Guru Ratings
Timothy Ferris
Bad.
Remember my ratings criteria. I’m not judging these gurus on “global” or moral values, but very specific criteria. Many of my favorite books would be rated “bad” by my criteria for self-help (probably, because they are not self-help books). My ratings don’t reflect how well an author met his own goals, but how well they met my criteria for useful, accurate self-help.
The 4-Hour Workweek (2007)
The book starts by imitating Walden: “Life is short. Don’t waste your life in a job you hate, buying shit you don’t need.” That’s okay, but then Ferris outlines his plan for happiness:
- Hire Indians to design, market, and support a useless product.
- Trick people into buying it at 1000% markup.
- Automate your business online.
- Start globetrotting.
To get you excited about this questionable plan, Ferris uses all the classic scam artists tricks:
- Mention a few genuine but well-known tips. (Outsource. Find places with a lower cost of living. Use the 80/20 principle.)
- Exaggerate the effect of these tips.
- Make huge promises.
- Make shit up.
- Criticize traditional success and education.
- Never mention a caution or downside for your “scientific,” “step-by-step” guide to “living your dreams” without hard work.
His advice on Virtual Assistants is good. The rest is unrealistic, or irrelevant to success.
Chapter 5, The End of Time Management, opens with “Just a few words on time management: Forget all about it.” The rest of the chapter recasts common time management principles to sound fresh. Cute.
His blog has more bluster.