The 4-Hour Workweek Book Review
About a year ago I picked up The 4-Hour Workweek, a book by Tim Ferris. I actually saw Tim give a presentation at WordCamp San Francisco last year, but never got a chance to talk to him.
There are a few main concepts in the 4-Hour Workweek that I think Tim spells out in a lot of detail. The first concept is the importance of residual income. That is, money that you (as a person or a company) don’t have to fight for each and every month. That may be the sale of an eBook from your website, or some photos that you sell on the side, but ultimately he stresses how important it is for most people to try and obtain that. Without residual income, most people and companies have to fight it out each month, and never get the chance to do the things they actually want to do.
Once you find a way to generate a residual income, Tim places importance on getting out of the office. Once removed from the 9-5 in an office, you can focus on being more productive, removing distractions, and working less hours while producing the same output.
It’s a really interesting read, even if you’re not in a position to attempt any of the concepts in the book. My only complaint with the book really involves some of the examples — not everyone can set up a diet supplement company. It would be nice if there were a few more real-world examples and case studies. That said, it’s definitely a good book for everyone in the high-tech or social media sectors to read.
This book was the one that gave me the idea to basically buy a plane ticket and start travelling the world, so I highly recommend it to anyone who is tired of working a typical 9-5 job and yearns for a more exciting life. Check it out on Amazon.