I just read the dumbest book. So dumb that I’m almost embarrassed to tell you about it. A colleague gave me “The 4-Hour Work Week.” He purchased it out of curiosity after reading of it on Steve Rubel’s blog. Steve gave 4HWW a decent review, which puzzles me. But it was the book’s promotion campaign that prompted PR’s top blogger to write about it.
You see, 4HWW was marketed exclusively through social media. And the campaign worked, turning Tim Ferriss’ first book into a best-selling self-help/get-rich-quick manual. The book presents a nifty little fantasy the author claims to be living. Ferriss then entices you to jettison your miserable, meaningless, 9-to-5 existence to join what he calls the “New Rich.” Some may see it as a sirens’ song for the 21st Century, but don’t bother lashing yourself to the mast. And if you want a fantasy, read Harry Potter.
Why even mention 4HWW if I hated it so? Because even the dumbest book will offer a few lessons. Here the sum of what I took from 4HWW. Read the rest of this entry »