71 replies
Hi Warriors

I recently read a book called the "4 Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferris. I've read tons of business and self improvement books in the past few years, but this one really stood out.

As the name implies, the book discusses how to achieve the "4 hour work week". It reveals all the things we waste our time on (thinking that they are important) and shows you how to (drastically) cut down on the time you spend working, using a few very simple, but effective strategies.

I thought that seeing as most internet marketers are hard working business owners, it would be a worthy resource to share with you. Anyone looking to cut down on their work time and start living life to the hilt needs to grab this book... quickly!

If any of you have already read it, I'd love to hear what you think...
#4hour #time management #week #work #work life #work smart not hard
  • Profile picture of the author sbctrls250
    The 4 hour work week is spectacular! Its definitely my favorite business related book, and Tim Ferriss as a person just kinda fascinates me ... kinda sounds like an add for the book so I'll leave it at that, but i'm definitely a fan
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  • Profile picture of the author Beverley Watts
    Haven't read it but will definitely check it out - would love to cut down my work time!
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  • Profile picture of the author LinChick
    I haven't read it yet, either, but that sounds like it's got some great advice. I'll be picking it up for sure.
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  • Profile picture of the author Syntheticore
    I love the 4-hour workweek and I've seen what kind of an impact it's had on many of my friends and online acquaintances. I think it's one of those books that will shift a generation's views on work and life balance.

    Thanks for bringing it up Derek!
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  • Profile picture of the author Ori_G
    I love that book!!

    Among other awesome books on my list, I'd highly recommend you to check out:
    • "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki (and to play his Cashflow game if you get the chance - AWESOME!)
    • "The eMyth" By Michael Gerber
    Another really good and fun read that I can think of off the top of my head is "The accidental Billionnaires" - It tells the true story of how Facebook was created by 2 college kids.

    Any other suggestions, anyone?
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    • Profile picture of the author DrFresh
      haha.. sounds like I need to pick that one up... Awesome title..
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    • Profile picture of the author n1985
      [QUOTE=Ori_G;2366505]I love that book!!

      Among other awesome books on my list, I'd highly recommend you to check out:
      • "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki
      /QUOTE]

      A very good friend recommended me this this book 5 years ago, I thought he was just fooling around -- 5 years later I am seeing this again. I regret not reading it, will order it off amazon in the next week.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Axelrod
    It's a MUST READ, but take it with a grain of salt.
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    • Profile picture of the author ucajack
      Seems to be a interesting title. would love to get hold of this soon.
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    • Profile picture of the author try_hard_samurai
      Originally Posted by Dan Axelrod View Post

      It's a MUST READ, but take it with a grain of salt.
      Agreed.

      I read the book back in '08. It has great storytelling (something that few business books have) and the techniques it shares are awesome. But, the resources he mentions are a bit dated and should be approached with caution. For example, Brickworks started getting a rough reputation after it was mentioned in the book. I heard that their quality has dropped off.

      Ferriss released a new version a year or two ago that has new updated info.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nick Garcia
      Originally Posted by Dan Axelrod View Post

      It's a MUST READ, but take it with a grain of salt.
      Dan's right. It's a great read and contains highly valuable content.

      But...it shouldn't be taken literally. Take it in its conceptual form and you can apply those concepts to your own life in amazing ways.
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  • Profile picture of the author shafindezane
    A fantastic book on outsourcing and the mindset of living a free life without being tied to your cubicle. Recommended for anyone who values freedom over everything else.
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  • Profile picture of the author hazel0513
    YES YES YES!!! IT'S A MUST READ!

    I just finished it not long ago and I really really recommend this book. Haha. It motivates me a lot. For those who wants to know more about this book, I have mentioned it in my another post. You can check it out here

    http://www.warriorforum.com/mind-warriors-success-power-self-improvement/235372-will-you-still-work-when-world-says-its-time-retire.html#post2337350

    Even that you don't have time you got to read this book. (Why must you read it? Because it teaches you how to have more time to enjoy your life to the max, by maintaining or increasing your income. )
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  • Profile picture of the author Chantal-Louise
    Hi guys! I have also read this book and I must say it is amazing! I would definitely recommend it...have you guys also heard of a book called rich dad poor dad? Its a bit of a broader concept and explores different ways to increase self wealth so it is a good complement. Its one to read! Let me know what you think!
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    • Profile picture of the author rossmore
      These are both very good books. The concepts will help you to start thinking of ways to free up your life, to do the things you want, as well as make a nice income or financial freedom. I highly recommend them too.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gubaru
    Read 4 hour work week and it was pretty good. The chapter about outsourcing really opened my imagination to the possibilities of delegation in IM.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bill Lassiter
    I've read 4 hour workweek a while back...already a classic and its always been one of my top 5 must reads for any entrepreneur.
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  • Profile picture of the author paigelee
    thanks for the information. i badly need that book..haven't read it but will really get one..again thanks so much for sharing...
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  • Profile picture of the author eugeneoconnell
    This is the first time I heard about it but love to get one.I think it's the one I need, thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Alfredo Carrion
    Honestly I'm torn about this book. There are some doable lessons, but many aren't doable...
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  • Profile picture of the author jkuhry
    sounds like a great book,, I will check it out. Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author MChriston
    Great book - but like others have said, the resources need updating... BUT that said, the general ethos is bang on.

    Definitely worth a read.

    All the best, Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author magnates
    4 work week has a lots of gem of knowledge that you can directly apply to your life

    I have read the book , it felt like he bragging and that put me off for a while but he has a point you can achieve it

    Some steps are very achieveable and there are some that are hard to believe for me

    But I agree with his steps for dealing with distractions and staying focus
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  • Profile picture of the author a l e x
    Such a great book although it's arguably very sensationalized! The three biggest things I took away from this book are:

    1) Minimum Effective Dose - The small changes you can make that reap proportionally HUGE positive consequences.
    2) Effectiveness vs. Efficiency - The difference is quite huge.
    3) Dreamlining your goals - I need to better implement into my own life, but essentially managing your goals into doable, achievable subunits.

    Tim Ferris is a very inspirational guy, and his ability to market himself and his products is definitely near the pinnacle of success!
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  • Profile picture of the author stig57
    Yes.. it's an excellent book, and I saved the other 36 hours last week by downloading the audio book and listening to it while driving back and forth between clients ! LOL!
    ( I read slow, forgive me ).
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    • Profile picture of the author OhSusanna
      4HWW rocks! It totally changed my way of thinking.

      This time last year, I could have never imagined outsourcing my business. Now when I start something, I quickly think..."how SOON can I outsource this?"
      Fiverr is a great place to have things taken care of quickly. There are several excellent others resources to go to for outsourcing.

      My most favorite thing to outsource is phone calls. It has opened up my schedule immensely.

      One of the things I love about the book it how he got rid of his customers that were giving him the smallest amount of his business but taking the MOST of his time. This is so true with so many businesses.
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  • Profile picture of the author horusgrings
    ITs a great book! Its what I aim at!
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  • Profile picture of the author Joshua526
    The ideas are revolutionary and very practical! I like the part about Cultivating Selective Ignorance. Now I don't watch much TV and read newspapers, helped to focus and study only the things that have immediate and practical application.
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  • Profile picture of the author tmoby
    Agreed - Great book. It opened my eyes to the joys of travel more than anything. Rolf Potts vagabonding goes hand in hand with this book if you ask me.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joe Mobley
      Probably the best thing about the book is that it gets you to think differently. It gets your mind to ask different questions.

      Joe Mobley
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  • Profile picture of the author melltonroper
    I never read that book since, looking forward to have a copy of that.
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  • Profile picture of the author IMoptimizer
    I'm happy so many people agree that it's a must read for any wannabe entrepreneur!

    The main quality of this book is that the author has a way of hammering a point home that will really have an impact upon your thought process.

    Some parts do contain some degree of hype, but most of the points he makes are valid.
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  • Profile picture of the author dilnaj
    I heard about it late 2010, and I got it on audiotape just a little while ago It's a great book and really makes you think hard about your current values and what's important. The 80/20 Principle was a huge insight for me and help me out a lot.

    A strong part of Tim Ferriss' philosophy is driven from natural philosophy called Stoicism. There is a book called "Letters from a Stoic" by Seneca that he recommends. Seems like a good read too.

    My fav quote by Ferriss is:
    "So fear is your friend. Fear is an indicator. Sometimes it shows you what you shouldn't do. More often than not it shows you exactly what you should do. And the best results that I've had in life, the most enjoyable times, have all been from asking a simple question. What's the worst that can happen?"
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  • Profile picture of the author seo slayer
    It's the only book I found which has infos in almost every single line!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Nicky DAgostino
    I also really enjoyed the book, but to me it seemed like a great system to use AFTER you've lost the muse of your business and wanted to set it on auto-pilot.

    I don't know about you guys, but some of my favorite 'highs' are when you're starting a project and you need to dedicate most of your time to it. I guess once it's off the ground, and your pulling in 50k a month (like Tim was), you can find a way to slim it down and work 4 hours a week, but for me it seemed like the wrong goal to have if you were starting a project.
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    • Profile picture of the author MChriston
      Originally Posted by Nicky DAgostino View Post

      ...but for me it seemed like the wrong goal to have if you were starting a project.
      How about thinking of it like this...

      If you enjoy the initial stages of a project and "getting it going" then wouldn't it be great to have that buzz as much as possible?

      If you were to start all projects with ideas like the "4hr work week" in mind, then you could quickly get it running on autopilot and then start ANOTHER project... so getting back into the 'start up' buzz as soon as possible!

      Just a thought!
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  • Profile picture of the author KAYEKINNEY
    I am a fan of the book, it is on the DO NOT LOAN shelf in my library because I would hate to have to buy it again but would. He also wrote The 4 Hour Body... he is an info shark but instead of just consuming, he seems to digest and distribute the good stuff. A good read.
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  • Profile picture of the author insanemadman1990
    Sounds like a great book. Just found a pdf version online. Just google the title
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  • Profile picture of the author ehawkmarketer
    Oh man, this is one of my favorite books.
    • Re-read the section on Parkinson's law and 80/20 principle over and over.
    • Use the dreamlining section for basic planning.

    I'm glad you stumbled on this book.
    • You should use the revised version which has an orange cover; there are many more resources, and pay attention to the stories where successful normal folks implemented an automated business.

    check out his blog.
    good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author merereilly
    would love to trade my 60-hour work week for a 4-hour one! LOL
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  • Profile picture of the author Q136
    So here's my question? How many of you guys are living The 4 hour work week and making 50K a month? 20k a month? 5k a month?

    To me it only works if you have the resources to implement all the stuff he talks about in the book. If not then all you are doing is paying somebody else to make your mistakes and lose your valued customers.

    While you live the life style of the 4 hour work week
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  • Profile picture of the author brookman12
    I've just read the first few chapters and so far and found it very interesting. At first I was reluctant to buy it because I thought there's now way anyone can earn a good income working 4 hours a week. However a friend recommended and I got it. I still dont think I'll be working 4 hours a week in the near future but its definitely worth a read.
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  • Profile picture of the author SeekingNothing
    I'd like to chime in with the "Grain of salt" crowd.

    The 4HWW is a good book, and since Ferris is first and foremost a marketer, people here will already be used to his brand of sales-spiel. It's a great book to get you pumped with the idea of getting your own business and running it as minimally as possible.

    My only other criticism of it is sometimes it spends way too long on upselling the possibility of doing something rather then helping folks actually do it.
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  • Profile picture of the author stopper
    it seems there is a wealth of knowledge that you can only find on warrior I have a list of books to read and top of the list I think is rich dad poor dad.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ryan Butz
      Originally Posted by Ori_G View Post

      I love that book!!

      Among other awesome books on my list, I'd highly recommend you to check out:
      • "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki (and to play his Cashflow game if you get the chance - AWESOME!)
      • "The eMyth" By Michael Gerber
      Another really good and fun read that I can think of off the top of my head is "The accidental Billionnaires" - It tells the true story of how Facebook was created by 2 college kids.

      Any other suggestions, anyone?
      Originally Posted by Alfredo Carrion View Post

      Honestly I'm torn about this book. There are some doable lessons, but many aren't doable...
      [quote=n1985;4334393]
      Originally Posted by Ori_G View Post

      I love that book!!

      Among other awesome books on my list, I'd highly recommend you to check out:
      • "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki
      /QUOTE]

      A very good friend recommended me this this book 5 years ago, I thought he was just fooling around -- 5 years later I am seeing this again. I regret not reading it, will order it off amazon in the next week.
      Originally Posted by stopper View Post

      it seems there is a wealth of knowledge that you can only find on warrior I have a list of books to read and top of the list I think is rich dad poor dad.

      To anyone recommending or on the fence with Rich Dad Poor Dad I can honestly say don't waste your time. I read the 'Classics' Which include Rich Dad Poor Dad, Rich Dad Poor Dad's Cashflow Quadrant, and Rich Dad Poor Dad's Guide to Investing
      Amazon.com: Rich Dad Poor Dad Classics - Boxed Set (Rich Dad Poor Dad; Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant, and Rich Dad's Guide to Investing) (0070993416744): Robert T. Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter: Books
      and I wasn't impressed at all. I don't even know what kept me driving to finish all 3. The investing book is very long. There also wasn't much if any takeaway from it. He really just tries to tell you that you need to just do something. He seems very cocky to me, although he probably should be with his amount of success, it doesn't help the reader. 4 Hour Work Week (which a lot of people said the resources need to be updated) gives you a lot of information, teaches you about outsourcing and how to maximize your time. The resources in the back we're very good at the time I read it. A book I'm finishing up reading right now is Amazon.com: Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works (9781605501116): Melinda F. Emerson, Michael C. Critelli: Books . It's really good and breaks down actionable tasks to do by month's. I also just purchased this one Beyond Wealth: The Road Map to a Rich Life Amazon.com: Beyond Wealth: The Road Map to a Rich Life (9781118027615): Alexander Green: Books this one is supposed to be great.

      (No affiliate links in case anyone was skeptical)

      On a side note has anybody read Rework by 37Signals? I heard mixed reviews, all saying it was either absolutely amazing best book ever, or completely terrible all fluff.
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  • Profile picture of the author bank1010
    great post ... I have read the book ... very informative ... thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author stopper
    this sounds like a must read I hope it is available online then I can use the odiogo listen button on it.
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  • Profile picture of the author bmcgoff
    My quick thoughts... 4HWW is awesome for inspiration. The practical steps to "create a muse" are not easy, and I think there are many easier or more realistic ways to do this with IM. That said, Tim Ferris imspired me to get into IM in the first place (I was looking for a muse).

    Rich Dad, Poor Dad is conceptually great, but there's no practical advice. It's one of those books where you can read the first three chapters and get the idea.

    eMyth is awesome. If you have even an ounce of entrepreneurial spirit, read this before doing anything else.
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  • Profile picture of the author bmcgoff
    Oh, and read Getting Things Done by David Allen.
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  • Profile picture of the author saguaro
    thumbs up for the audio version as well... It's worthwhile, whether your read it or listen to it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Truxx
    The 4HWW was my main inspiration to get into IM. I stumbled across it one day a few years ago at Target. The palm tree on the cover caught my eye. Read it and soon will be re-reading it.

    Those thinking about reading it don't get hung up on the name. It's not literal. It's more of the "find something you love and you'll never have to work another day in your life" type of philosophy. You eventually can get to the point where you might spend 4 hours a week working on your "muse" from an administrative point of view but the rest of the time you are "working" on something you love so the time doesn't really count.
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  • Profile picture of the author Truxx
    Oh, and he also wrote "The Four Hour Body" which applies some of the same principles to healthy living, weight loss, sexual performance, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author BenKJunya
    I don't have much to say, since everyone else already expressed their love for the 4 hour work week!

    In my personal opinion, I feel the Automation chapters are the best. I've freed up a ton of time with virtual assistants. Go check out the book, it's fantastic.

    If you like Tim Ferriss and are into working out and health, check out 4 hour body as well. Ferriss is a great writer and both books are fantastic.
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  • Profile picture of the author ContentMachine
    I am actually starting to read this book in a few days... I am really looking forward to it!
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  • Profile picture of the author jcruz
    I love the book because of the concept, it is true to many americans try to micromange every aspect of there lives. Thats why where so stressed out. Now to actually put it into action is a diffrent story. I would love to hire a va to take care a lot of my daily tasks, but trusting someone to do what you need taken care of is scary. I'm a borderline workaholic, and i've come to realize if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. But then again i realize to truly be succesfull you have to learn to manage people and be able to clone yourself, to an extent. Great book though, definantly what i'm aiming towards long term.
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  • Profile picture of the author xiaozhuozi
    Haven't read it but will definitely check it out - would love to cut down my work time!
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  • Profile picture of the author SUPER Louie
    I've read the first chapter. It's absolutely brilliant! Tim Ferriss is amazing!
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  • Profile picture of the author xdmannet
    It looks interesting !!
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  • Profile picture of the author Kenny007
    I have read it, its a new perspective. It can open up to new avenues. I agree there are a lot of place where its very cheap to vacation and hire people to outsource your tasks to... for cheap
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  • Profile picture of the author nicholasrider
    im gonna read this kind of book... thanks for the share
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  • Profile picture of the author RobBritt
    I read the Four Hour Work Week a few years ago and enjoyed it enough to share it with quite a few people. One thing I took away from it was the concept of being busy does not equate to making money. I ask my self now, how does this (meaning whatever I am doing at that moment) bring me either income or pleasure? If it's not bringing in money or pleasure why am I doing it? (a legit answer to that could be charity work or helping people, but that fits the pleasure definition in a sense.)
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    I quoted a passage about the ultimate purpose of goals (from page 51) in my new book. It's perfectly possible to "work" for only 4 hours a week and have a great life as he describes. Highly recommended.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bballer1
    I've heard a lot about this book but I never had the time go out and purchase it. I guess the book was written for people like me.
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  • Profile picture of the author emailwiz
    Amazing book. It really breaks down the whole need for automation, elimination, and outsourcing in your business. It emphasizes the time value of money. We all should strive to make money so we have time freedom to enjoy our lives. Even if you are making money, and you have no financial freedom, you may be lacking time freedom. So many money makers like Stockbrokers, doctors, successful lawyers, have little time to enjoy their life. What is the point of having lots of money when you can't enjoy it. This is what the 4 hour work week addresses. This book is definitely something people should read. I approve
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  • Profile picture of the author Courage
    The 4 hour work week is a great book but it doesn't really translate that well to reality. If you truly want to be successful you are going to have to work far more than 4 hours a week.

    The title of this book is just wishful thinking and clever marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author GeorgeJafen
    Sounds like an interesting read, will look into it. Thanks for sharing.
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