The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Expanded and Updated)

I agree with several other reviewers that this book contains some helpful points, but also contains questionable advice and poor ethics.
There seems to be a newly popular mindset of 'the new rich' (whose majority may happen to consist of immature, self-centered, boastful 20-somethings who have made quick fortunes with ecommerce websites, books & ebooks, affiliate marketing, online advertising, etc) that is very popular with young people who are glad to hear that they too can become millionaires with the least amount of effort possible. The mindset seems to be this: For a person to be free and genuine, he must rewrite the rules and mores of society to his own liking, or at least refuse to acknowledge there are any. The actions that flow from this mindset include: Refusing to accept that success takes hard work, cutting corners whenever possible, justifying any means by the ends, behaving and speaking in ways that have always been considered rude and inappropriate, defining success by income, fame, and 'rock-star' status, using shock-value to attract attention and prove courage and independence, and judging maturity, honesty, respect, self-sacrifice, and patience as worn-out, ridiculous principles that no longer apply to the modern world.
In other words, apparently the goal is to live as long as possible as if we are still immature rebellious teenagers who want instant rewards without any responsibility. Don't get me wrong, I too plan to become financially independent, enjoy free time, travel the world, and do what I am passionate about; but I don't agree that the path and mindset promoted in this book is the only way or the best way to get there.

This updated version is worth the listen even if you have the first edition because it is filled with real life examples of people who went through with the steps in the first book and were successful.

I wish there would've been some people who didn't make it and why. I feel like a lot of people wouldn't have been successful due to family responsibility. There isn't much advice for people who are married and have children. Tim is obviously single at the time of writing and able to focus on things without family responsibility.

This book makes you want to get up and do something...but sometimes reality hits if your spouse isn't going along with your ideas.

Excellent read and resources...

I grabbed this book after an interview I saw Mr. Ferriss do with Kevin Rose. I was interested enough to buy it, but I wished I hadn't.

Not to be too critical; there are some good things in the book. Some good encouragement to delegate tasks where you can (but it recommends it to a fault). There are some good 'time saving' techniques like batching of business activities (think email, voicemail, and phone calls). There are many good tips for prioritizing and streamlining much of your workflow. There is encouragement to take risks and make it on your own. All good in and of itself, but that is where the good ends.

The problem I have with this book is: if you choose that you want to be an employee in an organization rather than running your own, and you follow Mr. Ferriss' advice, you are sure to be fired. I seriously doubt that Mr. Ferriss would put up with employees working for him to act on the very things he advises in this book. I don't know any employer who would.

Frankly, I think he comes off as a bit of a jerk who walks over other people to get what he wants, exploiting others (including off-shore workers who work for less than minimum wage), all the while he goes off doing whatever. It is bordering on unethical in numerous places and crosses the line in others.

At one time, I had part ownership in a telco startup and have put in the long hours it takes to build a business from the ground up. I now choose to work for an organization and live a more stable life with my family's security and well-being in mind. If you are looking for a book on better productivity, you may gain some useful suggestions out of this book (which is what I tried to do), however that is not what this book is about.

There are many better books on building your own business. Suggestions:

Irritation.

Don't buy.

I was on vacation in Japan when the first version of this was released. I downloaded it and listened to it while I was walking around Japan, riding the bullet train etc. I wondered if I could follow the steps in the book and pull it off so I could live here.

I was working in the US for a software company as a software developer, and I convinced my boss to let me work remotely in Japan. I used the techniques and methods exactly as they were in the book, and it worked!

I used the tools Tim recommended and was able to do the same work remotely as if I were in the office. My office extension forwarded to my Skype number, and many of my customers never even knew they were talking to me in Japan.

I did that for 2 years, and recently quit to start my own software business here in Japan. The future looks bright, and I am living my life as I want it. I would not have been able to do it without the book.

This audio book has opened my eyes in ways I never would have imagined. After listening to it more than a dozen times, I visited my local bookstore and purchased the hard cover book as well, because of all of the invaluable references tools. This audio book is very well researched, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their life by actually having enough time to enjoy it.

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. It changed the way i look at my life. He teaches how to utilize technology to free time and spend it doing the things that you love. He gives you ideas. Automation.
I totally recommend it. He has some valuable resources in this book that you can use right away.

Not my cup of tea......couldn't even get through listening to it all. In my opinion so much of this doesn't apply to most of us. If I did some of this stuff he talks about in my position my customers and prospects would quickly find someone else to do business with.

Just like the Pareto equation, this book will change your life even if you apply 20% of its contents to your life. Some of it you may not be able to do because of your career or goals. Some of it will require a very open mind, but I can reassure you that even at that 20% you will change your life to a better one. Priceless.

...who thinks this guy is a total [insert expletive here] who cheats his way through life? Please, someone say that I'm not!

This book is great because if might make you realize how your life plans might be outdated and flawed. It might throw light on areas that maybe you thought made some sense (such as the question "do I really need to work this hard?"). The ideas are not new, but the way Tim Ferriss puts them together and presents them, makes you get excited about the possibilities. A warning, though, you have to get past the style of the author, and ignore what might seem like constant bragging. Just listen to the entire book and take what applies to your life.