5 Time management tricks I learned from years of hating Tim Ferriss

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I have hated Tim Ferriss for a long time. I have hated him since we both had editors at Crown Publishing who sat next to each other and I heard how difficult he is.

I didn’t blog about it because first of all, I’m sure the buzz about me is that I’m difficult, too. And also, his book, The 4-Hour Workweek, was a bestseller and mine wasn’t. So I figured people would say that I’m jealous. And really, what author is not jealous sometimes? I mean, every author wants to write a bestseller.

But at this point, two years later, my hatred goes way beyond jealousy. My hatred is more selfless than that. And while I do understand that Tim is great at accelerated learning, the time management tips I have learned from him stem from the energy I have spent hating him:

1.Don’t hang out with people who don’t respect your time
This all started at SXSW conference in 2007, right before Tim’s book came out, when he was promoting the hell out of it to bloggers. Of course, this was not a bad idea, and to be fair, Tim was brilliant to start this book marketing trend. But that is beside the point. He approached me after my panel and said, “Can I get you coffee? I’d love to talk with you.”

I said, “Uh. No. I have plans.”

And he asked who with.

I wasn’t really sure. I knew there were cool people to hang out with after my panel, though, and I knew he wasn’t one of them. I gave a vague answer.

He said he was also meeting three people, and he name-dropped them. I can’t remember who they were. But they were fun, interesting, and I wanted to have coffee with them. So I said okay.

Then Tim couldn’t find them and I had coffee with only Tim.

Then I realized this was his strategy all along.

I told myself not to be pissy. I told myself bait-and-switch is the oldest sales tool in the world, and it’s my fault for falling for it.

I even wrote a blog post that included his book.

2.Cut to the chase: Tell people who are full of sh*t that they’re full of sh*t
When his book came out, there were vacuous, annoying comments all over my blog directing people to his book. Like, “The topic of priorities is an interesting one. I like how Tim Ferris handles that in his new book,blah blah” and then there’s a link to the book.

At this point I knew Tim, sort of. And I called him on his phone and told him to tell his employees to stop spamming my blog.

First he implied it was his fan base and he had little control.

I said that I thought he was full of sh*t.

He said he’d make sure there were no more comments like that on my blog.

3.Self-centered people are more likely to waste your time
Really, when I found he was spamming my site, I didn’t call him first. First, I emailed him. And I got some sort of crazy response about how he is only checking email twice a day and then instructions on what to do.

I emailed him back to tell him that I do not want automatic emails from him every time I try to contact him.

Which generated another, identical response about how he doesn’t check mail.

So I called him to tell him that he is generating spam back to me to tell me about his email checking and I don’t care. If he wants to check twice a day, fine, but don’t clog my in box with emails about it.

He said he’d take me off his list.

I am STILL getting this sort of spam from him. But the scope has widened. For example, now, he has commented on my blog and he forgot to say that he doesn’t want to be alerted to new comments. So every time there’s a comment, he spams everyone in the comments string, telling them that he doesn’t answer his email.

It’s insane. I cannot believe how many automated announcements I receive saying that Tim does not have a Blackberry. (Yes, the email really says that.) What if we all sent automated emails like that? Email would be totally nonfunctional. What if Tim just shut up about his email and if he thinks its fine to answer twice a day, then he should do that? And not spam everyone about it.

4.Productivity is about meeting your goals, not getting out of doing work
The week that Tim actually works a four-hour work week will be a cold week in hell. Tim got to where he is by being an insanely hard worker. I don’t know anyone who worked harder at promoting a book than he did. But the thing is, he didn’t call it work. Somehow, sliming me into having coffee with him to talk about his book is not work.

Fine. But then his four-hour work week is merely semantic. Because everything Tim does he turns into what the rest of us would call work, and he calls it not-work. For example, tango. If you want to be world-record holder, it’s work. It’s your job to be special at dancing the tango. That’s your big goal that you’re working toward. How you earn money is probably just a day job. So most weeks Tim probably has a 100-hour workweek. It’s just that he’s doing things he likes, so he lies to you and says he only works four hours. He defines work only as doing what you don’t like.

It’s childish. It’s a childish, semantic game. And it reminds me of him winning the Chinese National Kickboxing Championships by leveraging a little-known rule that people are disqualified if they stop outside the box. So he pushed each of his opponents outside the box to win.

He is winning the I-work-less-than-you game with a similarly questionable method: semantics.

5.Time management is about making time to connect with people
The idea of time management only matters in relation to how important the stuff is that’s competing for your time. The stuff that makes time management the most difficult is relationships. Which Tim does not excel in.

Fine. Not everyone has to be good at making real connections.

But Tim runs around telling people who have lots of relationships competing for their time how to think about work/not work, forgetting that in the real world, where people are not assholes, time management is not an equation or a semantic game because relationships really matter. And figuring out how to judge time in terms of competing values is the hardest thing of all.

Tim is all about time management for achievement and winning. But there are not trophies or measurements for relationships. There is only that feeling that someone is kind. And good. And truly connected.

And Tim is not.

1054 replies
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  1. Josi
    Josi says:

    Amazing how insecure and childish you sound. You make good points on time management, but was it really appropriate to repetitively say how much u hate the guy?

  2. Xencor
    Xencor says:

    Tim is a lousy asshole who got lucky. If assholes like him succeed it makes the whole system rotten. Its not just him but anybody who says the book is a nice read (wtf) is an asshole too. Sportsmanship was blasted by this ball-less asshole when he pushed to win. He is to be despised ..kudos to you!

  3. Justin Ward
    Justin Ward says:

    I’m so glad you mentioned the kickboxing thing. I had to stop reading the book when I got to that part and just thought — “what a douche” — I’m glad I didn’t waste time finishing it.

  4. principalspage
    principalspage says:

    Never heard of this guy before your blog.

    Clicked on his website…. wish I hadn’t.

    Seems like a dufus, but you have given him even more publicity.

    I wish you thought I was a dufus. I could use the press.

    Keep up the good work.

  5. Jeff
    Jeff says:

    Hey Penelope-

    I agree with you that Tim’s attitude seems cocky and abrasive – as much as I liked his book, that came through consistently and I found it off-putting – it’s just not my style. I also was bothered by the kickboxing thing in particular, because even though I see his point, it’s so contrary to the point of the sport that I wonder “What’s a championship worth if you win that way?” Just not how I’d choose to live my life (although I’m NOT surprised that K.Rae’s lawyer friend liked it…those lawyers and their abstractions.)

    Still, I wanted to comment on your point about semantics – I’m pretty confident that I could scale back the actual time that my current job requires, maybe not to 4 hours, but you know what I mean – but the fact that I work hard at the things that I like doesn’t mean they’re “work.”

    For instance: if I managed to scale my current work down to 4 hours using the book’s advice, and spent the rest of my time writing about the environment and scuba diving, I would not feel like I was working, even if I got paid for it.

    The fact that Tim’s hobbies happen to be things that might be noxious tedium to the rest of us doesn’t disprove the point. Considering how much he seems to enjoy attention, I imagine the book tour and relentless self-promotion were some of the most fun he’s had.

  6. Cody McKibben
    Cody McKibben says:

    Penelope, I have always respected you and I loved your book too. But c’mon gal, please don’t spread hatred! Unfortunately what you’ve done here is validated a bunch of angry folks who couldn’t adapt his advice to their own lives to start calling Tim Ferriss a dick, an a-hole, a d-bag, etc. Not sure how productive that is.

    Take everything with a grain of salt, and while a lot of 4HWW and the way Tim lives his life/runs his business may not work for you or it may even upset you, the same is true of your book/blog/column for any other human being. Ferriss uses a lot of shortcuts and loopholes, but that doesn’t mean people can’t use them for good. Personally I am thankful for a lot of his ideas. Since reading his book and following his blog, I’ve created a business that I can run from anywhere and I’m in Asia living an incredible life that I never would have imagined possible before.

    You’ve successfully adapted a few of his tactics here though to create some perfect linkbait:
    * Turn everything into a controversy
    * Be divisive when possible
    * Assemble an army

  7. deepali
    deepali says:

    God, thank you. I hate Tim Ferriss. Why? Because everyone I know loves him, and when I say I have to stay late at work to get something done, I get reminded about the 4HWW. Well guess what – I LOVE my job, and I LOVE working 40+ hours a week. Yes, there are parts I hate, but that’s life. People like Tim take the meaningful and interesting work I do and make it seem like I’m a slave to the grind. I hope he doesn’t tell his doctor that she wasted all her time getting her qualifications.
    Ugh.
    And please, everything is work. To claim otherwise is to assume people are morons.

    I think the reason why people like Tim and his book is because he makes it ok to think about work as not-work. Really, you needed a book to tell you? Maybe I should take it back about people being morons…

  8. Robert Wright
    Robert Wright says:

    Can you cut off his email responses through your ISP or router? Have your IT staff work on that. You should be able to cut out email from certain addresses (label it as spam). Just do it.

  9. Reality Check
    Reality Check says:

    Sigh. Someone else is more successful at passing out terrible career advice and Penny has bad case of jealousy. All Tim is doing is institutionalizing “weaselness” at work. These weasels usually are caught when they get enough exposure then they’re fired or subjected to public humiliation by demotion — and everyone loves it when a weasel goes down.

    Tim’s advice may be awful, but how about putting up real alternatives instead of constantly encouraging Gen-Y to be as self-centered (and therefore as unemployable as possible) as they want to be?

  10. chris Zydel
    chris Zydel says:

    Hi Penelope,

    Thank you for this brave, hilarious and honest post. I’ve been waiting for someone to tell the truth about Tim Ferris ever since his book came out. And I couldn’t believe all the slavish attention that he was getting from people all over the internet with not a peep about how this particular emperor was stark naked!

    As you say, there is no way in hell that you can be as successful as he’s become without working like a maniac. And then totally spinning it to look like he is living a life of leisure ( also known as lying).

    The thing that bugs me the most about him is that he is the epitome of the kind of smarmy, self centered, narcissistic, little boy, self serving, winner take all bullshit that has unfortunately been the template for success in the western world. And it’s exactly those types of attitudes, with their concomitant disregard for relationship, that have gotten us in our current economic mess.

    So thank you again for speaking up and for reiterating the values
    ( doing work you love, right livelihood, empathy, realness, compassion, community and respect for others) that are so dear to my heart. And that I am hoping will be the NEW definition and template for what it takes to be a success and to live a good life!

  11. Gina
    Gina says:

    Sorry, I can’t join the Penelope-love here.

    This is the first time I’ve read the blog, and probably the last. I haven’t read Penelope’s book. But I’m unimpressed by the ranting in this post. This, if anything, appears to be the new “Generation Y” model of communicating. It’s like we’re all on some stupid SURVIVOR: CAREER reality show and we have to listen to everybody whine about why so-and-so made them feel bad and stole their milkshake.

    Is this the business world or is this the 8th grade?

    Penelope, you come across as really petty and small. Next time, try being objectively critical of his ideas, not subjectively critical of him as a person.

    I’d don’t love or hate Tim Ferriss. I’ve read his book, and I found some useful things in it. There are also some not useful things. He certainly gives you some things to think about. I’ve taken what is useful and discarded the rest.

  12. Heather
    Heather says:

    God bless you for writing this post. I just started listening to The Four-Hour Workweek on my iPod, and I already think he’s a tool. The thing that bothers me is this work avoidance thing. Personally, I’m self-employed because I like what I do. I might do things a little differently if I were independently wealthy, but mostly, I started freelancing so I could write about a broader range of topics, and I love the things I do. This whole idea that work is to be avoided at all costs makes me angry. I want to know how to bring more love to my work, not abandon it.

  13. Alora
    Alora says:

    Thank you! Finally someone called Tim on his sloppy use of the word “work.” Four-hours my ass! Just the amount of hours he puts into networking alone blow his theory out of the water.

    And I totally agree about his loophole habit: distasteful in the extreme, and enough to make me very wary of any other advice he was giving.

  14. Carol
    Carol says:

    Maybe Tim is lonely and looking was for some kindness when he asked you to go for coffee. If he’s not good at relationships maybe there is something that you can teach him instead of so publicly hating him. To me, you sound bitter, jealous and sharp. Instead of being hateful, why not try being kind?

  15. Alex
    Alex says:

    jesus this is the greatest bullshit ive ever read. do you hate yourself? everything you seem to hate about tim is exactly what’s wrong with you

    i like this one “3. Self-centered people are more likely to waste your time”. You go to lengths to identify yourself as a completely self centered person. You say that Tim tricked you into getting coffee with him, but you equally tricked tim in your self centered way, becuase you only went to see the other people he ‘mentioned’. I would call that a complete self centered b**ch move.

    Congrats, you’re the essence of hypocrisy

  16. Pat Rocchi
    Pat Rocchi says:

    I admire you very much, but I think this post was beneath a woman of your talent. I don’t doubt that what you say is true, as I went right to Amazon and other Internet sites after reading your post to see reviews of his book (which, by the way, I never heard of until I read you your blog, so YOU are a much bigger influence on me than he will ever be). It is apparent from your posting, the various reviews and the comments here that Tim is full of baloney. I will never read his book now; thanks for saving my time. But that doesn’t justify the nastiness and vitriol that you exhibited. Call me old-fashioned, but I think there was a more dignified and classier way to make your point.

  17. Emily Stoddard Furrow
    Emily Stoddard Furrow says:

    Hi Penelope, I have not always agreed with everything you’ve posted, but I’ve always admired how bold and frank you are… and this post is truly awesome and appreciated. Thank you for challenging the Four-Hour Workweek concept so directly. I have been thinking about how I can be more fearless in my own writing and networking, and this post is a great example to consider in that regard.

  18. Theresa
    Theresa says:

    Bravo – as you’ll find in my recent email to you, way to state your opinion in an open and honest way (while giving Tim credit where he deserves) and not coming off as petty. You make salient points, and I think it would be interesting if Tim came and addressed them.

  19. Gerry
    Gerry says:

    This section of your blog was like a magnet drawing my mouse pointer to the link to his website, then his website. Nothing like “Hate” in a title to stimulate interest. Hoping this was a deal on your part to get his bloggers of your site. Thought your (audio)book was great, just finished it.

  20. Brett
    Brett says:

    I had almost unsubscribed to your blog because of your constant posts about your personal relationships. If I wanted that junk, I’d watch a soap opera and not subscribe to a career blog. However, I am glad I have not unsubscribed yet because I have been waiting for someone to call Tim out as a narcissistic jerk.

    I was intrigued by the book enough to encourage me to subscribe to his feed, but when he actually recommended borrowing key vacation materials (binoculars for birdwatching in Costa Rica) so that you could pack light, I realized his only concern is himself. I can imagine Tim selecting a nice older couple (a mark if you will) with nice things and ingratiating himself in advance to borrow their nice equipment at the right moment. Why not pack even lighter and just bring a memory card and use someone’s camera for your photos? What a tool!

    If he is making the money he claims in his book from the supplements, why is he working so damn hard? There are only two options – he is lying about the money or he is an attention whore. If it was truly about the lifestyle, he would be having a fantastic time on that money relaxing somewhere right now.

  21. Alan
    Alan says:

    I read Tim’s book, or I should say I listened to it. If I am being honest I have to say that I enjoyed it very much and it gave me some great new ideas.

    For example, I immediately looked into hiring a personal assistant from India, and of course when I looked into the firms recommended by Tim, it was obvious that he either owned them or was getting paid referral fees for recommending them.

    I remember at the time comparing Tim to Robert Allen the author of the One Minute Millionaire. I absolutely despise Robert Allen he is a bottom feeder. But I have to admit, I like Tim’s style. I have never met him personally and maybe he is an asshole, but he seems to be enjoying his life. The question I have is if your working 100 hours per week doing what you love is it really work? And I guess that is the point.

    One more point about relationships. I was recently reading Matt Mullenweg’s Blog (The Founder of WordPress) and he had photos of himself and Tim Ferris on vacation in Greece. Now which one of them get’s the most out of that relationship? And if Tim is so poor with people, why is he sitting at a cafe overlooking the Mediterranean with Matt Mullenweg? Just random thoughts – sorry!

    So in summary – Thanks for this post, it was very fun to read and I agree with all of your points about relationships, but I do think we should all be trying to find what we love to do and work hard at making those our day job.

  22. Phil
    Phil says:

    Ironically I think Tim would agree with most of your tips, but he’d phrase them in a slightly different way; as you so adequately stated, the issue is semantics.

    I do appreciate Tim’s advice on outsourcing because it is intended to allow people more time to do what they love. Tim calls doing what you love not-work. In contrast, you classify anything that is required to achieve an objective as work. Once again, Semantics. The argument works both ways.

    I think you are right to point out that Tim’s book is not about working 4 hours a week. It’s about making time to do what you love. Whether or not we want to call what we love “work” is up to the individual. You say tomato, he says tomato.

  23. Anonymous Me
    Anonymous Me says:

    The most valuable thing I got out of his ZenHabits interview was a link to you. I know nothing of the person and reputation of Tim Ferris (except that he can’t possibly have a family, a pet, or even a houseplant), but this post had me gasping then laughing my ass off in turns. I’m off to peruse your book…not his. :^)

  24. CherylK
    CherylK says:

    A very good post. Ferriss is obviously narcissistic and it doesn’t take a genius to see that. Gotta hand it to him, though…he sure did haul in a bunch of people.

    I can’t help thinking that one day his theories will come back to haunt him. Y’know…what goes around, comes around?

    Hate is not healthy, though. Leads only to more stress and probably ulcers. Serves no useful purpose and makes life miserable. Try “intensly dislike”.

  25. Jon Hartman
    Jon Hartman says:

    I’ve read Tim’s book and see how the application the principles can actually free up the time for the relationships that you’re talking about. Would I sacrifice time with friends and extra-curricular activities in the name of embarking on adventures with my immediate family to distant lands?

    Absolutely.

  26. Crystal
    Crystal says:

    These are great time management tips. I personally like #4, “Productivity is about meeting your goals, not getting out of doing work”

    I couldn’t agree more with that statement. The more time and energy you can focus on what you need to get done, the better off you will be in the long run.

  27. Jesse Hines
    Jesse Hines says:

    1. Hate is a strong word. Using it the way you did in this post is immature and link bait. Of course, Tim’s success is built on strong pro/con feelings toward him. You’ve played into his marketing plan.

    2. Tim’s thesis is to figure out what we truly want out of life, determine what it takes to accomplish that, set rules to minimize distractions, and work our tail off to achieve our goals.

    For those of you who think you have to work 17 hour days staring at your computer while chained to your desk to be “successful”, have at it. Lose your physical and mental health in the process.

    The smart, independent-thinking folks set their own rules.

    Life is so much more than slaving away for some corporate title or $5,000 pay raise. Tim’s ideas help us to see that and show us ways to focus only on work essentials, thus freeing up time so that we can actually live life to its fullest.

  28. chris
    chris says:

    “The vanity of others only offends when it conflicts with our own vanity.”

    You sound like a bit of a bitch for trying to use Tim to meet “cool” people. I think both of you are the sorts of people the world could do without.

    Offense intended.

  29. Fred S
    Fred S says:

    I read 4HWW, and I think he makes valid points about not taking time to live now, and about the value of time vs. money. Though once I realized how much time he spent on promotion, I figured he was being disingenuous and narcissistic.
    Your “review” though is right on point though.

  30. DaveHerbert
    DaveHerbert says:

    P,

    1st time responder but I feel like I’ve know you forever (well, at least since the Biz 2.0 days). You know I love the snot out of you babe but look, taking this conflict public in this manner just is not doing you any good. Not edgy, just angry. I hate to see you this way.

    Read Tim’s book and his techniques are taken to an extreme but can’t I tell you how many dopes I know that take it to the other extreme and get absolutely nothing done in their lives.

    Talk to me. There’s more going on here than blog spamming. I know things have been rough lately but this will pass. 50 years from now you won’t give a $h_it about Tim, funding, credit crunches or 20/20. Life is good if you let go a little. Peace & Love.

  31. Russell Jamieson
    Russell Jamieson says:

    I enjoyed the 4-hour work week as it offered me an idealized version of redressing my life-work balance and giving me more control over my time. What with his “DEAL” methodology ending in Liberation, pure poetry!

    The approach that Tim Ferriss took to win the kick-boxing is fine if it applies to how you deal with your competitors (stay just within the rules) and definitely NOT how you deal with your customers or even your suppliers – after all that where you need to develop the relationships

  32. Lise
    Lise says:

    I’ve never commented here before, Penelope, but I felt I had to today, as you’ve put into words the burning hatred I’ve developed for Tim Ferriss.

    I try to like him, really, I do. I’ve read his book. I read his blog, until she started talking about his almighty sperm and how he was storing it so his female friends would have the honor, someday, of inseminating themselves with it if he dies in a freak motorcycle accident or something.

    I think he’s a smart marketer. I think he’s got some good ideas. I also think he’s an slimy little man who treats people as ends, not means.

    I keep wanting to write a blog post about him and call it “Getting Ahead by Being a Dick.”

  33. Jim B
    Jim B says:

    Absolutely brilliant post.

    I’ve been wondering for ages what drives corporate execs to hold this guy up as some sort of guru.

    Thanks Penelope. Keep it up.

  34. Rob
    Rob says:

    I’ve gone back and forth on Ferriss… he has some interesting things to say, but he does come across as kind of a schmuck.

    One thing though, as a lifelong martial arts fan and sometimes practitioner, his tactics for winning the San Shou tourney he was in – cutting weight and knocking folks off the platform/out of the “ring” – are legit. The fact that he’s technically not very good and very one-dimensional notwithstanding.

    But what is total and absolute BS, martial arts related, is his claim that he was a “Cage fighter in Japan, vanquisher of four world champions (MMA).” That claim still appears on one of his official bio pages, but has been removed from another. Because while he may have trained in Japan with some Shooto folks, his claim is vaguely and sleazily written to give the impression that he was a professional fighter and champion. Which he very much was not.

  35. John Moore
    John Moore says:

    I have mixed feelings about the 4 hour workweek. I kind of put TF on par with the Girls Gone Wild guy – they both found a trick to get rich, and both come off as kind of sleazy.

    As a business owner I’m a very by-the-books kind of guy.

    • RWP
      RWP says:

      “By the books”? How is Tim Ferriss not? And what was his “trick”? Was his “trick” nearly having a nervous breakdown building his BodyQuicken business?

      Just as sceptical about a real “4hww” as any other sane person but bucking the norm and taking control of your goals to generate time and cash with which to enjoy the world and better yourself through learning skills whilst travelling, in such areas as languages, health, medicine, fitness, sex etc. isn’t something sinister or criminal. Only the terminally mediocre, jealous, insecure, dogmatic and obscenely conservative would venture to think so.

      Putting the guy on par with a pornographer. Unreal. Have a think about that one ace. How vitriolic that is. I hope your name and face are held to that comment. He’s already been scathingly “hated” for seemingly nothing more than being legitimately successful and and now compared to an opportunist pornographer who ventured into legal grey areas. As a business owner probably not too bright to go throwing those ones around with too much ferocity. You should be fine out here in the nowheresville of blog posts though. Personally I wouldn’t do business with you, even if you claimed to be “by the books”. In fact I’d make sure everyone knew how hateful you were toward the hard working risk takers of the world.

      Personally I’ve found more use from his 4 hr body title and found the 4HWW unaligned with my career but a great test of “modern” conventions. Some are cerebral enough to grasp this, some choose not to be and exclude themselves from a debate fearing what it may reveal about themselves and their perspective on earning a way through life.

      Offering up an alternative to a well worn path like Ferriss did in the 4HWW always attracts the cynics, the mediocre, the lemmings and the downright S@#tscared. It’s they’re chance to scamper out into the light of day throw a wad of hate with all the spite they can muster and scurry back to their comfort zone to bask in self annointed ideological vindication. Thankfully trailblazers, from whatever field, are imbued with a reflex to take these millions of tiny chirping critics and turn it into something benficial to their cause, whatever that may be.

      A few conclusive points on Ferriss:

      -As for his “tricks” to winning, the sport of sanzhou or chinese kickboxing now sees competitors regularly throwing each other out of the ring to defeat an opponent. It was an evolution of the sport. Comparable to any other competitive athletic event. If the body governing the sport didn’t think so, or nor did the competitors or chinese kickboxing community at large, then the rules would no doubt have been modified to keep the sport as it were… sans wrestling. Those commenting on how unfair this was seem to be ignorant of sporting history in general and are hugely unread and once again jealous, insecure, misinformed etc.

      -Supports cure based research with a passion. Not whimsical studies commisioned by entities with interest, CURE BASED RESEARCH. The kind that actually makes a difference to sick people and their suffering families. 10% of his author royalties from the 4 hour body were donated to organizations conducting this type of research, including St Jude Chldren’s Hospital. It’s written at the beginning of his book, right unde a heartfelt tribute to his parents. Still comparable to a sleazy pornographer? Didn’t think so. Informing your opinions will save you the egg on your face.

      -He made the entire premise of the 4 hour body concern the scientific process and stressed throughout how people could avoid con-artists, bad fitness/health advice, and generally live a healthier life, if they could be open minded, results-driven and learn to analyse methods objectively and be academic about their self experimentation (Ferriss refers to a New York Times article by a world class doctor so as to reference the self experimentation authoritively). Thus it’s safe to say he gives a damn about what the wider population who may not have the education in science to sift through the endless marketting propaganda of food/fitness/health/pharmaceutical companies, is being fed, led to believe and being swindled of. A noble pursuit by any standard.

      Gives enough of a damn about the standard of public awareness in the areas of finance, fitness, health and medicine to urge people to think critically about their condition? Donates percentages of royalties to cure based research, including childrens’ hospitals and not simply token charities? Risks failure and widespread criticism to question “modern” norms of work and life and encourages people to travel the world to understand other cultures by learning languages, different sports, different cuisines? ………… but an arsehole for stealing minutes of someone’s time at a conference…….and comparable to a questionable pornographer. Good to see the band wagon being pulled along swiftly by plenty of blinkered little ponies. Crack that whip again Penelope! I know you won’t post this.

  36. lance stratton
    lance stratton says:

    Haters – no matter what you do they will be there. Your post on Ferris is disgusting really. I cant stand people that go around the world tearing others down. You carry with you this negative energy (derived directly from your own insecurity. As a consequence, you just suck basically.

    Penelope, lose the anger/hate/jealosy. It’s obvious YOUR MISERABLE. What a shame for someone so intellectually curious and with such potential. Life is too short to spend on miserable people like you.

    good luck and do what you can to find some real love in your life – it’s your only hope to putting an end to such negative energy in your soul.

    • Lise
      Lise says:

      I love all these people who think that just because Penelope dislikes Tim, it must mean she’s not getting enough lovin’. Because obviously, when a woman doesn’t worship a successful (albeit slimy) man, it’s all about her and how much she’s not getting laid.

      Grow up.

  37. Alex Schleber
    Alex Schleber says:

    I’d say that Tim is a mixed character, pushing some useful/smart stuff, as well as some highly questionable stuff. If you look at his Twitter account, he is living his ideas about efficiency to the last consequence: He may be the only person on there with 0 followees, though he has managed to draw ~ 14k followers from his blog, etc. who supposedly hang on his every tweet from his micro-blogging “megaphone”.

    Funny thing is, whatever time he thinks he’s saving, the question is: to what end. Someone like Scoble, who is running around constantly at all of the conventions and interviewing tech people, is a father, AND supposedly spent 2,500 hours engaging on Twitter and FriendFeed in 2008, has about 4 times the Twitter followers, because he engages in thousands of conversations. Tim’s approach is really the antithesis of social media.

    And to think that quite a few other people lead expressed, authentic, and successful/purposeful lives without all of his machinations and “lifestyle designing”, which apparently includes eating micro-waved egg-white breakfast gruel of sorts to save even more time. Not clear what for, there are plenty of high-rollers/jet-setters/highly successful people who find time in their busy schedules to eat a dignified breakfast…

    I’ll add one more example under the insincere/calculating rubric (which I believe really turns people off in the long run), relating to his book’s success:

    Tim did a full scale “list-owner book promo blitz to get Amazon Top10” (I was on one of those calls through Mike Filsaime’s list I think, and there were others, overall likely going out to more than 1M list subscribers, in effect massively gaming the Amazon Top 10 sales rankings through tightly timed sales flooding), and then said to Robert Scoble in an interview in response to Robert’s question about 4 Hour Workweek’s success: “Yeah, out of nowhere, TOTALLY unexpected…”. Watch it here: http://is.gd/gE7d

    Follow me on Twitter, I follow back:
    twitter.com/AlexSchleber

  38. Robbo
    Robbo says:

    It’s called work because they have to pay you to do it. If you want to do it and would do it even they didn’t pay you then it isn’t ‘work’. If you have other things you would sooner be doing, then ‘work’ is what you do to earn time/money whatever, so that you can do those other things.

    Used to be people had to spend their time hunting and gathering, just to get food and other resources. No choice. Then some people started ‘farming’ and some got other people to do their farming for them. Result, some people had time to do other things, art for instance. And so it goes.

    If Tim or anyone else chooses to occupy themselves a lot of the time with Tango or Big Game Fishing or painting landscapes it doesn’t matter, they don’t have to do that. No one has to pay them to do it, they choose to.

    So, the choice or the ability/option of having a choice is what makes the difference. I have read Tim’s book and have found some useful points and views in it. That doesn’t mean I want to be like him, but I sure would like to have more choice of how I ‘spend’ my time. I’m ‘working’ on it.

  39. Tajwar
    Tajwar says:

    Very interesting read. Of course, like everyone else, I have read the 4-hour work week.

    I think you make a very good point to the fact that it probably requires a lot more time than 4 hours to create what Tim has created.

  40. Marcie
    Marcie says:

    Wow. You use the word “hate” in your title, and end it with saying he is not kind or good or connected?

    I don’t think I’ve ever read something so unkind, not good, or disconnected in my life.

    And you might want to edit your own post, you misspelled his name in item #2. Or maybe that was intentional to help with the Googling factor…

    I’m trying to teach my three-year old to be kind to others, it amazes me when (educated) adults act like children. Sigh.

    • gregcnorca*aim
      gregcnorca*aim says:

      Marcie, chill out. This is not the kids playground, she was just expressing how she really feels and obviously, that type of writing gets a good amount of interest (i see 200+ replies)

      The whole world needn’t be sugar coated and polite.

  41. curiously random
    curiously random says:

    I don’t know which was more entertaining, the post itself or all the comments.

    Either way, I’ll be back for more of Penelope’s writing and stick with my previous decision to give Ferriss a miss.

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