my husband who is teaching architecture.

The Four Hour Workweek Might Mean An Eighty Hour Workweek Part of the Year
While here, we just met some wedding photographers and an individual in the film industry who are self employed that needed to rearrange their work schedules but planned ahead to procure the work they need for later in the year. While away for the next six weeks, they have committed to stay in touch should clients need to contact them and are enjoying extended holidays in Barcelona and across Europe. Then come the busy wedding season in spring and summer, they will work a crazy 80 hour week. They are enjoying the opportunity to enjoy life abroad for an extended period of time in an adaptation of The Four Hour Workweek which in the end is really about living more and working less.

The Possibility of The Four Hour Workweek
If I had stayed anchored at my stable job, I would have missed this wonderful time in our marriage to spend time together as well as enjoy the opportunity to travel to Florence, Portugal and this week Morocco. It's all very possible and it's all up to you. Believe me, it's within your reach to make it happen. If you haven't picked up the book already, do so and take action. If you're already purchased the book but haven't taken any of the steps he suggests, what's holding you back?

What the Book Shares
"How Tim went from $40,000 per year and 80 hours per week to $40,000 per month and 4 hours per week. How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want. How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist. How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent "mini-retirements". Source: Back cover The 4-Hour Workweek.

What People Are Saying

"Stunning and amazing. From mini-retirements to outsourcing your life, it's all here. Whether you're a wage slave or Fortune 500 CEO, this book will change your life!" Phil Town, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Rule #1.

"It's about time this book was written. It is a long-overdue manifesto for the mobile lifestyle, and Tim Ferriss is the ideal ambassador. This will be huge." Jack Canfield, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

About the Book

The 4-Hour Workweek
"Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich"
Timothy Ferriss