Four Hour Work Week

The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss digs deep into the mechanics of working less. It is a guided plan for cutting back on work, creating a steady cash-flow and liberation from the 9-5. Although praised by many, the book does not have to be the next one on your list, because there is something wrong with the premise.

Work should be a place where you can build on your strengths and challenge yourself every day. It’s preferably work that will leave you with enough time to enjoy other things too, like vacations and weekends. It should however not be a place that inhibits you from progress and that you need a vacation to restore from the work you have done. If the latter is the case, The 4-Hour Work Week should maybe be the book you should pick up right now. But when you are confident about having a great job already, then do consider the book for it offers many tips and tricks that make life easier.

The first chapter is about setting goals, defining what you really want to do with your life. In a simple format, Ferriss encourages the reader to really think about what you would find important in life. A second part of the equation is the amount that this will cost you, this is almost always lower than you expect. In the chapter Ferriss also explains how to get over some fears that may hold you back, and how to reset your system (be unreasonable and unambiguous).

The book consists of four steps. The first, as just discussed, is Definition. The others are; Elimination, Automation and Liberation. Elimination is concerned with cutting away all things non-essential. Saying no and treating email as something you really ought to be doing only a few times a week are but two examples. In accordance with the 80/20 rule (you get 80% of the results in 20% of your time spent), Ferriss proposes to cut away at the 80%. In Automation and Liberation, the book covers topics like virtual assistants and generating cash flow through online businesses. It even includes tips on how to stay on your job, but at the same time disappear into week-long vacations.

All taken together, it is a brilliantly written book. It features techniques that could save you thousands of dollars/euros and/or hours. Yet at the same time misses the point that work can be fun and exciting. Timothy Ferriss is the living proof that the things he advocates in his books work. He has lived in a variety of countries, learned many new languages and sports. It seems he is really enjoying his life. And I urge the readers to do so too, be it with The 4-Hour Work Week or otherwise!

The Book: The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich – Timothy Ferris – ISBN-10: 9780307465351| ISBN-13: 978-0307465351

More on The 4-Hour Work Week:

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/ – The Blog, The Book, and more

http://blogs.hbr.org/2012/10/the-truth-behind-the-4-hour-fa/ – A critical perspective on the 4-hour premise

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshsteimle/2013/05/31/a-love-letter-to-tim-ferriss-the-4-hour-workweek/ – One of the positive impacts the book has had

Total Recall

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger is a story about the American Dream. In the up close and personal book, the whole life story of Arnold Schwarzenegger. From young Austrian boy to a American Senator. Whether you like like or dislike the man, his story is ever so inspirational. But is it the whole story…

Schwarzenegger begins with his younger years. First as a kid who begged for money (supposedly for a bus ticket) to visit the cinemas. Then about how his father was not the best father to have around. But also stating that his father has learned him a lot about discipline and rigour. At the age of 16 he joined the army and also started working out. In credit for his drive for body-building, he left the army base one morning to travel to a contest. For this he received quite the punishment, but states that it was worth all the trouble.

After making it big in Germany and Eastern Europe, Schwarzenegger made the giant leap to America. Here he managed to both develop himself in body-building and as an entrepreneur. He and a buddy of his started a company in laying bricks, and through nifty advertisement made quite the fortune. Money from this and other businesses he invested in real-estate that would later give great returns.

In quite some detail, the book is about 650 pages long, he describes his film career. From the initial smaller movies to Terminator and Predator. Schwarzenegger emphasises the role he has played in the movies and how the success is thanks to him. Here is a flaw of Schwarzenegger in not giving enough credit to other people and taking responsibility for the failures that have also crossed his path.

Also in his personal life he has made some questionable mistakes. First there is an affair whilst filming in Europe and then a baby boy with the house maid. The first is described in some detail, but the second is only credited with two sentences. Being a role model should not only entail the good side, but (certainly for an autobiography) also the bad side.

In the end the reader is presented with the success story of Arnold Schwarzenegger. One in which buying a Boeing 747 and getting out of the Planet Hollywood investment on time are key. At the same time a certain level of determination, strength in persistence and drive is clearly showcased. Though leaving out the lessons from which people can most benefit (learning from another person’s mistakes) could have given the book a much better rating.

The book:

Total Recall: My Incredible Life Story – Arnold Schwarzenegger – ISBN-10: 1451662432| ISBN-13: 978-1451662436

More on Total Recall:

http://blogcritics.org/book-review-total-recall-by-arnold/ – Review by Blogcritics

http://www.theguardian.com/film/lostinshowbiz/2012/oct/04/arnold-schwarzenegger-autobiography-total-recall – Review by The Guardian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDxn0Xfqkgw – 160 Greatest Arnold Schwarzenegger Quotes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32ERLr9dclw – Small Documentary on Arnold Schwarzenegger

Benjamin Franklin

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest – Benjamin Franklin

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin is justly coined the first “How to Succeed” book. Written as an extended letter to his son, his autobiography is packed with eternal pearls of wisdom. His unique writing style finds a perfect match in describing his extraordinary life. Coming up from a poor family, Benjamin Franklin finds his way all the way to the governor of Pennsylvania. This is not through manipulation and coercion but through sheer virtue and morality. Reading this autobiography is as relevant today as it was more than 200 years ago.

Each one of the chapters is devoted to a certain life event (or period). In his younger years, you are left with the image of a frugal individual that has been granted opportunities well before the normal age people are expected to perform them. He starts his career as a printer and works very hard to be better than the other printers and papers that are out there. During his early years, he also starts working on becoming a moral person. From his daily study (one hour in the morning) he finds the time to define and execute 13 moral principles.

After that, Benjamin Franklin starts to travel the world. His conscientious work-style soon leads him to financial success. He later manages multiple printing houses and is able to let them run individually and independently. His attention is soon turned toward public service. In his lifetime he founded a library, a society for improving thought, and a university (among others). In his public service, he then proceeds to politics. With his humble conviction, he is able to convert even his most distinct opposition.

By now he has done more in a lifetime than the combination of any 10 ordinary men. But Benjamin Franklin also has an interest in science and conducts multiple electrical experiments. From his experiments, he gains international fame. Not much money follows, his Franklin Stove (used up to this day) is released without patent and is promptly given to the general public. In his life, Benjamin Franklin has now been a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. Through all these different roles he has stayed the same man. He does not speak much about his family but has been a devoted husband and respectable father to his children. Nowhere is there pride to be spotted among the lines, he just states the facts as they are. It is impressive to see what significance a book of so long ago can have.

The Book:

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin – Benjamin Franklin – ISBN-10: 0486290735| ISBN-13: 978-0486290737

More on Benjamin Franklin:

https://librivox.org/the-autobigraphy-of-benjamin-franklin-ed-by-frank-woodworth-pine/ – Audiobook

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/Franklin/toc.html – Online Book

http://www.gutenberg.org/author/Benjamin+Franklin – More Works by Benjamin Franklin

Creativity Inc

“If you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they will screw it up. If you give a mediocre idea to a brilliant team, they will either fix it or throw it away and come up with something better.”  – Ed Catmull

Lessons learnt: Fail fast, fail cheap. Change requires risk and the courage to take on risk. People are more important than ideas.

Writing your memoir can quickly get you lost in details, glance over struggles or put yourself in a too glorious position. Ed Catmull does none of these things. In a story that chronologically follows his journey through the development of animation is one of great humility and many lessons learnt. When Ed was young he had a dream: making an animated feature film, his dream came through – and then some!

This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in leadership, but why? It is because Ed has some lessons that other ‘management gurus’ have yet to mention. Among those lessons is the following: “It’s not the manager’s  job to prevent risks. It’s the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take risks.” Instead of shielding yourself (or your company) from risks, it is your people who should not have to worry about it. Why? Because there always is a risk, without it progress would not happen. But the feeling of risk, the negative associations should not be afflicting your team. Your team should feel safe to take risks and know that you have their back.

Another lesson about communication comes from the growth of Pixar. During the growth of Pixar, they used to have weekly meetings in a boardroom. It was at an oval table which seated everyone perfectly, there was no hierarchy. But due to growth two things started to happen, 1) the table became too small, people sat in one or two rings outside the big table to join, and 2) name-cards were placed to reserve places for the big-time executives. Ed recognized that he had failed to keep communication open and without hierarchy. After this realization, he ordered a larger table and after another struggle in abolishing the name-cards, he successfully eliminated the hierarchy.

About halfway through the book, I was thinking to myself “What was the name of the author again?” It completely slipped my mind, in all its length the book rarely mentions Ed’s name. He instead opts to name many others for their great accomplishments. For criticism, however, he mostly ascribes the blame to either himself or organisational flaws, never to another individual. Between the lines, he demonstrates that leadership sometimes is not about doing the right things, but also about not doing some things (i.e. assigning blame).

“Failure isn’t a necessary evil. In fact, it isn’t evil at all. It is a necessary consequence of doing something new.” – Ed Catmull

Creativity Inc. is an entertaining, never dull, and pleasant read. I have listened to it in the gym and on my way to work and it has the perfect amount of knowledge-density for an audiobook. Through personal stories, Ed will take you on a leadership journey in creativity.

The Book:

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration – Ed Catmull – ISBN-10: 0593070100 – ISBN-13: 978-0593070109

More on Creativity Inc.

https://ryanbattles.com/static/pdf/creativity-inc.pdf – Quotes from Creativity Inc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2h2lvhzMDc – Keep Your Crises Small – Talk by Ed Catmull

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077903-creativity-inc – More reviews of Creativity Inc.

ReWork

Rework by Jason Fried

What if your business didn’t need to be big to succeed? What if you could focus on what’s most important? What if you didn’t even need a business plan?

These are some of the questions that are pondered by Jason Fried. In Rework, he answers them in surprising ways. He goes against the conventions of ‘bigger is better’ and ‘build and exit’. The book argues that you can stay small, be very profitable and enjoy your work.

Fix your own Problem

Do you really need to listen to your clients? That’s the question that Fried proposes in the chapter called ‘GO’. Why not solve your own problem.

That’s what he did at his own company (37signals). They build a project management tool called Basecamp. They looked at what they were missing from existing software and what a small team like theirs would value most. No research, no case studies, no interviews. They just build it and put it out there. Today more than 3 million companies use it.

Because they did no research they had no excuses to not put their product out there. The feedback also was much faster (i.e. talk to the person next to you). And now when people request new features, they don’t even write it down. They wait for something to be requested many times, check if it’s really something that fits with their own requests (e.g. if it’s really something a small business needs) and only then built it.

De-commoditize your Product

Queal is different from its competitors because we offer more variation, better service and the best quality ingredients. But these ‘facts’ are not what customers care about. If someone is really out for the price, they may find a competitor who offers a similar product for a lower price. And that’s why you need to de-commoditize your product.

You can do this by putting yourself into the product. The competition can copy many things, but never the you in your product. It’s the feeling that people get from your product that matters as much as the rational considerations.

At Queal, we started doing stories which showcase how people use our shakes. And we will show more from ourselves and why we ourselves love to drink Queal. And whenever customers interact with us, they will get a personal response, because we truly care for them.

If you like what you’re reading, you may also enjoy The Four Hour Work Week and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

The Innovators

“Creativity comes from drawing on many sources.” – Walter Isaacson

 

Lessons learnt: Innovation is building on the shoulders of giants. Innovation needs a big idea and great execution. Innovation takes collaboration.

If you are interested in how the computer age came to be, this is your book. From the early 19^th century through to the present day you will explore the invention of thinking machines to present day laptops. In The Innovators How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution you will follow the technology through the ages and follow Walter Isaacson as he dives into the intrigues that made possible our present-day technology.

The book starts with Ada Lovelace and how she works on a translation of a manual for the very first mechanical machine. In her translation she adds notes that are (said to be) the first conception of what a computer is, something that is able to “store, manipulate, process and act upon anything that could be expressed in symbols: words and logic and music and anything else we might use symbols to convey”.

Walter Isaacson is most famous for writing a biography of Steve Jobs. And throughout this history of technology, you will learn more about the important people than only the technologies they came up with. In it, you will most likely see that it has taken a lot of coincidence and good luck that we have the current computer age at our disposal. Isaacson does a great job in showing that it’s just humans, each with their own complex life, that have made this possible.

One of the most interesting of the stories is that of ‘computer’, and I’m not talking about your personal computer. It’s the story of how a group of women were doing all the calculations mid 20^th century that the men found to be below them. They used large machines to do difficult calculations and figured out how to make it more efficient in the process. They were on the forefront of technological design and showed that men are not all that.

The later chapters of the book describe the lives of people like Alan Turing (enigma code and the Turing machine), Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the world wide web), and Steve Jobs (Apple and Pixar). It takes apart their motivations and thought patterns. At the same time, the book links back to the earlier chapters and shows how new technologies are only the evolution of older ones.

“Knowing that great conceptions are worth little without precision execution”. –  Walter Isaacson

When you are done with The Innovators you will have a better understanding of how our current computer age has evolved. It has taken over 200 years, which may sound long, but at the same time is a microscopic dot in the time our galaxy has been around.

The Richest Man in Babylon

”Our acts can be no wiser than our thoughts.” – George S. Clason

Lessons learnt: Save money to invest in yourself. With compounding interest, that money can do lot’s of good for you.

In The Richest Man in Babylon, you follow the story an ancient wealthy man and his journey towards becoming wealthy. It’s an interesting book that was written in the 1920’s. The narrative way of the story can sometimes be irritating to follow but nonetheless, the lessons are valuable. Here they are:

• Save (at least) 10% of your money
• Cut back on expenses to make this happen (desire less, see the Stoics)
• Gather interest on your money (see my week of finance post)
• But don’t invest it in something that looks too good to be true (because it probably is)
• Invest instead of spend (e.g. buy a house instead of renting)
• Insure a future income (i.e. buy insurance)
• Increase your ability to learn (apply these lessons and read more)

The Book:

The Richest Man in Babylon – George Samuel Clason – ISBN-10: 1505339111 – ISBN-13: 978-1505339116

Letters from a Stoic

What does a philosopher from 2000 years ago have to say to us? What revelations can a person, so long dead, make that would apply to us? It turns out, a lot!

Letters from a Stoic by Seneca is a collection of his letters to Lucilius, a good friend, and procurator of Sicily. Seneca is (one of) the first sources that used the essay as a way of conveying a thought.

From his letters, you can subtract many wise words. Each letter does have a long introduction and sometimes examples are contemporary. But believe me, when I say that each one of them contains knowledge that applies to us, maybe even more than in ancient times.

Here are some of my observations:

• The ideal or goal of each man is a combination of four qualities (or virtues): wisdom (or moral insight), courage, self-control, and justice (or upright dealings)
• “Nothing is a better proof of a well-ordered mind than a man’s ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company” – This makes me think about the psychology experiment where they let people stay alone in a room. In this room, they could shock themselves if they were bored. 67% of men and 25% of women chose to shock themselves. One participant shocked himself 190 times. What if only these people knew a bit about meditation?
• “After friendship is formed you must trust, but before that, you must judge.” – I think this fits in with the way Dutch people are (from a very selective sample), we don’t tell all our secrets to everyone, but when you trust someone you should confide in them with full confidence.
• “Inwardly everything should be different, but our outward face should conform with the crowd.” – Here Seneca speaks about how philosophers have very different thoughts than ‘normal’ people. And in a way, I can identify with this statement. Also, I believe that I shouldn’t alienate myself from others by coming out too strong with my views on things like life (extension) and money (saving).
• “There is no enjoying the possession of anything valuable unless one has someone to share it with.” – You’ve probably noticed that watching a funny movie is more fun when doing this with friends. In a way, I think this quote also refers to love, that is the only thing that rich people can’t buy. It only comes from sharing and enjoying things together.
• “…people cease to possess everything as soon as they want everything for themselves.”
• “It is in no man’s power to have whatever he wants’but he has it in his power not to wish for what he hasn’t got, and cheerfully make the most of the things that do come his way.”
• “Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realise how unnecessary many things are.”
• “Associate with people who are likely to improve you. Welcome those whom you are capable of improving.” – One thing I believe in is that you are the average of the 5 people you associate the most with. And that learning thing to others can be very rewarding.
• “…indulge the body just so far as suffices for good health.” – This refers to one of the learnings from the ancient Greeks, don’t overdo things. For me, this means that I should be careful not to drink too much. At the same time, I should listen to my body with regards to sports and prevent injuries from happening.
• “If you wish to be stripped of your vices you must get right away from the examples others set of them.”
• “One shouldn’t, accordingly, eat until hunger demands.”
• “But while he does not hanker after what he has lost, he does prefer not to lose them.” – The Stoics have some great advice when it comes to grief. You should (of course) not want to lose a friend, but don’t stay stuck in the past. Previously I’ve written some more about Stoic teachings.
• “To procure friendship only for better and not for worse is to rob it of all its dignity.”
• “Without a ruler to do it against you won’t make the crooked straight.” – Without a way to check someone’s character you can’t improve it. This, I think, is the main reason for things like a ‘hell week’ in the military, to see someone’s real character.
• “…death ought to be right there before the eyes of a young man just as much as an old one…” – Live life to it’s fullest, every day.
• “If you shape your life according to nature, you will never be poor; if according to people’s opinions you will never be rich.” (quoted from Epicurus  – founder of Epicureanism). – Here nature refers to being content with small things, not wanting to have ever more. I guess some famous people could have used this quote.
• “…set aside now and then a number of days during which you will be content with the plainest of food, and very little of it, and with rough, coarse clothing, and will ask yourself, ‘Is this what I used to dread?’.” – This is one of the Stoic lessons, face the things you are afraid of (or practice negative visualisation) and find out that these things are far from as bad as you imagined.
• “If you want a man to keep his head when the crisis comes you must give him some training before it comes.”
• “Start cultivating a relationship with poverty.” – To be happy without possessions, to be happy in nature, you should get to know poverty up close.
• “…a man is wealthy if he has attuned himself to his restricted means and has made himself rich on little.”
• “A good character is the only guarantee of everlasting, care-free happiness.”
• “…treat your inferiors in the way in which you would like to be treated by your own superiors.”
• “…there’s no state of slavery more disgraceful than one which is self-imposed.”
• “For that is what philosophy has promised me – that she will make me God’s equal.” – Later Seneca asks what the difference between God’s and yourself would be if you master the four qualities. He answers himself with “They will exist longer.” – With radical life-extension, will even this difference stand the test of time?
• “Death is just not being.” – For more discussion about death, and the argument that you may die every night when you go to sleep(?) – listen to this podcast.
• “…who finds it a joy to live and in spite of that is not reluctant to die.”
• “Soft living imposes on us the penalty of debility; we cease to be able to do the things we’ve long been grudging about doing.” – And there you have the argument for doing crazy obstacle runs.
• “The only true serenity is the one which represents the free development of a sound mind.”
• “Refusal to be influenced by one’s body assures one’s freedom.”
• “As it is with a play, so it is with life – what matters is not how long the acting lasts, but how good it is.” – Which is echoed almost two centuries later by Benjamin Franklin “Many people die at 25 and aren’t buried until they are 75.”
• “…man who is master of himself the master of all.”
• “…the process of becoming a good man is an art.”
• “…in the midst of pleasures there are found the springs of suffering.” – Within good things, there may hide bad things, and in bad things, you can always find something good.
• “A setback has often cleared the way for greater prosperity.”
• “…never hope without an element of despair, never despair without an element of hope.”
• “We’re born unequal, we die equal.”
• “What a blessing it would be for some people if they could only lose themselves!” – Guess why some (or most?) people drink too much.
• “Freedom cannot be won without sacrifice.”
• “Never to wrong others takes one a long way towards peace of mind.”
• “There’s only one way to be happy and that’s to make the most of life.”

Psychology experiment:

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/07/people-would-rather-be-electrically-shocked-left-alone-their-thoughts

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jul/03/electric-shock-preferable-to-thinking-says-study

Letters from a Stoic is an advanced text on Stoic philosophy. It has much to offer to anyone who is open to taking a closer look at life, and who is ready to take in some knowledge.

The Book:

Letters from a Stoic – Seneca – ISBN-10: 0140442103 – ISBN-13: 978-0140442106