If the purpose of a book is make you stop and completely re-think your assumptions about life, then The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss definitely did its job. Ferriss, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, challenges the way Americans traditionally think about the workplace. He advocates for people to stop spinning their wheels at jobs they dislike for long periods of time, simply because they feel that's what they are supposed to do. Ferriss's "lifestyle design" concept includes taking "mini-retirements" throughout your life rather than working towards a single retirement.
His plan can be summarized as DEAL (Definition, Elimination, Automation, Liberation). The section on elimination was spot on. The book really challenged my thinking with the section on automation. Throughout each stage of the plan, he gives very specific steps to help readers achieve their goals. I do have to mention that, to me, some of Ferriss's suggestions seemed something less than honest.
I liked the way the author included quotes and I enjoyed his writing style. As someone who values balancing work and life, I thought much of what he had to say made a lot of sense. It's hard to explain how I felt when I finished reading the book. Maybe empowered? I won't be adopting all of his strategies, but it's been a while since I felt like my career could be an adventure. Sign me up. :)
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