 - 2 Star Rating
I must start out by saying I was initially excited about listening to The 4-Hour Work Week, Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. I had heard that this audio book was centered around working smarter not harder. That’s something I’ve always tried to do. I don’t like redoing things or not planning things out. However, what I didn’t realize was that Ferriss’ idea of smarter was somewhat shallow thinking and at other people’s expense. Plus, I’m a person that likes to feel good about what I do and what I accomplish, and if you follow Ferriss’ recommendations, you just might have a hard time looking yourself in the mirror each morning.
Now don’t get me wrong, Ferriss does do a good job outlining what it takes to only work 4 hours a week. The only problem is that it is ruthless and cold. He does do a very efficient job of explaining how to automate certain tasks if you already own a business, such as auto replies for email and voice mail, only checking email and voice mail once or twice a week, and turning over the decision making processes to much lower paid workers. He also goes in-depth into the 80/20 rule, which is a great rule to follow. However, if you are just looking to start a business and follow his blueprint, you might have some major bumps in the road ahead.
Ferriss sounds smooth as honey talking about how easy it is to come up with an idea, develop a product, and mass market it all while never losing a dime and mind you only working 4 hours a week all the while. For most people, just the task of checking and answering email, or solving customer issues, or doing market research could easily take 4 hours a week for each task.
Ferriss proposes to solve this dilemma by outsourcing almost everything. He literally does nothing himself except come up with a few ideas and then spend the money coming in back on himself instead of investing it into the low-paid workers, his company or the community. In other words, his methods are all about how much he can take at the expense of others while putting nothing back into the pot for future development or generations. Greedy and selfish are a couple of words that come to mind when trying to define Ferriss.
While the first part of the audio book had some interesting information and tidbits in it, I found it more and more difficult to listen to as the book went on. In fact, I had to stop listening to it after about 2/3 of the way through and then I could barely make myself come back to finish it off.
If you would like some shallow, unfulfilling ways of doing business, and only want to spend 4 hours a week working while everyone else works like a dog for you, then this audio book might be your ticket to experience the life of “The New Rich”.
While these are my opinions of Ferriss' book, The 4-Hour Work Week, Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, you'll see below that other listeners gave it a much higher rating. So if you do decide to listen to this audio book, please take a moment of your time to post your own review of it on eMediaXpress.com.
Written By : Timothy Ferriss
Performed By : Ray Porter
Publisher : Blackstone Audio Inc
Duration : 8 hours 30 minutes
Type : Starting a Business
Time Management
Download Price : $16.95
"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, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul
"Sick of the rat race? Tim is the future!"
--Tim Colvin, office of the CTO, Morgan Stanley
Tim Ferriss is an extraordinary young man on a mission. The twenty-eight-year-old serial vagabond and successful entrepreneur has been teaching a wildly popular course at Princeton University for the past four years: a how-to and why-to guide to throwing out the old methods for success (balancing life and work, retiring well, having a great nest egg) and replacing them with an entirely new way of living.
The 4-Hour Work Week explains what a lifestyle entrepreneur is and why you should want to become one. It teaches you how to kill your job and design a life, the 80/20 rule and how it increases productivity, how to replace your dreams with goals, and more. Listeners can lead a rich life by working only four hours a week, freeing up the rest of their time to spend it living the lives they want.
Opinions
Fantastic even for Europeans
Nicolas from Berlin - 28 May 2007
This is book is really great. I have always been skeptical about American books and stories on how to feel better, live better. If you watch Dr.Phil or listen to W. Dyer, every second successful billionaire in America was either a high scholl drop out, buried in debts at 20 or a drug addict. This is why the book is so refreshing. Simple "down to earth approach". It sure will work in Europe as well Nicolas
Excellent resource
Book Sleuth "Book Sleuth" from Atlanta - 03 Aug 2007
This is a great product for anyone trying to launch a new business on a shoestring budget. Most people have some level of familiarity with outsourcing, but Ferriss takes it to its most extreme use and shows how to make the most productive use of your time while delegating tasks that don't require your personal attention. I also purchased the hardcover book so that I would have a more convenient way to find the web resources he names throughout the book. This is a must-own for any aspiring entrepreneur.
Something to get excited about!
John Mignano from Warburton - 08 Oct 2007
An exceptionally practical, indispensable and valuable resource for smart business people… Freedom awaits those who listen to Timothy Ferriss's brilliant audiobook! I'm totally inspired by The 4-Hour Workweek, a true practical shortcut to solving all the stress related work headaches and time issues. Just get your ego out of the way and flow over the hump so you can start living without being over worked. It's your lifestyle right, so this is definetly a positive must-have shift to the way you live with the options available to you. | 
