The 4-Hour Workweek

With a title like that, you almost have to click through to read it. I did a few weeks ago when it came across my newsreader, and ended up on the website of Tim Ferris, where he was talking about his forthcoming book The 4-Hour Workweek, subtitled “Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich”.

I ended up spending about 30 minutes trawling through his website, intrigued if suspicious. One of a million people selling “lifestyle redesign”. Work less, make more. Blah blah blah. Heard it all before.

But he had an interesting take on things. He gave an example of “outsourcing” your life to, say, someone in India working as your personal assistant. Bills, research, difficult phone calls to your cable provider. All for maybe $5 an hour.

Perhaps you then choose to live in an inexpensive part of the world, maybe Buenos Aires, and generate income in the U.S. So you’re making American dollars, paying Indian wages and Argentinean expenses. A true “global economy”.

Hey, that sounds kind of fun!

I’ve mentioned this book to a couple of friends in conversation. E thinks it’s hokum; he likes living in the Bay Area, for example, and doesn’t mind spending 20 minutes paying his bills. Others are likewise intrigued but believe it’s just another get-rich-without-trying scheme.

They may be right. I just added the book to my Amazon cart, so I suppose I’ll be finding out myself shortly. I’ll report back….