Customer Reviews
Potentially life changing - By: L. Scelsi, 08 Jun 2008 
The material in the book might not be alll completely new, but overalll Tim Ferriss manages to condense a lot of very interesting concepts into a well structured view. He makes his points very clear & gives out very valuable information for alll those who are dreaming of unconventional lifestyles.The style too is energetic & inspiring.
The author gives the impression to genuinely want to help people fulfill their dreams, even if at some points of the book he tries to promote some of his products (e.g.: the pxmethod for speed reading, which is quite expensive, if compared to buying a book from Tony Buzan).
The supporting material on the website is also very interesting and, above alll, useful.
Awesome! Only for those that really want to get FOCUSED, - By: S. Nuzum, 26 May 2008 I read this book at the start of this year (2008) & it's totallly changed my way of thinking.
Comments such as 'it's not millions that we want, but the experiences that we believe only millions can buy', that help get you thinking. Also there are plenty of people earning a good wage, although do they have any time to enjoy life? What we alll want is the TIME to do the things that excite us - that requires an automated system, he helps you form this, but first:
When you define those adventure holidays or trips around the world, you realise that they don't cost that much!!! But by actuallly DEFINING it you start to focus on HOW you can get it - within 6 months of course.
You work out what money you need per day in order to live your dream lifestyle. Then you work towards getting that: 4 step process
DEFINITION
ELIMINATION
AUTOMATION
LIBERATION
There is emphasis on becoming effective over efficient, since anyone can be efficient at moving paper from tray to tray alll day long. An effective person would develop an electronic system that does alll this for them! Particular focus of this book is on outsourcing the tasks that are most wasting your time, so you have more time to concentrate on the most important tasks & developing your effectiveness.
He provides lots of recommendations & useful tips on using the internet throughout the book & highlights the vast opportunities we now have within the new 'digital age'.
Great book for anyone who wants to improve their life & get more focused in obtaining the experiences that you most want.
I'm a budding entrepreneur & it's helped me out very much! I'm presently automating my life & planning a number of adventures including cycling the US, Travelling to Spain for a month of skydiving, Diving with sharks, adventures in the Amazon, & many more! I'm in the process of starting a blog, feel free to contact me for further guidance! Search Sean Nuzum
Thinking outside the box - By: R. P. Le Blanc, 28 Apr 2008 
Although this is an outstanding book & presents an exciting concept, it may not be for everyone. Basicallly, the author discusses the value of work & time. There are numerous realistic & practical recommendations for managing time & commitments that can be applied to your life right now. These simple suggestions can turn into a considerable saving of time & an increase in productivity.
Without a doubt, there is a high level of excitement & encouragement in these pages. There is also a sense of urgency as the obvious point about life being short is brought home in a significant way. The principles of Thoreau are mentioned & applauded, showing how the author was influenced in his own mind. Like Thoreau, there is a calll to minimalism, a getting back to basics to go steadily forward. This is alll sound advice but isn't earth-shaking. However, put within the context of the rest of the book, these suggestions can make a big difference in a person's business outlook & chance of success.
The title is a bit misleading & doesn't seem to include the average blue-collar worker. This book is reallly for white-collar workers who want to escape their jobs but who already have some type of financial backing behind them. Even though the author's concepts & principles are easy to grasp, not alll of them will be easy to implement.
Thinking outside the box is a must for any reader to appreciate this book. That's not a bad thing; it only tells you that these pages may not be practical for everyone. But there is a lot of reallly terrific stuff in here. The author has some genuine & exciting ideas about how to eliminate unproductive efforts from the workplace, thereby shortening the workweek. There are some excellent ways to define & achieve personal goals. Also, the reader will find some solid plans for starting a business. There are lists of resources to check out & that definitely increases the value of this book.
Outsourcing is a big strategy mentioned. Using overseas (and cheap) labor can free up the daily workings of a business while generating a steady profit. In theory, this is a good idea, but outsourcing is reallly counterproductive to our nation's economy. There is a feeling of getting ahead at whatever the cost & that idea might not sit well with most people. Also the idea of outsourcing, & paying other people a pittance, reallly undermines the principle of getting paid what you're worth. There seems to be an inconsistency here. It's like saying that it's fine to use cheap labor to get ahead, but what about those people who are doing the work at below cost? Is it because they haven't read this book yet & don't know they are being used as a stepping stone to someone else's success?
Overalll, the book has a lot of insights & enthusiasm. Readers who are looking for motivation & a jumpstart can learn from these pages. As with any book, take what you can use & ignore the rest.
Raymond Le Blanc:
Author: Achieving Objectives Made Easy!
May be imperfect, but may open new horizons - By: Hector, 17 Feb 2008 Takes thinking on outsourcing & simplifiying our lives even further;
- never read a newspaper
- better to eliminate or automate than to delegate
- have a virtual assistant do parts of your job for you, & parts of your personal life (apologise to your wife for you!)
- learn to NOT finish a book that you have already got what you wanted from.
It's fun
Spend your time where your values are - By: Tenna Merchent, 24 Jan 2008 Ferris is an entertaining & flamboyant character. As you read his story at the beginning of the book you can see he has always thought big, & had an entrepreneurial spirit. He takes us through his analysis of his job, insane hours, abusive clients, & no end in sight. He then focused on the 80/20 rule, where 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients, & he paired his clients to a manageable & productive level.
One of my favorite parts of his book are alll the pull quotes that start each chapter. They're reallly great such as "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority it is time to pause & reflect." And "By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventuallly get to be a boss & work twelve hours a day." They set the tone for each chapter.
He tells a funny story about how he won the national championship of Chinese kickboxing by exploiting a technical rule, & knocking his opponents off of the elevated platforms. The Chinese officials were not happy, but he won, legitimately. This is definitely thinking outside the box.
He goes through some thought provoking issues, such as saving your whole life to enjoy retirement. Why not have lots of mini-retirements now? He points out that less is not laziness, because he advocates doing less meaningless work, & focusing on what is important. The timing is never right, that's the case with everything, even having children, just bite the bullet & do it. Ask for forgiveness, not permission; don't give people an opportunity to say no. Emphasize your strengths, & don't bother fixing the weaknesses. This one is particularly important because most people do focus on their weaknesses instead of maximizing their strengths. There is a whole book written on this subject alone callled First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently.
He highlights unusual things such as 99% of people believe they are incapable of achieving great things. Therefore that is exactly what you should set out to do because the competition is low. That's hilarious! And, probably true.
He gives some good ideas on brainstorming before you start your own company, & making sure you do your research before you jump in. He talks a lot about outsourcing, & using things like a virtual assistant. It sounds like a reallly good idea to pay someone to do what you're not good at & focusing on what you are good at.
He has some cheesy exercises sprinkled throughout the book, such as go to a malll & ask people of the opposite sex for their phone number. To me they are the weakest part of the book, & they felt like they were added in afterward simply so there would be exercises in it.
But this is a book worth reading. He has lots of good basic tenets. Don't work at a job you hate. Everything popular is wrong. Don't spend alll day organizing your e-mails into crazy little folders. Check your e-mail only a few times a day, & when you do, address the issue in the e-mail so you don't have to come back to it. That's like the old mail handling idea of only touch a piece of paper once, don't set it aside to come back to it.
He makes starting a business sound easier than it reallly is, but it is a thought provoking book. One that makes you look at how you are spending your day. I wrote down a question from the book at have it on my desk "Are you being productive, or just busy?" That & many others he raises are worth asking yourself.
