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The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss / tim.blog

Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Workweek and Lifestyle Design Blog

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2014-03-25 07:20:05 Tim Ferriss

100% agree that — for business negotiations — it’s better to hire a local, even if you speak perfectly. Better still, negotiate in English (or your native tongue), if you can. I never learn languages for business purposes; it weakens your position, and you can be blamed after-the-fact for “not understanding,” even if you understood perfectly, and they simply chose to breach contract. Caveat emptor.

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2014-03-24 23:02:45 Tim Ferriss

I love Noomi (or Naomi?) Rapace! Incredible actress!

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2014-03-13 09:32:04 Tim Ferriss

Huh… that’s weird. Thanks for the heads up!

Liked by 1 person

2014-03-13 09:30:45 Tim Ferriss

You’ll love it, man!

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2014-03-07 19:51:18 Tim Ferriss

Haha… The only reason Josh puts up with me (he dislikes being thrust into the public eye) is because we’re close friends 🙂

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2014-03-07 19:50:43 Tim Ferriss

Chad, thank you for such a wonderfully thoughtful comment! I have been wondering about Feldenkrais for a long while, and I think I’ll start looking for a local teacher today.

Have a great weekend,

Tim

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2014-03-07 19:47:29 Tim Ferriss

Wow… I LOVE that. So true. I’ve been thinking of writing more about internal conflict and the problems it causes. Great expression.

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2014-03-07 19:44:12 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Peter 🙂

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2014-03-07 19:43:16 Tim Ferriss

2007 or 2008. Brilliant guy and very calm, as you observed.

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2014-03-07 19:40:35 Tim Ferriss

Sweet!

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2014-03-07 19:39:23 Tim Ferriss

Hi Derek,

Really? I thought it was very well written. What didn’t you like about it, specifically? I’d love to know.

All the best, and thank you for the comment,

Tim

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2014-03-06 10:52:41 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the kind words, Mark. I have a bit of insomnia tonight, and this made my smile. In fact, it made my entire week. Thank you 🙂

Kia kaha!

Tim

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2014-03-06 10:51:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Momekh! I know the feeling. We all need to rediscover being a “novice” 🙂

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2014-03-06 10:49:57 Tim Ferriss

Agreed. Here you go!
https://soundcloud.com/tim-ferriss/the-art-of-learning-by-joshua

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2014-03-06 10:46:53 Tim Ferriss

Promote away! No problem with that, for sure.

All the best,

Tim

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2014-03-06 10:45:34 Tim Ferriss

Experiment 🙂 The author makes a LOT more if you buy it from Gumroad (current link) than on Audible.

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2014-03-06 10:44:45 Tim Ferriss

It should be in a few weeks. Working on it.

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2014-03-05 22:41:37 Tim Ferriss

Nice pick! Yes, it’s definitely a book to reread and reread again. I’ll be sharing my own notes from the book soon.

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2014-03-05 22:40:51 Tim Ferriss

Go Sympoh! 🙂

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2014-03-05 22:39:55 Tim Ferriss

It’s out! Download link here:
https://gumroad.com/l/The-Art-Of-Learning-Audiobook

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2014-03-05 22:38:23 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind feedback, David! I really want this club to be special, and part of that is being super-selective.

Hope you enjoy the book!

Tim

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2014-03-05 21:37:13 Tim Ferriss

I have used it, actually. It was in one of my earlier Quarterly boxes, in fact! 🙂

Tim

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2014-03-01 02:00:45 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Michael. You are definitely not alone. I’m in that post-project funk right now. It’s an odd (but temporary) place.

Kia kaha!

Tim

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2014-03-01 01:59:18 Tim Ferriss

Melanie, do you mean the slow-carb diet? If so (and this is true on Paleo/low-carb nearly always), you can try taking 3-5 grams of BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) between meals. This is a trick I learned from Arthur DeVany.

Good luck!

Tim

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2014-03-01 01:34:04 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the feedback, Hope! The next package is a fun one 🙂

Tim

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2014-02-27 22:27:18 Tim Ferriss

Thanks! I’ll check ’em out.

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2014-02-27 09:59:30 Tim Ferriss

Nope, just a Quicktime bug!

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2014-02-27 09:58:59 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Staller! If you like fitness, I think you’ll dig the next box.

Pura vida,

Tim

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2014-02-27 09:58:07 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, guys. Duly noted. For brain function, I’m experimenting with tea these days, more than pills and powders. Still, the experiments will continue to other things.

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2014-02-27 09:57:19 Tim Ferriss

It’s easy to find similar cakes in Chinatown just about anywhere (they’re called “toucha” usually). In SF, Samovar Tea Lounges sell them.

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2014-02-27 09:56:19 Tim Ferriss

That one’s nothing too special. I just like the pic 🙂 Many of the other header pics are from trips to Greece, special events, etc.

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2014-02-27 09:55:14 Tim Ferriss

Great observation. This procrastination-anxiety downward spiral is no joke!

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2014-02-27 00:15:16 Tim Ferriss

Not in this one. Just punch drunk from lack of sleep. I was packing around 1am. If I’m drunk in a video, there will be no question in your mind 🙂

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2014-02-27 00:14:04 Tim Ferriss

Thanks! That beanie was a gift. It’s handmade from Peru. Incredibly soft Alpaca fleece/wool.

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2014-02-27 00:12:44 Tim Ferriss

This should answer your question:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/03/10/24-hours-with-tim-ferriss-a-sample-schedule/

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2014-02-27 00:08:45 Tim Ferriss

Haha… no, not at all. That’s just Quicktime bugging out on me. It’s been a problem!

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2014-02-27 00:06:11 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Andrew, and nice work. I’m doing some related work with UCSF here in San Francisco.

What protocol or approach do you currently use for your own mindfulness meditation?

Cheers,

Tim

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2014-02-20 20:36:42 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, ND! I’ll send this to the publisher ASAP.

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2014-02-19 23:25:21 Tim Ferriss

Totally agree. Sometimes it’s as simple as a decision like this. “Am I going to miss that con-call to get some sleep and not be a mess today? Yes, I think I will.” Health has to be #1.

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2014-02-19 23:21:40 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Allen! I’ll check it out.

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2014-02-13 06:25:30 Tim Ferriss

The danger is even worse. People will often say “I have nothing to hide” and excuse surveillance in the name of safety, but here’s the question:

What happens when a regime in power is able to wiretap/monitor all members of Congress and the Senate? You end up with an executive branch that can blackmail lawmakers, that’s what. Terrifying.

Tim

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2014-02-13 06:23:11 Tim Ferriss

Hell, yeah! I was planning on a major decluttering, and the timing of all the NSA furor made this move easy.

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2014-02-13 06:20:11 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for the very kind words, Paul!

Pura vida,

Tim

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2014-02-13 06:17:45 Tim Ferriss

I’m hoping to compete sometime. Super fun.

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2014-02-06 22:26:43 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Stephen. Nearly all of the advice applies, if not all of it. There’s one big difference. For non-fiction, you sell the book to a publisher, then you write it. For fiction, you finish the manuscript, then you sell it.

Liked by 2 people

2014-02-05 09:20:37 Tim Ferriss

Walter and All,

I’ll contact Appsumo ASAP about this. Thank you for the heads up, and please keep an eye on your email. I’ll get this handled.

All the best,

Tim

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2014-01-29 20:21:44 Tim Ferriss

Hi Martin,

I put “wrote” because I — thankfully — haven’t been on book deadline since last year! If I tackle another book, I’m sure I’ll end up on a similar routine.

Cheers,

Tim

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2013-12-17 05:13:12 Tim Ferriss

Lemme see what I can do there. Thanks for the comment!

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2013-12-17 05:11:58 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jeff,

Because I personally produced the audiobook! We also put in extra content.

That said, you should certainly get the format you like best. Personally, I often buy audiobook from Audible, then Kindle edition, so I can sync them with Whispersync.

Hope that helps,

Tim

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2013-12-17 04:30:00 Tim Ferriss

Great idea! Lift if what finally got me flossing. For those unfamiliar: https://lift.do/

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-16 21:11:48 Tim Ferriss

Hi Alex,

I always feel better if I’m in bed by 11pm but it rarely happens 🙂 My usual is sleeping 2am-10am or so. Not ideal, but that’s my habit.

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-16 21:10:28 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Karl! I’ll keep ’em coming 🙂

Happy holidays,

Tim

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2013-12-16 19:01:49 Tim Ferriss

Hi Pheroze,

The audiobook helps me keep doing the book club most, and the narrator is great. That said, if you can, I’d probably buy both audio and Kindle and sync them via Whispersync! This means you can listen up to page 30, for instance, and then have the Kindle edition automatically start you at pg. 30, and so on. They’re coordinated.

Best,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-16 19:00:48 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment, Bjorn! I love this recommendation and will look him up. Much appreciated!

All the best,

Tim

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2013-12-16 18:58:35 Tim Ferriss

Hmmm… many people assume I sleep as little as possible. In fact, I try and get 8-10 hours a night, often 12 or so if I’m catching up after travel.

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-16 07:49:54 Tim Ferriss

Oh, boy. That’s a tough question. I loved tons of them. Carl Jung was great, as were dozens of others. I picked my favorite takeaways from each and cobbled together my own list of things to try!

Tim

Liked by 2 people

2013-12-16 06:48:00 Tim Ferriss

Word. Better for software than books, but still a point worth remembering.

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2013-12-10 07:49:20 Tim Ferriss

Go get it, gents! Be brave and bring those babies to the world. They’ll start out naked and afraid, and you adjust from there 🙂

Tim

Liked by 4 people

2013-12-10 07:46:47 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Antario 🙂

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-10 07:45:20 Tim Ferriss

Tom, thank you so much for the kind words and thoughtful comment! Very inspiring. Makes me want to get right back to drumming 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-12-09 02:16:52 Tim Ferriss

Hi John,

No subscription needed! Just get the books as I post about them on this blog. New one coming in the next 1-3 weeks 🙂

Tim

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2013-12-09 02:11:58 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Matt! Totally agreed.

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-12-09 02:10:20 Tim Ferriss

Marc Maron roasted coffee beans using a popcorn roaster!

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2013-12-09 02:08:08 Tim Ferriss

Corrected! Thanks for the catch.

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2013-12-02 00:04:18 Tim Ferriss

Jeff, thank you for this comment! Totally made my night. Your gratitude and thankfulness is something we all strive for. In many ways, the achievement is easier than appreciation, so keep up the good fight! I’m sure you’ll get where you want to go.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-11-17 09:56:14 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind words, Scott! I’ll check him out tomorrow AM. Much appreciated…

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2013-11-17 09:54:02 Tim Ferriss

Hi Travis!

We’ve selected the student. I’m hoping to do more along these lines, so keep an eye on this blog. Thank you for asking… and participating.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-11-17 09:44:47 Tim Ferriss

Congrats, Keith! I agree. Vagabonding can have a hell of an impact. Adventure on!

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2013-11-17 09:43:15 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much, John! Hope all is well with you 🙂

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2013-11-11 12:13:50 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Cameron! You should have had access to the full 4HC as soon as you passed the email gate, but let me ping BitTorrent to ask. Happy to email them.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-11-11 12:13:19 Tim Ferriss

Thanks very much for the kind words, Chad. It means a lot. I’m beginning to think that the more we successful we *appear*, the more important the reality checks are… especially for ourselves.

Hope all is well!

Tim

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2013-11-10 03:39:07 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, David — and all of you — for the very kind words. Thank you for reading 🙂

Tim

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2013-11-04 07:55:54 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for commenting, Dom Def, and it’s great to hear your voice. I’ve been there and feel you.

Keep up the good fight!

Tim

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2013-11-04 07:45:25 Tim Ferriss

Correct! I’m using TM, though I think any systematic (and accountable) system of meditation could likely work well.

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2013-11-04 02:34:05 Tim Ferriss

ALL episodes will be available on iTunes, and the first episode will get shared everywhere imaginable online 🙂

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2013-11-01 05:35:00 Tim Ferriss

Definitely totally hand-in-hand skills.

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2013-11-01 05:34:20 Tim Ferriss

I’d love that! Thank you for the kind offer.

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2013-11-01 05:33:47 Tim Ferriss

I’ll do my best, but you might need to hack it with Hotspot Shield or Tor or SurfEasy 🙂

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2013-10-20 23:29:04 Tim Ferriss

It should be on iTunes!

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2013-10-14 01:40:50 Tim Ferriss

Great question.

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2013-09-30 08:51:43 Tim Ferriss

Exactly right.

Here’s the thing: if you send a letter with a product that implies an expectation (e.g. “Hope you love it. A tweet would be great!”), then many people feel like shills or wh*res for helping you. In other words, they feel like a cheap date or a hired gun.

On the other hand, if you just send an awesome product with “Hope you love it as much as we do!”, the influencer can promote/share it and feel clean and good about the it.

Hope that makes sense,

Tim

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2013-09-30 08:51:21 Tim Ferriss

Huge congratulations, Steve!!! I absolutely love Taiwan and hope to get back soon.

Give my best to the family 🙂

Tim

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2013-09-30 08:49:07 Tim Ferriss

My two cents: wait until you’re launched. You can’t control the fire; you can only start it. This means you can easily end up with influencers telling the world… while no one can buy your product. Make sure it’s available before risking broadcast.

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2013-09-30 08:42:04 Tim Ferriss

Good catch!

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2013-09-30 05:23:58 Tim Ferriss

Every few months, I expect, but it’s dependent on when I have good opportunities so hard to predict.

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2013-09-24 03:56:30 Tim Ferriss

Hi Steve,

There is a great debate about this. I think the SEC’s concern is having people invest too high a % of their total nest egg in speculative investments likely to fail (like start-ups).

Curious to see how things shake out.

Tim

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2013-09-24 03:55:33 Tim Ferriss

May you find what you’re seeking elsewhere, Eddie. I’m a big fan of James Altucher’s blog.

Liked by 1 person

2013-09-24 03:50:39 Tim Ferriss

I’ll have Shopify check it out, Ashley. Thank you.

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2013-09-18 16:33:17 Tim Ferriss

To the first point, search for “First TV to Dr. Oz – How to Get Local Media…Then National Media” on this blog. It includes actual pitches, e-mails, etc. that I use. Hope it helps!

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2013-09-18 07:45:59 Tim Ferriss

Several commenters have asked, “How do I get to know journalists or bloggers in the first place?” Besides volunteering to work for free at events where they congregate (e.g. SXSW, GigaOm/PaidContent, etc.), here in an article that explain how to do it remotely:

Search “First TV to Dr. Oz – How to Get Local Media…Then National Media” on this blog. (Includes actual pitches, e-mails, etc.)

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2013-09-18 07:45:19 Tim Ferriss

Fixed!

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2013-09-18 06:36:16 Tim Ferriss

Just tweeted at Prizeo. Link does indeed seem to be down. Should have it up shortly. Thanks for the heads up!

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2013-09-18 06:21:46 Tim Ferriss

Checking on it now…

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2013-09-18 06:14:07 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for all the comments, enthusiasm, and kind words, guys! I could not be more excited about this year’s competition. It’s going to be HUGE.

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2013-09-17 04:20:55 Tim Ferriss

Oh, yes. Wait until tomorrow 🙂

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2013-09-17 04:19:54 Tim Ferriss

Sweet! Hope to see you there!

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2013-09-16 23:30:57 Tim Ferriss

Congrats! It’s very likely you’re gaining muscle from increased protein intake. Stay the course and you’ll see results!

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2013-09-12 16:57:38 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Neil! What would you like to see more of? What are your previous favorite posts?

Best,

Tim

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2013-09-11 02:10:28 Tim Ferriss

Too dramatic a comment, man. I’m simply on deadline so not taking on new commitments. That’s all.

Keep up the good fight, though!

Tim

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2013-09-11 02:09:35 Tim Ferriss

🙂

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2013-09-10 20:54:13 Tim Ferriss

I’d love to interview Neil sometime. He’s the real deal.

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2013-09-10 20:53:46 Tim Ferriss

Good reminder. Thanks!

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2013-09-08 08:35:45 Tim Ferriss

Girls rock. ‘Nuff said, as my good man Logan would say.

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2013-09-08 08:35:19 Tim Ferriss

Cool. Thanks, man. I’m looking at it right now…

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2013-08-30 02:14:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Micah. I’d love to see the Nutritional Facts or ingredients list for Ensure, if you’re able to past it as text here! If too busy, no sweat, but Abbot and Nestle do have excellent resources.

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2013-08-22 06:22:01 Tim Ferriss

Good observation. This would seem to imply less absorption of nutrients, or at least calories.

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2013-08-22 06:19:03 Tim Ferriss

The socio-political point is important. For instance, US corn subsidies lead to 1) corn being exported to Mexico, where we often price out local producers, and 2) corn excesses going to waste in silos across the US. The problem isn’t so much production as distribution, which is often regulated by politics and lobbying more than pure logistics.

Tim

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2013-08-22 06:14:29 Tim Ferriss

Good question.

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2013-08-22 01:31:58 Tim Ferriss

Hi David,

Thank you for the thoughtful comment. You wrote:

“I tell patients to make specific diet changes to improve cholesterol they need about 3 months before I repeat blood tests.”

Why did you pick three months? I’ve seen some fairly dramatic shifts in 4-6 weeks, but this often includes supplementation (niacin, etc.).

All the best,

Tim

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2013-08-21 08:06:45 Tim Ferriss

Good points, all.

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2013-08-21 07:44:35 Tim Ferriss

I also have some concerns about grape seed oil. I’d be curious to hear their rationale.

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:42:40 Tim Ferriss

Haha… if Soylent can give me flowing locks, I’m down for at least 4 weeks of shakes.

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2013-08-21 07:39:24 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Nathan. Just out of curiosity, how do you think Soylent differs most from past attempts at meal-replacement powders? Or is it better use of social media, etc. and not a better designed product?

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:37:05 Tim Ferriss

Good evening, Shane.

I’m not sure on IQ, but as a possible proxy, here’s some literature on cognitive performance and total cholesterol:
http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/67/1/24.short

Quite a few studies on Google Scholar and PubMed for those who would like to dig further.

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:32:46 Tim Ferriss

Solid comment, Graeme. Thank you. I should also say that — in my opinion — the burden of proof should fall on the party making the claim.

Thus, Soylent cannot prove their product is safe by countering with “No one has proven Soylent unsafe.”

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:28:39 Tim Ferriss

Hi Adarsh,

Totally agreed. However, they need to ensure the product is safe if they’re positioning it as a potential full-time meal replacement. I know plenty of people who will take that literally and pay whatever price (known or unknown) as a result.

Cheers,

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:24:55 Tim Ferriss

Hi Aaron,

Agreed that there are definite limitations with both water solubility and — as a consumed liquid — flavor profile that consumers will tolerate. Neither factor necessarily optimizes for nutritional content, and both can force sacrifices.

It’s a tough problem, and kudos to the Soylent team for at least attempting to deconstruct it.

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:23:09 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Taimur. This is definitely a possibility. I find Myoplex (or analog) useful for convenience if dealing with truly obese people. Otherwise, I definitely suggest a whole-food breakfast: 2-3 whole eggs, spinach, and lentils per The 4-Hour Body.

Best,

Tim

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2013-08-14 05:03:40 Tim Ferriss

Pretty sure this is the one I have:
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/

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2013-08-14 00:58:35 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments and suggestions on the podcast, all!

Mitch, the biographer angle is a great suggestion. I’ve actually met Walter Isaacson, who wrote both Franklin and Jobs’ biographies, several times. Good idea.

Tim

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2013-08-14 00:56:40 Tim Ferriss

If you have regular lunches with her, please suggest that 🙂

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2013-08-14 00:53:17 Tim Ferriss

🙂

You’re a good sport, man. Kudos to you. I’ll throw in creativeLIVE, and thank you.

G’night,

Tim

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2013-08-13 06:26:19 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, guys. I’ll post complete show notes when they come up. If not by tomorrow AM, then I post the limited book notes. Thanks! If you can’t, no worries…

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2013-08-13 05:44:50 Tim Ferriss

Lots more video (and maybe a podcast) to come. Thanks for watching!

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2013-08-13 04:44:45 Tim Ferriss

I love this story! Thanks for the comment. That’s exactly what I need for my bike 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-08-09 08:58:13 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, guys. My pleasure to post this video, of course. Noah is good fun to brainstorm and debate with.

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2013-08-09 03:06:02 Tim Ferriss

Buy him a burrito! He loves those things.

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2013-08-09 03:05:12 Tim Ferriss

You have to say no to initially get to the 4HWW. What you *don’t* do determines what you can do, at least in my experience.

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2013-08-09 03:03:33 Tim Ferriss

Cool. I’ll have to check that out again.

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2013-08-07 05:54:49 Tim Ferriss

Here’s another post on hacking Tokyo, from this blog:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/06/08/060808-hacking-japan-inside-tokyo-for-less-than-new-york/

Ganbare!

Tim

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2013-08-07 05:53:38 Tim Ferriss

One of my favorite quotes as well. Thanks for bringing it to front of mind!

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2013-08-06 06:00:06 Tim Ferriss

Agreed 100%.

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2013-08-06 05:52:16 Tim Ferriss

Great quote. Even if these prices might seem excessive to some, the philosophy still holds: you can learn to make more money, not time.

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2013-08-06 05:51:27 Tim Ferriss

Hi Vincent — If you want more mouth-watering goodness, check out my NYC food marathon spots!
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2012/11/21/meet-the-new-york-city-food-marathon-26-2-dishes-in-26-locations-in-24-hours/

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2013-08-06 05:47:17 Tim Ferriss

Definitely possible. Matt might have some suggestions. I suspect he’ll be jumping in here tomorrow 🙂

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2013-08-06 05:43:11 Tim Ferriss

Thank you so much for the kind words, Belen! Espero que — algun dia — tengamos la oportunidad de conocernos. Until then, un abrazo grande desde California 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-08-06 05:40:56 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Jeff.

Perhaps you’d find this case study of a family traveling the world together helpful:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2013/02/01/case-study-what-does-a-real-4-hour-workweek-look-like-with-a-family/

Best,

Tim

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2013-08-06 05:39:24 Tim Ferriss

I have nothing against hard work… if it’s applied to the RIGHT things. That’s central to the 4HWW (i.e. 80/20). This post is focused on precisely that, is it not?

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2013-08-01 00:18:26 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Jacob! Kruse’s work is interesting, to be sure. On the tDCS front, I’d be careful there. I’m actually funding and participating in tDCS studies at a top university in SF. Done improperly, it can hurt performance, and no one knows the long-term implications. Not trying to stop you, but I’d encourage a lot of research and perhaps waiting 6-12 months for more data. I know it’s coming, as I’m quite involved.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-07-31 07:24:54 Tim Ferriss

Here’s a good primer on how glucose is generated from certain amino acids (among other things):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluconeogenesis

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2013-07-31 07:20:27 Tim Ferriss

Jack, thank you so much for this wonderful and kind comment. It’s nice to meet you. You sounds like you have an excellent head on your shoulders, and you’re looking at things the right way.

Keep it up!

Pura vida 🙂

Tim

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2013-07-31 07:17:45 Tim Ferriss

That’s a great way to put it. Excellent expression… and not necessarily a knock on doctors. One can’t be expert in everything.

Liked by 1 person

2013-07-31 07:14:43 Tim Ferriss

To put my comment in context, I only know Kiefer through his direct work with the Supertraining Gym team and athletes like Mark Bell. He and I have spoken in person a few times, and his results with powerlifters have been impressive. I am not very familiar with his writing.

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2013-07-31 07:13:52 Tim Ferriss

I’m not claiming Lyle’s work is reflected in anything in this post. I’m trying to give credit where credit is due for piquing my interested in ketogenic diets, generally speaking.

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2013-07-30 23:55:46 Tim Ferriss

Totally 100% SCD, though I often omit the beans or lentils, as I am consuming a high % of calories from fat. For training, I’m doing mostly KB swings, 2-5 rep compound movements (a la “Effortless Superhuman” chapter in 4HB), and sport (e.g. rock climbing).

SCD + swings is a great minimal effective dose, for sure. Few things beat it for minutes invested.

Keep it up!

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-07-30 23:52:41 Tim Ferriss

I never claimed to invent low-glycemic diets, and I’ve also written extensively (and interviewed) researchers and MDs who cover this area, such as Gary Taubes, Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades, etc. Tons of this content appeared on this blog prior to this post.

Tim

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2013-07-24 19:37:41 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Ayesh! 🙂

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2013-07-23 16:18:56 Tim Ferriss

Keep up the great work, Dave! Can’t wait to see you on the big screen 🙂

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2013-07-17 23:08:11 Tim Ferriss

It can definitely be product if you fit the criteria!

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2013-07-17 23:07:40 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, all!

Reece, not to worry. I’ll be working with start-ups for a long time to come 🙂

Kia kaha,

Tim

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2013-07-17 23:06:10 Tim Ferriss

No need to apologize, man. I’d be more worried if you weren’t excited about your start-up 🙂

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2013-07-17 07:54:55 Tim Ferriss

I would love to take all comers, but it sadly wouldn’t be feasible to sort through them all. These criteria make the process manageable.

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2013-07-17 07:36:24 Tim Ferriss

Indeed.

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2013-07-17 07:35:16 Tim Ferriss

Play nice, guys. Let’s keep it civil.

Liked by 1 person

2013-07-17 07:22:47 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, David. Good catch. I’m on it…

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2013-07-16 07:58:39 Tim Ferriss

Great tip on the White Noise app! Downloading now and will try on my flight tomorrow. Can’t believe I never thought to search that before…

Liked by 1 person

2013-07-16 07:55:12 Tim Ferriss

Definitely love the walks. I should also mention: this is a great thing to do where you live RIGHT NOW. Love walking around so-called “familiar” environs until I find something totally unfamiliar.

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2013-07-16 07:51:40 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Chris!

Other than SF, I’d still choose somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, Portland or Seattle, perhaps. That said, I have no plans to leave SF. Love it here 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-07-16 07:48:54 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Becky.

One trick: I always tie my running shoes together and hang them from a carabiner on the *outside* of my carry-on so they don’t take up any internal space. Another option: putting them in a plastic bag along with any other carry-on luggage. I’ve never had an issue with TSA.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-07-16 04:34:20 Tim Ferriss

Hi Bob,

Why do you say that? I didn’t get that vibe, but I’d love to know what you think did. Definitely not the intended tone.

Thank you for the comment,

Tim

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2013-07-15 23:39:48 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind offer, Norm! I’ll let Room to Read know.

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2013-06-29 04:18:55 Tim Ferriss

Mekong Delta!

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2013-06-29 04:17:25 Tim Ferriss

Hi Duke,

Let me check on this one and get back to you!

Tim

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2013-06-29 00:04:56 Tim Ferriss

Hi Dan,

Alas, it was my class to teach, so I was expected to participate at a high level. But… plenty of Neil to go around! He has some excellent courses and events on his site.

Tim

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2013-06-21 06:53:40 Tim Ferriss

Hi Chris,

It depends. A lot of “skinny” people are actually skinny fat. That is, they appear skinny in clothing but actually have high bodyfat % and little muscle mass. For such people, absolutely.

It’s also possible to look skinny but eat refined carbohydrates and have blood work all out of whack. Ditto for such people.

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-06-21 06:50:20 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Lior. It was a formatting issue with copy and pasting from Word. God, I hate Word with a passion. Fixed!

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2013-06-21 06:48:47 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment and feedback. I do enjoy the videos and hope to do more 🙂

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2013-06-16 00:53:23 Tim Ferriss

Scrivener. Love it.

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2013-06-16 00:51:48 Tim Ferriss

Hi Graeme,

Thanks for the comment. Alas, I’m not aware of a WordPress plugin that allows readers to edit previous comments. If it’s a serious one, please email Donna from the “Contact” page and we’ll get you sorted.

Enjoy the headphones!

Tim

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2013-06-12 19:58:53 Tim Ferriss

Hi Roger,

Thanks for the comment. I don’t feel much from the green tea, but it does have a mild stimulatory effect. I take it mostly for the ORAC value and bodyfat reduction.

I’ll chat with AppSumo and see what I can do, but for “some creativity tool to brainstorm,” the Whack Pack in the latest box is precisely for that!

Tim

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2013-06-12 19:57:30 Tim Ferriss

Here you go! http://www.charitywater.org/

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2013-06-12 19:55:13 Tim Ferriss

A few options offhand:
– For mainstream, something like Lumosity.com
– For a bit geekier, Google “Dual N-Back” or “Single N-Back”

Also, here’s what Abelard Lindsay (smart guy) did with a different stack:

1. Go to http://cambridgebrai…nces.com. Sign up. Take the challenge a few times (http://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/challenge/introduction)

2. Ok got a baseline score and have gotten familiar with the game?

3. Take 2 (you can go up to 3 later) NOW Artichoke Extract Tablets and 1 Solaray Forskolin pill.

4. Wait 1 hour.

5. Play challenge again. I do consistently better on Spatial Search with this stack and do pretty well on everything else. This effect lasts for about 2 – 4 hours.

###

That was from this thread somewhere:
http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/51732-chemically-induced-ltp/page__st__60

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2013-06-12 01:15:42 Tim Ferriss

Thanks very much, David! Hope to see you again. Ja ne 🙂

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2013-06-12 00:59:32 Tim Ferriss

Haha… sorry for the audio and video quality, but it’s the Random Show, hence unstructured by definition.

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2013-06-06 17:40:07 Tim Ferriss

I’ll correct the text. Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) is correct.

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2013-06-06 17:38:55 Tim Ferriss

That’s fascinating. Did the birdie give any explanation of mechanism of action or why that would be the case? I could very well have been in ketosis.

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2013-06-06 17:37:07 Tim Ferriss

Good suggestion, Aaron. Thanks for the comment and for watching!

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2013-06-06 17:35:43 Tim Ferriss

I’m not in a rush. When the timing is right, the timing will be right. I never rush permanent decisions and seldom set deadlines for them as a result. I’m happy with that arrangement thus far…

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2013-06-04 05:56:20 Tim Ferriss

Also, search this blog for “4-hour workweek family” for a good family case study involving three kids.

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2013-06-04 05:54:44 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jennifer,

Much appreciate the comment. The blog post title was a bit of a joke. There are things to minimize and then things to maximize. I would put time with your kids in the latter category, for sure. I’m just curious about little tweaks to behavior (like the “10-min” example) that make a big impact.

All the best to you and yours,

Tim

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2013-06-04 05:53:57 Tim Ferriss

Congrats, Matt! These are huge wins. Onward and upward… 🙂

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2013-06-04 05:52:03 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment, Robin! I hope you share your thoughts more often!

All the best,

Tim

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2013-06-04 05:50:58 Tim Ferriss

I’ve heard great things about John Medina’s book and met his several years ago. Thanks for the comment!

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2013-06-04 05:49:25 Tim Ferriss

I’m guessing that’s supposed to be 8 inches (8″). I’ll check out.

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2013-06-01 01:29:52 Tim Ferriss

Definitely not recommended. Please read The 4-Hour Body or search “Slow-Carb Diet” on this blog.

Liked by 1 person

2013-06-01 01:28:33 Tim Ferriss

I second that!

Liked by 1 person

2013-05-21 05:38:09 Tim Ferriss

Here’s a shortcut: learn to deflect back and ask them the best QUESTIONS about their preferences, and have a few go-to recommendations for different dishes. That will solve 90% of the situations. Sometimes the Qs are more important than the As, as the Qs determine the As 🙂

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2013-05-21 05:37:40 Tim Ferriss

I still have a lot to learn, but…

Books:
– On Writing Well
– Bird by Bird
– On Writing (Stephen King)

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2013-05-21 05:36:04 Tim Ferriss

Here’s one good option:
http://www.codeacademy.com

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2013-05-21 05:35:18 Tim Ferriss

Hi Mary,

Both cooking and the languages can be figured out in the first 200 pages of http://www.fourhourchef.com Hope you try it!

Tim

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2013-05-21 05:34:13 Tim Ferriss

On this blog, search for “80/20 Guitar” and for speedreading, read this:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/07/30/speed-reading-and-accelerated-learning/

That’s two out of three!

🙂

Tim

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2013-05-21 05:33:29 Tim Ferriss

Hi Humberto,

I’ll take a look. Thanks for the heads up. In the meantime, you might want to Google it. The video was from Wordcamp in SF.

Cheers!

Tim

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2013-05-12 22:33:54 Tim Ferriss

I wouldn’t do it, Dan. The performance loss — and potential for heat exhaustion — is just too high.

Best,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-05-12 12:13:52 Tim Ferriss

Dear Brian,

Thank you so much for this wonderful and kind comment. It made my night… and congratulations on all the transformations!

I hope to meet you as well someday to say that in person 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend,

Tim

Like

2013-05-10 23:56:01 Tim Ferriss

Hi Graeme,

Thank you so much for a very thoughtful comment and kind words. I really do appreciate it!

This is great feedback and exactly the type of thing I want to hear. Merrell shoes are unique to me, and if I haven’t articulated the reasons I personally use their gear (as well as some stories from over the years), I definitely need to do that.

Onward and upward! 🙂

Tim

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2013-05-03 06:16:48 Tim Ferriss

Have a friend unfamiliar with the subject interview you on the subject! I do this all the time. Be sure to record it all. I did this to break writer’s block when writing my first book and third.

Tim

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2013-05-03 06:13:29 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for a great comment, Todd! (and all)

You wrote:
“A bottom-up, community-based, give-first movement is as stable a venture as any these days.”

I would say it is THE most stable, most adaptable venture one can possibly create. It travels with you, no matter the platform or distribution or economy, assuming you don’t build the whole thing in someone’s back yard (e.g. YouTube).

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-05-03 06:11:57 Tim Ferriss

If the seminar is 3 days long, I try and deliver that value in the first 2 hours of the first day. Seriously. That means sparing no expense in terms of time investment, as well as capital (good location, guests, speakers, materials, etc.). I attempted to throw an event better than anything I’d personally ever attended, including similarly priced events.

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2013-05-03 06:09:25 Tim Ferriss

I truly only think about Step 1. I’m not competing with other blogs. I view myself as competing with internal drive to take the easier path, which is sugar-high traffic over timely stuff that A) I can write more quickly, but B) that will be forgotten just as quickly.

Tim

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2013-05-03 06:06:54 Tim Ferriss

I will be doing an OTK 2 in the next 12 months. Keep an eye out 🙂

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2013-05-03 06:05:32 Tim Ferriss

Hi Steve,

Thank you for the kind words. I think one of the best approaches here is to add in resistance training, whether with a trainer, CrossFit, or following exercises in The 4-Hour Body. It’s very difficult to add quality mass without a stimulus like this.

That said, do you find she looks unhealthy at 110 at 5’5″? I only ask as I have female friends who are healthy athletes around that range. If she’s active in sports and no openly self-conscious or dwelling on being “thin”, she might be OK. Regardless, weight training of some type will add muscle and shape, if that’s the goal.

Hope this helps somehow! Darya may have other thoughts.

Tim

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2013-05-02 02:36:55 Tim Ferriss

Another helpful approach is starting SUPER small. When my dad lost 100+ pounds, it all start with:

– NO exercise recommendations
– NO diet (meal) changes.
– JUST: 30 grams of protein within 30 min of waking up.

You just need to get the ball rolling. Though far from perfect, ready-to-drink, pre-mixed Myoplex shakes were most convenient for my dad, so we started there. The best way to make huge changes is to start with tiny changes. Scratch that — ONE tiny change.

Hope that helps somehow!

Tim

Like

2013-05-01 20:45:29 Tim Ferriss

Cool idea. Let me ruminate on that…

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2013-04-27 02:26:53 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Justus. And I totally agree. I am so, so stoked to have the readers I do. I learn more from you all in these comments than any post I can provide! 🙂

Truly,

Tim

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2013-04-27 02:25:22 Tim Ferriss

Please search for “Noah Kagan” on this blog. He wrote a great piece about exactly this.

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2013-04-27 02:22:47 Tim Ferriss

Google Keyword Tool is a hell of a thing 🙂 That URL should deliver decent organic traffic without triggering any super spammy triplines in the Goog machine.

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2013-04-27 02:20:05 Tim Ferriss

Fantastic comment, Joel! Thanks so much. That is a great example with Neil (a good friend of mine), and the numbers look just like every competition I’ve ever run on this blog.

As you said:
“His [Tim’s] goal is not to take someone by the hand and mouth-feed them but rather to show you what the best in the world have done and it’s up to the most crazy, innovative, resourceful people to gulp as much information as possible and make the best out of it.”

I would simply subtract “crazy, innovative” from that statement 🙂 It just takes the extra commitment that largely separates the “overnight” successes from the also-rans.

Cheers,

Tim

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2013-04-27 02:12:43 Tim Ferriss

Agreed, Allen. One good blog post can make your business or your career. It’s worth taking time to focus on quality over quantity.

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2013-04-27 02:07:53 Tim Ferriss

Guys, just to jump in here:

– I understand the desire to know profits. I would love to know these figures. HOWEVER.

– With the exception of public companies, companies and start-ups almost never disclose profits and profit margin, nor intricate financial breakdown.

– So, my choice is A) include these case studies with lots of details and revenue (but not profits) or B) not write about the case studies at all. Which would you prefer?

Like I said, I understand the desire to know, but the realities land us at the above. Secondly, to reiterate what Mark said, we know the EXACT revenue numbers because the transactions go through Shopify. If you do some research online for comparable products sold through public companies, you can probably figure out the estimated profits.

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-04-27 02:06:42 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for all the comments, everyone!

Zack, I agree on the stories. I remember the day I decided to outsource my shipping for BrainQUICKEN:

I had packed 20-40 boxes with product and collateral, and then realized my car was dead. It was 30 min to Post Office closing time, and I needed to ship, so I put them all in garbage bags, held them in one hand, and rode my motorcycle all the way there, almost killing myself in the process. Gah!

That said, it does make for good storytelling 🙂

Tim

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2013-04-27 02:02:32 Tim Ferriss

Be sure to search this blog for “$100 start-up” and you’ll find 15-20 case studies!

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2013-04-27 01:59:56 Tim Ferriss

Huge congratulations to you! Well earned 🙂

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2013-04-24 23:21:27 Tim Ferriss

Yes, I ordered coyote urine to scare off the raccoons! Totally true. Thanks for the tip, man! For those who don’t know what the hell we’re talking about, prepare to have your mind blown:
http://www.thepeemart.com/

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2013-04-16 07:11:31 Tim Ferriss

Ah, good catch. I think that’s simply a typo. Most likely should be “below normal” where “normal” is defined blood-concentration range. I’ll edit to “normal” and Roman can correct me as needed.

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-04-16 07:08:40 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Joel (and all), for all of the wonderful comments!

Pura vida,

Tim

Like

2013-04-16 07:06:59 Tim Ferriss

Hi Joshua,

I think Roman’s point it paying attention to your readers, even if you have a small audience.

If you’d like to see how I prepped and planned to pitch Warren Buffett, here it is:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/06/11/061108-picking-warren-buffetts-brain-notes-from-a-novice/

Here’s how some friends got to play b-ball with Obama:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2012/04/04/playing-b-ball-with-obama-6-steps-to-crossing-anything-off-your-bucket-list/

Hope that helps,

Tim

Like

2013-04-16 07:04:44 Tim Ferriss

Hahaha… nice to see you, Joel. For those not aware, Joel is one of Roman’s close friends. He can also eat more food than any human being I’ve ever seen (including Roman).

Like

2013-04-16 05:31:26 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Natalia! I appreciate the kind comment and heads up. I’ll check it out…

All the best,

Tim

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2013-04-16 05:30:13 Tim Ferriss

Great point, Drew. Yes, the principles of positioning any product — book or otherwise — are the same.

Best,

Tim

Like

2013-04-16 05:28:56 Tim Ferriss

I’ve spent a lot of time in Edindurgh 🙂

Like

2013-04-11 07:56:43 Tim Ferriss

Hi Allen,

Really depends on the companies (there are good SEO firms), but I generally prefer PR firms with a lot of digital savvy, such as understanding the PageRank value of Gizmodo etc.

I focus more on the PR side with known outlets as targets.

Hope that helps!

Tim

Like

2013-04-11 04:25:55 Tim Ferriss

Hi Shaun,

Thank you for your comment. Two things:

– I’ve been thinking of a bootcamp, so thank you for the reminder, and
– I should be speaking in Australia in November, I believe. Keep an eye on the blog for announcements!

All the best,

Tim

Like

2013-04-11 04:18:34 Tim Ferriss

Hi Kenneth,

Thanks for the thoughtful and kind comment. I have not had this problem in my lucid dream state, though perhaps I’m still experiencing beginner’s luck. I’d imagine that the more comfortable I become, the more these often bad habits will infiltrate dream space, but not yet 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

Like

2013-04-10 09:17:02 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for reading and the comment, Scott! I hope it’s the first of many.

I think you might like the next few posts 🙂

All the best,

Tim

Like

2013-04-10 06:19:02 Tim Ferriss

Perhaps true in many cases. I did, however, start this blog before my first book came out.

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-05 22:56:07 Tim Ferriss

Sweet! Just wait until you see what’s coming 🙂

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-05 08:09:57 Tim Ferriss

You can use torrents to your advantage. Here’s a current example:
http://blog.bittorrent.com/2013/04/04/your-book-is-a-startup-tim-ferriss-the-4-hour-chef-and-the-bittorrent-publishing-model/

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-05 08:08:53 Tim Ferriss

Great suggestion! Thanks!

Like

2013-04-05 08:05:35 Tim Ferriss

Absolutely would consider doing digital-only. If I were self-publishing, that’s probably all I would do.

Like

2013-04-05 04:36:15 Tim Ferriss

Aw, shucks… Thanks, Doc!

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2013-04-05 04:35:34 Tim Ferriss

I agree. I do not try and hijack trends. Personally, I write about what I want to study, and I research the best that’s come before.

Liked by 2 people

2013-04-05 04:29:35 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the great comment, Graeme! I’ll check with the WordPress guys on your question…

Like

2013-04-05 04:02:17 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, guys! Yes, my old blog is unbelievable. How did I think those colors would work out? 🙂

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-05 03:12:17 Tim Ferriss

This is also a fascinating cousin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-MeO-DMT

To everyone: as with all such things, caveat emptor and do your homework. Drugs aren’t to be taken lightly, whether aspirin, LSD, or otherwise.

TIm

Like

2013-04-04 01:24:09 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Todd. What is your dosing schedule/amount to produce the “following month” effect you write about here?

“Much calmer and more balanced for the following month; no noted downsides.”

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-04-03 21:29:11 Tim Ferriss

Check out the “80/20 Guitar” as a start! Hopefully more to come….

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-03 21:26:57 Tim Ferriss

Hi Blair,

I appreciate the feedback. That’s how this works, after all 🙂

What would be your ideal design/scheme?

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-04-03 21:26:20 Tim Ferriss

My pleasure, Michael.

Thanks to you and everyone for reading!

Pura vida,

Tim

Like

2013-03-26 08:13:43 Tim Ferriss

Hmmm… While I appreciate the comment, I think it’s totally unfair and I don’t think the anger is warranted.

First off, someone’s favorite books are their favorite books. End of story. There need not be some ulterior motive. My favorite book happens to be Letters from a Stoic — does that make me a sexist? Ridiculous. Many of my favorite authors (or even “most”) happen to be male. Should I be condemned for this sin against humanity?

First off, as Fred noted in his own response, he reads plenty of female authors. I love many female authors, including Joyce Carol Oates, Anne Lamotte, your suggested Toni Morrison, etc.

Second — in my opinion — Fred nor I should have to defend ourselves if the majority of our favorite authors happen to be brown, black, female, male, white, or Martian… as long as we don’t choose their books *because* of those characteristics alone.

Just my 2 cents,

Tim
P.S. If there was a misspelling in the copy, it’s the fault of my proofing, so I’ll take the blame. Never was very good at it 🙂

Like

2013-03-26 08:08:16 Tim Ferriss

Hi Doc!

In this case, we did 90% via email, then followed up by phone clarifications and additions. Email whenever possible saves some time on the crafting of blog posts!

Happy you enjoyed this one,

Tim

Like

2013-03-26 00:47:52 Tim Ferriss

It’ll just get better 🙂 I have guest posts from Josh on this blog, also. Just do a search for his name.

Tim

Like

2013-03-25 23:22:27 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Mozz! My pleasure entirely, of course. I learn more from my readers every week that I could teach them in a lifetime.

Kia kaha,

Tim

Like

2013-03-25 05:18:52 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the kind comment, Lisa! Congratulations on all! See you in Sydney — might be there in November 🙂

All the best,

Tim

Like

2013-03-25 03:30:04 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jose et al,

I’ll have my assistant reach out to you right away. Sorry for any confusion!

Tim

Like

2013-03-25 03:00:28 Tim Ferriss

Haha… just a photo I like that a friend snapped. Nothing subliminal.

Like

2013-03-18 01:06:45 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind comment, EVO! Have fun and share your results!

Pura vida,

Tim

Like

2013-03-18 01:05:44 Tim Ferriss

Good idea for a follow up. Let me see what I can do!

All the best,

Tim

Like

2013-03-16 06:03:22 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Mark, and huge congrats! Also happy you enjoyed the Quarterly box. Here’s the story of how I got involved with investing:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/06/28/mba/

Be well,

Tim

Like

2013-03-16 00:54:05 Tim Ferriss

Hi Reuben,

Easy – I’ll have Quarterly ping you 🙂

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-03-15 23:30:37 Tim Ferriss

Hi Mehmet,

Thanks for subscribing! For daily use, if it helps:

– I use Athletic Greens (from the box) every morning.
– I also revisit both books included on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

With the boxes, I am trying to offer a combination of practicality, creativity, and “Holy $%#&, I never would have found this on my own”-type goodies. Much like my books, I suppose.

Hope that helps,

Tim

Like

2013-03-15 23:29:54 Tim Ferriss

Check out the Reach Glove link above. It’s pretty close and what I were to a lot of business stuff in SF.

Like

2013-03-15 23:06:34 Tim Ferriss

Hi Sharna,

So sorry about this. I’ll take another look.

The main issue is that I appear to be trapped on Feedburner and unable to get the email addresses out of their system. If I can find a simple method, I’ll try and transfer to Aweber or something like that.

Thanks for reading the blog!

Tim

Like

2013-03-15 23:05:12 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for all the wonderful comments, Kevin and all!

Haha… not in a million years could I ever have imagined it.

Tim

Like

2013-02-24 18:21:51 Tim Ferriss

Coming shortly, guys!

Like

2013-02-01 16:49:39 Tim Ferriss

Stomatotypes? Did I misspell “somatotypes”? I couldn’t find the error…

Like

2013-01-28 07:31:40 Tim Ferriss

Chris, it’s in the “Expanded and Updated” edition, which has (I believe) about 100 pages of case studies from readers. Here’s the link:
http://amzn.to/14oCTk0

Like

2013-01-28 06:56:33 Tim Ferriss

Nope, you’re all set. Thanks again!

Like

2013-01-26 01:56:45 Tim Ferriss

That’s totally OK 🙂

Like

2013-01-26 01:54:21 Tim Ferriss

Hi Sioban,

If there were all dated this week, sure 🙂

Tim

Like

2013-01-24 19:37:37 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Elizabeth! The form should work fine now.

Like

2013-01-24 19:36:55 Tim Ferriss

Thank you so much, Jeff! This is awesome news that made my day. I love to fact that, surprisingly, some of my best feedback has come from chefs. I was really worried I’d get some backlash, but the industry peeps have been super cool.

Like

2013-01-24 19:34:35 Tim Ferriss

Just go to your order history on Amazon and take a screenshot of the last two orders as one image. That should do it 🙂

Like

2013-01-24 19:32:40 Tim Ferriss

I wish I’d known earlier, too! Amazon only told me yesterday afternoon, alas.

Like

2013-01-24 19:31:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Bill. Yes, you can do that.

Like

2013-01-24 19:30:14 Tim Ferriss

Sorry, only to hardcover orders this time…

Like

2013-01-24 15:58:03 Tim Ferriss

Hi Taylor — you can see it now that it’s live. Just click on the right-hand side.

Like

2013-01-24 15:55:19 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Brandon, and congrats on the steak! It’s my absolute fave. That rosemary/ghee/fat sauce is also the icing on the cake.

Like

2013-01-24 15:54:29 Tim Ferriss

Sure. No problem. That said, the three books would really help me out 🙂

Like

2013-01-24 15:53:45 Tim Ferriss

Hi Michael — thank you and congrats! I personally go 2x/week on Mondays and Fridays. See the kettlebell swing technique video on this blog, as well. It’ll help. Have fun 🙂

Like

2013-01-24 15:53:00 Tim Ferriss

UK page is fine (just get the UK version), and the 404 error should be fixed. Thx!

Like

2013-01-24 15:51:05 Tim Ferriss

Yes, that’s fine. I’ll clarify in the post. Thx for the reminder!

Like

2013-01-24 13:22:32 Tim Ferriss

UK and international are fine!

Like

2013-01-24 13:20:04 Tim Ferriss

Thank you so much for the kind comment, Ed! Wonderful to hear from you. I might see you soon back in BsAs. I have to get my dancing back up to speed 🙂

Un abrazo gordo desde SF,

Tim

Like

2013-01-19 01:18:39 Tim Ferriss

Haha… I saw that. Seems like he mixed up the instructions a bit. The goal is optimize your performance, not screw up your employer!

Like

2013-01-17 08:51:45 Tim Ferriss

Agreed on WWOOF! I believe it’s in 4HWW, and there also might be a post on this blog about it.

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2013-01-17 08:50:33 Tim Ferriss

I understand the fear but don’t think it needs to damage the company. Take Evernote, for instance. Free forever, used that way by 99% of users (I’m guessing). Those who want bonus features or added services can choose paid add-ons.

Like

2013-01-17 07:11:44 Tim Ferriss

Great recommendation! Thank you, Lucas!

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2013-01-17 01:36:32 Tim Ferriss

Ah… thanks, Scott. I don’t know the details, but I can say this: running a non-profit is tough. It’s also hard to attract the best talent. From what I know, the B Corp is a great approach for building socially-conscious (by requirement) businesses that are sustainable through for-profit revenue streams. Having seen a lot of good done by such companies, it strikes me as an investment in the future, but I could be off base. Sadly, a lot of the most talented people leave non-profits after a few years, and offering them financial rewards for good work that does good seems like a good move to me.

Like

2013-01-17 01:34:33 Tim Ferriss

Hahaha… maybe that could become my signature, like Gilbert Gottfried (sp?).

Like

2013-01-17 01:29:47 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Oliver!

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2013-01-17 01:25:37 Tim Ferriss

Yes, I do like gardening and think it taps into a similar primal/manual urge. Foraging even more so…

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2013-01-17 01:24:36 Tim Ferriss

Oh, boy, here we go…

To reiterate the blog comment rules: PLAY NICE! Please be constructive. No personal attacks needed on either side.

On pet peeve, though: assuming all Hindus think one way is no worse than implying/assuming NCA is white, so please… let’s drop this fight. Also, I’m not a big fan of using “sin” or “sinful” on this blog, so let’s avoid that as well.

All the same, thank you for contributing to the dialog,

Tim

Like

2013-01-17 01:23:01 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment. How has it become commercial? Do you mean popular and more mainstream?

Like

2013-01-17 01:15:03 Tim Ferriss

Hi Michael,

Stick with the deadlift. Once you change the program (Barry Ross’s), it’s no longer the program. Cleans have higher injury potential, and the squats can cause issues for some athletes.

In this case, at age 17, I’d suggest you use Barry’s program as described. It a GREAT program that will give you outstanding results.

Good luck!

Tim

Like

2013-01-11 19:58:43 Tim Ferriss

John, here’s what Heather from Evernote had to say:

“At a very base level, the image that is chosen for the snippet view is the “largest” image we find in the body of the note. If all images are the same overall size, we’ll take the first one.

If it’s a clipping that has a large (pixelwise) background image, that can supercede any other images you have in the note.

So – try editing your images so that the one you want to show up in the snippet is the one that is the highest quality/pixel depth.”

Like

2012-12-22 04:58:42 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Andre! Great find!

Like

2012-12-22 03:02:26 Tim Ferriss

Hi John,

Great question! I’ll ask them now via email.

Happy holidays!

Tim

Like

2012-12-22 02:56:06 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for the support, Mike. The box won’t disappoint!

Happy holidays to you and yours 🙂

Tim

Like

2012-12-21 02:31:30 Tim Ferriss

Got it for free from a start-up named Plancast while at sxsw.com a few years ago 🙂

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2012-12-20 21:13:21 Tim Ferriss

I cover that in some of my other “Marketing” category posts. Look to the right sidebar!

Liked by 1 person

2012-12-18 21:02:38 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Chris! Hahaha… you mean the “why are you bald?” question? That was hysterical. He was genuinely asking, so I didn’t take it personally. Jason Statham makes it work. Since I’ve been shaving my head since 12 for wrestling, it’s not much of a transition 🙂

Liked by 1 person

2012-12-18 21:00:19 Tim Ferriss

Check out Shopify — Ottawa, Canada!

Liked by 1 person

2012-12-18 20:57:26 Tim Ferriss

Good idea. Here’s some fun stuff in the meantime, all done with Dave Camarillo, BJJ black belt:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2012/01/08/tim-ferriss-getting-his-ass-kicked-how-to-survive-a-physical-attack-video-series/

He also did a great BJJ demo with me on http://www.creativelive.com

Cheers!

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2012-12-12 22:34:03 Tim Ferriss

On it! Thanks for the catch!

🙂

Tim

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2012-12-12 21:53:37 Tim Ferriss

Testing Comments

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2008-03-08 00:47:25 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I totally agree that the wording is REALLY confusing on the proposition.

It’s like putting a bunch of double-negatives in anything. “Do you not agree that the US shouldn’t stop people from quitting smoking?” Huh? Better wording needed, for sure.

Tim

Like

2008-03-05 23:33:45 Tim Ferriss

More kids! More kids!

And — guys, keep them coming — but what happened to the women out there?

Tim

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2008-02-29 13:41:51 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Great comments and discussion.

Here is the PDF that Dr. Eades referred to, titled “Metabolic Syndrome and Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diets in the Medical School Biochemistry Curriculum”:

http://www.hscbklyn.edu/kingsbrook/pdf's/Feinman&Makowske.pdf [the URL is being broken up by the apostrophe, so copy and paste the whole thing]

Enjoy 🙂

Tim

Like

2008-02-27 07:30:58 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great feedback. Dr. Eades actually sleeps, where I am a night owl, so I expect he’ll be joining us tomorrow to add his additional thoughts.

In the meantime, just a few things:

@Jaredb –
If you’re training for a marathon, a strict low-carb diet makes little sense. I would focus on low-glycemic index carbs (more to come on the pros/cons of this soon), avoid white carbs in general, and perhaps consider a cyclical ketogenic diet if you need to lose bodyfat for competitive or performance purposes.

@Aaron –
What’s to be made of the violent winners at the Oscar’s? Not much, I think. In this case, I think you just have a coincidental confluence of good filmmakers with scripts that contain violence.

@All –
More on my cholesterol modification and familial food allergies to come.

G’night,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2008-02-26 09:39:07 Tim Ferriss

@ Donovan and Shaolin

Hi Guys,

For HTML, here’s what is happening and driving me nuts:

the tags are fine, then when I save or publish — poof! — the closing tag disappears and all the text below that point becomes bold. It’s quite a glitch and I’d never seen it before today.

Any ideas?

Tim

Like

2008-02-22 02:09:36 Tim Ferriss

I’ve also seen groups within companies — even divisions — set an e-mail checking schedule to avoid any endless loops with autoresponders. That can cut 40-60% of internally-generated e-mail alone.

BTW, I know WordPress is acting up with the formatting on the blog (bold vs. unbolded, etc.). WTF?

Tim

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2008-02-22 00:25:42 Tim Ferriss

IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL:

A good question from a reader and my response:

Tim-

Perhaps you can speak a bit more about how far you want your readers to go [with the wiki edits]. I could imagine providing nicely designed charts and graphics, or writing entire paragraphs of suggested material and sharing case studies- but that seems like it might be going way beyond what you intend.

Your thoughts?

###

Hi Jed,

Good point. I encourage people to contribute as much as they feel comfortable contributing without getting compensated for it, whether that’s diagrams, graphs, rewording of paragraphs, entirely new paragraphs, case studies, new chapter suggestions, or just a typo/URL correction. In the case of a really good diagram or something like that, I would try and get the publisher to give attribution or “based on” for credit, but I wouldn’t be able to promise it.

That certainly wouldn’t prevent me from giving credit to them if I shared it on the site, however. Great question!

Tim

Like

2008-02-20 19:52:35 Tim Ferriss

IMPORTANT NOTE:

One reader commented:

The RSS feed for this post mentions a Nintendo Wii and Guitar Hero. Yet, reading the above article, I see no mention of these items. Was the Nintendo Wii mentioned solely to drive traffic to your site?

###

Hi Erik,

Not at all! This was a screw up on my part. I was brainstorming ideas and looking at other contests people had run. The post was a 1st draft and instead of hitting “save,” I accidentally hit “publish.” Totally my goof.

Any idea on how to re-push via RSS?

Do I need to rename the post title to do so? I’m a Luddite — please help if you can.

Thanks!

Tim

Like

2008-02-20 05:40:08 Tim Ferriss

@David

I totally agree that a class in financial literacy should be made part of the core curriculum. Feel free to quote that if it helps. What good is educating students and putting them in a world that requires financial literacy if they’re not prepared? FYI, your link includes a period and thus turns up as an error. Here it is for others:
http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=48913&comview=1

@All

Happy Valentine’s Day! 🙂

Tim

Like

2008-02-15 01:37:59 Tim Ferriss

Hello Boys and Girls,

I’ll get you the results here soon! Please be patient as I read your very, very amusing answers 🙂

Tim

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2008-02-13 11:59:48 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

From a recent email from a friend:

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:

a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

G’night,

Tim

Like

2008-02-11 07:51:41 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jose,

I’d believe Mexico City. How do you know?

Tim

Like

2008-02-10 00:32:23 Tim Ferriss

The diagonal flip I’m talking about in the first video above is immediately after the backflip off the wall.

Tim

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2008-02-09 21:47:14 Tim Ferriss

Parkour is unreal. My favorite move in the initial Casino Royale chase scene is the dive head-first over the 10-15-foot table. Incredible.

Still, I can’t figure out the diagonal flip in this first video where the kid catches the ball on his instep and lands in a dribble. WTF? What happens when you mess that up?

Ouch.

Tim

Like

2008-02-09 21:45:43 Tim Ferriss

Just a little snippet I like from The Paradox of Choice:

A maximizer is like a perfectionist, someone who needs to be assured that their every purchase or decision was the best that could be made. The way a maximizer knows for certain is to consider all the alternatives they can imagine. This creates a psychologically daunting task, which can become even more daunting as the number of options increases. The alternative to maximizing is to be a satisficer. A satisficer has criteria and standards, but a satisficer is not worried about the possibility that there might be something better. Ultimately, Schwartz agrees with Simon’s conclusion, that satisficing is, in fact, the maximizing strategy.

-Tim

Like

2008-02-09 02:03:36 Tim Ferriss

Place nice, kiddies! Or maybe you’re just flirting with each other? Hard to tell…

Timbo

Like

2008-02-08 22:05:44 Tim Ferriss

FYI, I say 180K, but list is much less. The price can get jacked up due to dealer pre-selling at higher margins due to demand.

Tim

Like

2008-02-01 02:31:20 Tim Ferriss

Jeremy, the Audi is INSANE. I won’t tell it all here, but there will be more coming on this. Google the R8 and you’ll see every tuner’s dream. I’d never driven a optimized supercar, and — while I won’t be buying one — it’s worth every penny. More to come 🙂

Tim

Like

2008-01-30 08:46:53 Tim Ferriss

Quick question for all, as I’m testing a plug-in: if you read this post in RSS, did the entire post display, or did it get cut off?

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Tim

Like

2008-01-25 08:02:31 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, guys. I’ve wanted to write this post for a while.

@Diana:

The three biggest challenges when hiring VAs:

1. Letting go of micro-managing and being willing to let the small bad things happen in the beginning. It’s all part of the process.

2. Firing VAs upon which you become semi-dependent if they stop performing. It’s hard to do, but it’s like a band-aid — faster is better. It’s not that hard to find replacements.

3. Shifting from a “per hour” mindset to a “per project” mindset. Someone who costs $20/hour might be cheaper than someone who costs $5/hour if they take 1/4 the time or do great work with fewer mistakes. Look at the cost per completed project or per week, not just per hour.

Hope that helps!

Tim

Like

2008-01-22 05:23:52 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great dialog and comments.

Regarding Twitter, I haven’t gone to the “dark side” by any stretch!

I’m experimenting with Twitter and another cool tool coming soon to keep in touch with you guys on things that aren’t worth clogging your RSS feeds with.

Soooo… for example, if I’m going to a party last-minute and want to extend an open invite to you guys, Twitter would be a good avenue.

We’ll see where it goes, but it’s all a micro-test, as you’d expect 🙂

Pura vida — off to Sabbia in La Barra,

Tim

Like

2008-01-09 04:47:23 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Just a few responses:

1. I will be in the UK around the first week of April for the UK release of 4HWW. See you there!

2. For apartments in general, I often use the good ‘ol http://www.craigslist.org

Off to sun — pura vida 😉

Tim

Like

2008-01-01 22:14:58 Tim Ferriss

Oh, and I didn’t forget about “collective filtering”… I just wanted to get this one out right around X-mas/holiday time. Good time to reflect. Collective filtering and other hacks to come, but think BIG picture first 🙂

Happy Holidays!

Tim

Like

2007-12-22 04:54:18 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jose,

My quick answer (See my next blog post as well)? I like CA more than NY, but I still LOVE NYC in small doses. Otherwise it turns me into Woody Allen, which isn’t my idea of fun 😉

Tim

Like

2007-12-18 06:48:00 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Thank you for the great comments!

I also wanted to give a shout out and thank you to Jema Watts (www.e-ssistance.com) who helped me fix the ridiculously small font on the email version of these posts.

Now people can actually read it!

Thanks, Jema 🙂

Tim

Like

2007-11-29 21:11:39 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi Geo,

I completely agree that meditation doesn’t have to be tied to mysticism and judgment.

The most effective types, in my opinion, aren’t at all. Unfortunately, it’s difficult for many people to get through all the misinformation to find them, hence the suggestion that gratitude training be considered as a simple alternative. Ideally, it would make the perfect compliment, not a replacement.

All the best,

Tim

Like

2007-11-20 06:41:18 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

I’m thrilled at the level of participation and discussion on this post.

Let me try and address a concern that has come up a few times: am I tricking or deceiving people?

This post was really just bouncing ideas off of the readers of this blog, as this is where I like to get feedback as much as expound.

I do think it is useful to see underneath the polite exterior sooner rather than later with people, but it doesn’t require deception at all, just putting the two of you in challenging circumstances. No funny business required.

A nice, but physically demanding, 3-hour hike might often do the trick. The examples I gave were just a few brain ticklers to get people talking and discussing the bigger issue of choosing relationships carefully.

Hope that helps! 🙂

Tim

Like

2007-11-19 23:17:31 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

Wow… I love the dialog, and thanks for contributing. A few things:

1. Could it be that I used this entire post to see how different readers would respond to a controversial viewpoint? 🙂

2. I often use this blog to develop ideas I’m playing with or exploring. I don’t use all 6 of these potential approaches on everyone; not at all. These are just a few examples of how people demonstrate character, and some don’t apply well to all people (like introverts, as one person noted). These are just some ideas that I find interesting.

3. I haven’t had my date yet, but I most likely won’t be barraging her with all sorts of manufactured disasters! That’s not my style — again, this post is exploring a few concepts. I’m a bit more subtle, and I’d like to think nicer, than that!

4. “That’s why I don’t have a girlfriend/wife/etc.” Not true. My past relationships have been great, and I date plenty. I just have extremely high standards. I haven’t found the right person for a lifelong relationship — that’s why I’m not married yet, not because I keep on creating stressful situations for dates who get fed up and punch me in the face 🙂

5. For tardiness: I forgive people once or twice if they have good reasons. After that, I just leave or remove them from my life. I don’t have time to constantly wait for people who don’t value the time of others. Just like in personal outsourcing, I gauge reliability before everything else. Every once in a while, sh*t happens and people are late — that’s fine. But if it’s a habit, that’s fatal.

Keep the ideas and observations (tweaks and other suggestions, too) coming!

Thanks for contributing,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2007-11-15 23:19:11 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi Geo and Andrew and all,

Alex is definitely a controversial figure, but that doesn’t necessarily make him 100% reckless. I’ll let him respond here if he can, but this is from his company website:

“Team Polizei has a flawless safety record across 8 rallies in four years, covering over 25,000 miles in the US, Europe, Asia & Africa.”

Is driving 130mph safe? Probably not, but I’m not heroizing Alex. I’m just presenting a picture of someone how has chosen to create a unique life and lifestyle. You might agree or disagree with his choices, but I just want to get you questioning assumptions about your own lives.

Hope that helps!

Tim

Like

2007-11-14 22:00:58 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

So many cool observations and questions. Let me try and answer/comment upon a few:

-Joe, I didn’t know that ASL uses SOV. That is too cool! Esperanto, anyone?

-Michel Thomas CDs are one of the few collections I recommend. Very, very good. The usual Pimsleur tend to be WAY too slow and repetitive for most brains. His CDs are Pimsleur on steroids.

-Celebs and gatekeepers. Make friends with gatekeepers. For many celebs and other high-profile folks, they make a lot of the decisions. Leave voicemail the first time, then wait a while before doing so again.

-Business plans for bank financing due to having to prepurchase lots of inventory. My rec’s: #1 – reconsider buying lots of inventory upfront and look at other business models that don’t require it. #2 – check out “guerrilla financing” http://www.amazon.com/Guerrilla-Financing-Marketing-Bruce-Blechman/dp/0395522641/ref=sr_1_1/002-0498323-6621606?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194491939&sr=8-1,
#3 – get “The Entrepreneurial Venture” http://www.amazon.com/Guerrilla-Financing-Marketing-Bruce-Blechman/dp/0395522641/ref=sr_1_1/002-0498323-6621606?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194491939&sr=8-1

-Where to find foreign language manga? Amazon, Amazon in your target country, or find a friend in that city via Craigslist or whatever and beg 🙂

Hope that helps!

Tim

Like

2007-11-08 03:28:14 Tim Ferriss

Hi Sean,

I don’t do too many events at all, but keep an eye out. I’ll announce them as they get confirmed. Sorry the MIT announcement was so late, as it was free. There will be more, though I don’t know exactly when.

All the best — I remember being a poor college student 😉

Tim

Like

2007-11-07 05:23:41 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

FYI, all people who registered for the teleseminar will be receiving full details via e-mail within the next 48 hours, so no later than Thursday at 5pm PST. It will be fun and very dense on actionable tips. I’m looking forward to it.

Pura vida,

Tim

Like

2007-11-06 20:11:45 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Thanks for the great contributions to the conversation! Gabrielle, no worries at all. I’m not being too serious — I know you were just ribbing, and I need it sometimes 🙂

FYI, all people registered for the teleseminar will be receiving full details via e-mail within the next 48 hours, so no later than Thursday at 5pm PST. It will be fun and very dense on actionable tips.

All the best,

Tim

Like

2007-11-06 20:06:32 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jenn and All,

Thanks for the great contributions to the conversation, everyone!

Jenn, all people registered for the tele-seminar will be receiving full details via e-mail within the next 48 hours, so no later than Thursday at 5pm PST. It will be fun and very fun and dense on actionable tips.

All the best,

Tim

Like

2007-11-06 20:02:43 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thank you so much for all of your support. This has been an amazing experience. A few answers…

1. SXSW — I am officially in! I will be moderating a panel called “The Art of Speed” It will be awesome, so register for SXSW Interactive at http://www.sxsw.com.

2. Raina, I will probably only be in PHX for one day, but if you can find me, I’m down to hang out and grab coffee. It all depends on my obligations for that 24-hour period (or less) on the ground, but I’ll do my best if you are able to come to the event. I doubt I’ll be able to travel outside of the event.

3. David, you are an inspiration. Incredible.

4. Salvador, it takes a lot to make me jealous, but a 12-month motorcycle tour of Latin America does the trick. You might hear from me some day soon 😉

Pura vida for you all,

Tim

Like

2007-11-06 06:42:46 Tim Ferriss

Hi TJ,

Yes, this is a BIG experiment 🙂 I don’t mind dating/hunting/courting, but this is a more interesting science experiment.

I like girls who are willing to step outside of the box, so we’ll see…

Tim

Like

2007-10-31 05:44:46 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Andre, the how to live like a rock star is Tokyo is actually already written. It’s coming out in one of the magazines by 80/20 Publishing. Not sure of the name, but I’ll let you know when I see it.

Answering: what happened to outsourcing dating? Here’s the choice: pay assistants to find girls who are hit and miss (still find some winners, though); or have women pay to date me and qualify themselves. Which would you choose? The latter is much easier and benefits a cause, so I’m testing it out. I’m still down for a good hunt, but this is worth trying out and a nice role reversal for a change.

For Caline: thanks for the note. For all people who contact me via Match — yes, I’m always looking for good long-term female candidates, BUT I really need photos upfront. I don’t do long online e-mail romances, and it helps everyone to see if the chemistry works in the beginning.

Hopefully some fun announcements coming soon…

Tim

Like

2007-10-31 02:54:29 Tim Ferriss

Hi Dane,

To be honest, I think it might be hard to merge the two. I don’t know the first thing about Facebook Causes, but someone else here might. I wish I could help more!

Victory,

Yes, I will speaking at the same event as Sir Richard Branson from Nov. 8-10. I’m not doing any one-on-ones or small groups, but I’ll be there. Bill Phillips will also be speaking. Smart cookies.

Thanks so much for getting off the bench and making a difference!

Tim

Like

2007-10-30 21:11:32 Tim Ferriss

Hi Raina,

More info on speaking to come in the next post. One thing at a time for me. Single tasking 🙂

Tim

Like

2007-10-30 18:36:49 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

Thanks for all the great comments and questions. Let me answer a few things:

1. The book will be coming out in Russian and Hebrew, though I don’t have the dates.

2. Contractors and performance-based outsourcers handle almost 100% of my business, so: 1) I wasn’t ignoring customer service issues easily solved in 10 minutes, as I haven’t handled them for more than 4 years, and 2) No one is depending on me for 100% of their income, nor their childrens’ college tuition.

3. The gun range name… good question! Attila, can you help here? I no speak the Slovak.

4. The death of the fulfillment president wasn’t a breakdown in automation. I did have a contingency plan for this type of crisis, and everything was rolled over and running smoothly within 48 hours. The transition of communication is what cost orders, as — to avoid people being charged but not receiving product — we simply refunded nearly everyone who’d ordered in the last 2 weeks. I had no desire to deal with complaints or chargebacks, even if just a few, so I took the financial hit as a quality-of-life tax.

5. Knau, as you suggested, I did have an autoresponder set that explained I was overseas and checking e-mail infrequently. I also had an assistant checking e-mail, who was on the alert to get in touch via secret means if absolutely necessary. Most — but certainly not all — people who want something NOW either 1) don’t need it now, and/or 2) are people you don’t want to do business with. They’ll drive you nuts with 30 e-mail a day.

Hope that helps!

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2007-10-26 16:59:02 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Tim here. I am in Tokyo and have to hit bed before a big day tomorrow, but I wanted to mention that AJ does actually tackle the New Testament as well. He makes no claims to be the world’s foremost expert in the bible, but does do his homework, and his religious advisors (rabbis, priests, etc.) are 1st-class.

A good thought-provoker, regardless of where you are on the spectrum.

O-yasumi!

Tim

Like

2007-10-12 11:56:06 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the comments. To answer a few questions:

-Money is definitely not the only way to give back! Let me clear up a misconception about LitLiberation: you DO NOT need to donate any of you own money. The competition rewards the best fundraiser — the person who can influence the most people to develop the habit of giving — not necessarily the person with the biggest bank account. Providing your time and effort is definitely as valid, often more valid, than simply writing a check. Remember: giving back the right way is the same as empowering others. Empowering others takes action, not lots of money.

-The date for the call won’t be determined for a bit, but if you pay for it and can’t make the date, I’ll refund the amount, so no worries. Best to sign up and then just get the refund if you can’t make it.

-Jesse, I’m a fan of Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute, but I called and emailed them to be involved with LitLiberation, and no one ever returned the inquiries. I take response time as a good gauge of how quickly non-profits can capitalize on good opportunities, so they are not included in this campaign. I’m nervous about giving my money to any group that won’t return my calls for weeks on end. Perhaps in the future, as I am a fan of what they’re doing in Afghanistan.

Thanks to all!

Tim

Like

2007-10-05 13:20:22 Tim Ferriss

Thanks to all for the great comments and suggestions! A few things:

-Please be patient with comments getting approved! It can take some time, so don’t assume you’ve been censored, as it’s probably just me or my VAs on an airplane. Big things on the horizon…

-I am going to continue my move to mac. If they had their top-secret solid-state laptops out already, I’d be 100%. These will be tiny and replace my Sony VAIO. Vista is the devil.

-The wait-list for the bracelets is real, as some have noted! Waiting 6 months is not uncommon, as they don’t charge for them and get snowed under quickly. Hence the billion-dollar value of my four bracelets I’ll be mailing out 😉

-You guys rock. The comments to this post alone could be used to completely redesign your most damaging behaviors. Cool. I’ll be rereading these later.

All the best,

Tim

Like

2007-09-18 21:12:07 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great comments and contributions to the discussion. I love the Robert Heinlein quote.

A few clarifications:

1) “World-class” to me is being the top 1-5% most proficient of all people who practice a certain skill.

2) I stated you could become world-class in almost any skill, not all. There are some limits on sports (powerlifting, etc.) that require massive physical adaptation of connective tissue, but motor skills can be learned quickly. I had never done ballroom or partner dancing of any type before training 5 months to set the world record in tango and also get to the semi-finals of the world championships, for example.

3. It IS possible to be both a generalist and a specialist. When I did tango, I did it for 6-8 hours a day. Did I specialize? Yes, but I only did so for a total of about 8 months. Thus, I’m a macro-generalist and a micro-specialist.

4. There are pros and cons to both being a specialist and being a generalist. This post was just a few reasons on the “pro” side of generalists. I’ll let you guys battle out the rest 😉

5. I believe education, including formal education, can be extremely valuable. I wouldn’t trade my liberal arts education for the world. There are crappy teachers and good teachers both inside and outside of institutions. The prizes go to those who seek out the best teachers.

Hope that helps, and keep up the comments!

Tim

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2007-09-14 22:58:54 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great observations and suggestions. The contest details will be coming between now and the first week of October. Hope to have more soon 😉

Pura vida,

Tim

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2007-09-12 01:24:02 Tim Ferriss

Mike, if you like judo, you HAVE to see the throws at the end of the next installment. Dave is Olympic-caliber and BJ Penn calls him the best in the world at combining jiu-jitsu and judo.

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2007-09-08 07:19:43 Tim Ferriss

Oh, and I forgot: I would LOVE to teach Napoleon Dynamite judo 🙂

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2007-09-08 05:11:46 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Let me try and answer a few of the questions and comments:

1. Small joint manipulation is valid, just don’t forget that someone can knock you out while you’re going for the hold. Next time you drill, but a 16-ounce glove on your partner’s free hand and let them hit you at 50% power. It’s a different world.

2. I am a fan of some of the Krav Maga weapon defenses (some, but not all), but I’ve never seen a Krav Maga person beat a good MMA or BJJ fighter, even when illegal moves are permitted.

3. Situational awareness is very important. I tend to avoid most bars altogether, and I always assume that a potential aggressor has a weapon. I encourages you to use your mouth for diplomacy or negotiation vs. getting into a brawl. I’ve never seen anyone but good boxers and good muay thai fighters take out multiple opponents, and that’s assuming you have them all in front of you. Three big football players could still kill Lennox Lewis if they surrounded and attacked at once. Bruce Lee taking our a building of people is for the movies. If you don’t believe me, let an athletic friend get a choke on you from behind at the same time that you let another friend hit you with 16-ounce gloves from the front. No fun.

4. I’m not out of ideas for the blog! Please note that this is NOT a strict 4HWW blog. It is about lifestyle design and otherwise a place for me to explore different concepts. I already wrote the 4HWW and have no desire to rewrite it on this blog. I’ll cover tons of related topics, new techniques, etc., but this blog is broader.

5. Dave Camarillo will talk more in the next videos 😉

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tim

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2007-09-08 05:09:03 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Ernst, thanks for the question about the title and if I think it’s misleading. I don’t think 4HWW is misleading, but people take it literally without reading the book. But that’s OK.

I wanted to elicit a strong response with the book, and the first step is getting attention. I can’t argue the points until someone picks up the book, but I wanted no more than a “WTF?” response resulting in picking up the book, whether to enjoy it or disprove it.

There were other titles, but I’m all for controversy as a means of getting the foot in the door.

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-09-05 07:22:51 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Just a few answers to your questions:

1. The dive was over Monterey bay — absolutely gorgeous.
2. You get out of the front flips by arching your body and assuming the standard skydive hover position.
3. As for how I dissect different topics, I’ll be delving into that very soon using languages as the example!

Pura vida,

Tim

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2007-09-04 21:12:35 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Simon, I now make my yerba mate tea is a way that is sacrilege for any true Argentine. First, I just boil the water (a HUGE no-no for real mate drinkers), then I wet about 1/2 of the yerba leaves I have put in a metal mate cup (purists only use gourd or special wood). I use the mate “con palo” (with stems) because my “bombilla,” or mate straw, tends to get clogged otherwise.

Sara, for lucid dreaming, just get LaBerge’s books and you’ll be set. I used to reach lucidity every night while keeping a consistent sleep journal, but it’s very easy to look the skill, which hinges on cultivating visual awareness during waking hours.

Good luck to all!

Tim

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2007-08-27 08:47:47 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Charles, I agree with Pressfield’s “just get it done” mindset when it applies to idea generation, which is more mechanical for me, as opposed to organization or synthesis (e.g. putting the ideas into prose).

Tom, sorry about the small font! I’ll look into it.

Dan and Victory, the espresso power nap is something I’ve experimented with. First, the duration of the nap — 20 minutes or less — prevents you from entering sleep cycles that would leave you feeling fatigued upon waking (60 minutes kills me). Second, caffeine inhibits adenosine, which makes you feel sleepy. Here’s some of the research: http://www.sleepdex.org/caffeine-nap.htm

Tom B, sorry about neglecting under-18 in the survey! I was experimenting with lucid dreaming and woke up last night after 4.5 hours to help promote lucidity upon going back to sleep. I just missed it and won’t next time.

Keep on rocking!

Tim

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2007-08-25 19:08:31 Tim Ferriss

Hi Rob,

Nice catch on the typo! Writing an e-mail to my editor now… Man, you can have a dozen proofreaders read a book 1,000 times and still miss things. It’s amazing…

Thanks!

Tim

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2007-08-08 21:51:17 Tim Ferriss

Hi Dan,

This is no farewell post! The book is just the beginning, and this blog will hopefully be much bigger. Cool experiments are on the way…

As for “legacy”, I view it as the lasting contribution you leave behind. This can take many forms, including simply mentoring a single child or student.

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-08-07 20:57:38 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thank you so, so much for the kind words!

Victory, I don’t know Warren Whitlock, but I’m a big fan of Rick Frishman’s book PR. He works for Planned Television Arts (PTA) in NYC.

Coop, you’re a nut! CrossFit is a killer program. I’ve trained with them in CA, and it’s a favorite among fighters. Watch out for the wall ball circuit. Bring a bucket.

As for adding “wisdom” or “love” to the poll… that would make it a tad bit too easy, would it not? I want these questions to make you ask yourself hard questions. That’s how your brain gets big and strong 😉

G’night,

Tim

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2007-08-07 07:27:36 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the wonderful new recommendations and observations.

There will be much more coming on the ever nebulous concept of “happiness” and the fascinating field of comparative economics… how do we get past “keeping up with the Joneses”? It’s coming!

In the meantime, have a kick-ass weekend!

Tim

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2007-08-02 21:15:37 Tim Ferriss

Hi There,

Victory, that is a fantastic story! I love it!

Paul, brilliant catch. I was wondering when someone would point out that I used “should” in the headline. LOL… well done! It’s important to have fun with the small “stuff” 😉

Have a brilliant weekend, all,

Tim

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2007-07-28 17:39:30 Tim Ferriss

Hello All!

James, I also dig Aquarius but usually water it down a bit first.

Victory, please DO NOT post the interview anywhere. It is definitely for your ears only, and it would get me in trouble with Jack if it were to be posted everywhere, not to mention that it would be unfair to people who are getting the 10 books for this content. Thanks for understanding! There will be plenty of content coming soon that you can put on http://www.ning.com, and I appreciate the enthusiasm.

Alex, the interview should go out within 24-48 hours of you sending the BN.com email receipt to amy-at-fourhourworkweek.com I’ll also follow up with her to make sure.

Thanks to all!

Tim

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2007-07-27 18:13:07 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Kevin, correct you are. I ask that people use http://www.bn.com for multiple-copy orders because they count each book as an order. Amazon counts one order as one order, whether it’s one book or 500. http://www.bn.com is definitely what I recommend if you are an aspiring bestselling author and people are buying multiple copies.

Peter and Corri, your questions are related. I’ll cover a bunch of learning in future posts, but the 3 questions I generally ask are:

1. What were the 1-3 best uses of time and money when you did ___?

2. What were the 1-3 biggest wastes of time and money when you did ___?

3. If you were me, what would you be doing, and who would you speak with?

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-07-27 06:05:50 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Great recommendations, and I love the observation about beer being safer than water in places. Most true.

Also, if you choose bottled water in areas with poor water safety (which I’d recommend), do not have ice! It comes from the tap or worse in most cases.

UnaBonger, if you’re having trouble with the video, please see the link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOxJ_uho02E

Anyone else having video issues?

Keep the recommendations coming 😉

Tim

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2007-07-26 20:18:15 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great comments. Just a few more ideas/responses:

-Ron, I would never outsource reading to my kids, but I think it’s a hysterical exercise that helps to cultivate lateral thinking that can be applied in more practical cases. I’m really looking forward to having a few hellions and relishing every moment of it. I only outsource the things I don’t want to do.

-Sam, no need to shoot yourself in the head. Again, I only outsource the things I don’t want to do, which leaves me with more time to do the fun stuff. It’s about creating rich experiences vs. a string of endless mundane ones.

-To all who asked about me outsourcing the blog: I don’t outsource any of it right now. Akismet catches nearly all spam, and I’m actually enjoying this whole experiment of interacting with people all over. It’s fun. Keep in mind that I only post once or twice a week, so I don’t have some of the pressures/expectations that many bloggers create for themselves.

Keep the ideas and thoughts coming!

All the best from NY,

Tim

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2007-07-24 18:21:19 Tim Ferriss

FYI, the embedded video was too slow, so here are some alternatives:

http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/4hourworkweek/index.html
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/4hourworkweek/index2.html

If those don’t work for you:
http://www.faosd.com/videos/4hww/businessweek.swf
http://www.faosd.com/videos/4hww/foxnfriends.swf

😉

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2007-07-20 19:18:17 Tim Ferriss

LOL… I mentioned no names! That said, here is my dream: challenging Colbert to a good ‘ol fashioned American breakdancing battle. He can run, but he can’t hide… 😉

Anybody taking bets? He may have some footwork, but he’s never seen my air freezes or swipes.

Tim

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2007-07-20 02:38:36 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Julien, I hear you, but I’ll tell you this much: I know one gent who was scheduled for Oprah and he decided to sell a book two days before the show aired. He received high 6 figures after a few phone calls.

Being on a national show like Oprah gives you one thing: options. It doesn’t obligate you to anything, but it gives you some very powerful new doors to open, should you choose.

As you know, I wouldn’t do anything that would tie me down for long 😉

Have a killer weekend!

Tim

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2007-07-19 23:35:45 Tim Ferriss

Hi Robert,

I commend your vote. Thank you so much for taking action! I just want people to get off the couch and fight for whichever cause speaks to them. The effort is so minimal, and the effect is enormous.

Allow me to explain my reasons for personally choosing education and DonorsChoose:

Education is, after much research, what I believe has the greatest long-term potential to solve all of our problems: potable water, AIDS, malaria, racial discrimination, unfair trade agreements for developing countries, and all of the rest. Limiting education and DonorsChoose to colored pencils isn’t really fair. They’ve already directly helped in preventing teen pregnancies and getting future leaders from low-income areas on the path to college.

Adding people without adding the tools — education and confidence — can create more problems than it solves. Increased disease, famine, and war are just three examples. The US, for example, has no problem multiplying its population; it’s training those people to get along and build a better future that’s the challenge.

So why DonorsChoose? Many non-profits sound great on paper and then fail in execution. I’ve seen inside DonorsChoose. They are streamlined like a Silicon Valley start-up, have helped more than 600,000 students with almost no resources, and they have superstars guiding them, including the Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures, the founder of NetFlix, the co-founder of Yahoo, and Bill Bradley, among many others. Their corporate partners include Crate and Barrel and Yahoo. It goes on and on.

With even $1 million, let alone $5 million, DonorsChoose can change the future of US education. I’ve seen them execute.

I don’t expect them to get everyone’s vote, but they get mine. Get involved and vote, whichever direction you go! http://www.membersproject.com/Education/5630

Stand up and make a difference — you really can.

Tim

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2007-07-17 21:14:12 Tim Ferriss

Hi Andrea,

Cool — BJJ is fun. No need to get hit in the face. Just do the grappling and skip MMA sparring. Be sure to wear a mouthguard and headgear, though, as missing teeth and cauliflower ears are not good for attracting the opposite sex. At least, not the people you want to attract!

Anyone reading this not know about cauliflower ears? Here you go:
http://www.ghorayeb.com/CauliflowerEar.html

With that image in my head, I bid you all goodnight 🙂

Tim

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2007-07-16 10:28:27 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Michael Davis, thanks so much for the brilliant suggestions for family 4HWW.

Adam, I don’t go to flea bag hotels! LOL… I brought the towel for snorkeling, boat trips, camping, sleeping on the beach, etc. If I stay at a hotel — like I did at http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/maui-prince-hotel.php — I’ll just use their plush towels 🙂

Have a great Sunday,

Tim

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2007-07-15 23:26:40 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Longfei, I recommend you major in what interests you most. Don’t worry about the job that will follow. When in doubt, I recommend either a science or English. Both will help you develop clear and concise thinking, which is number one and can later be applied to anything. Writing is just thought on paper.

To all the birdwatchers… I’m sorry!

I didn’t realize my recommendation to borrow binoculars would set off such civil unrest 😉 Replace “binoculars” with “sunscreen” and you’re all set. I only used the first example because on wildlife tours I’ve taken in Panama, Costa Rica, and Brazil, we usually only spot two or three highlight birds on a 3-4-hr. tour, and asking to take a 10-second peek hasn’t bothered anyone thus far. I’m not advocating you hog someone’s $1,000 camera on their trip of a lifetime while they miss great opportunities. I’m just saying: borrow instead of buy when it won’t cause grief for others. M’kay? I should have made that clear — my apologies.

Have a great weekend! There are some great opportunities coming next week…

Pura vida,

Tim

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2007-07-15 03:54:29 Tim Ferriss

Hi Guys!

What awesome feedback. I’ll be digesting this and getting things in motion upon returning to the mainland from Maui.

Speaking of awesome… Roger, killer video. Really well done. I dig the koi at the end.

To all who invited me to party/drink/connect in Costa Rica, muchas gracias por la invitacion! Les agradezco mucho. Pido mil disculpas pero ya estoy en Hawaii — asi que hasta la proxima!

G’night,

Tim

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2007-07-13 10:56:41 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

You guys rock. I just finished a night of Maui mojitos with some brilliant folks under the stars. Life is good.

I have to hit the sack, but here are a few responses (sorry I can’t hit them all!):

-Michael Bester, your plug-in rocks, and I was thrilled to see you write in. I have someone working on the video issue right now, so please hold tight, folks. I’m on it.

-Ben, splitting posts is a good idea. The reason I’m giving 2-for-1 is that I have so much I want to tell you guys! I have notebooks full of hundreds of topics and tricks I couldn’t get in the book. We’ll see…

-The coffee harvester hat? Check out http://www.cafebritt.com. They might have them. Otherwise, any lightweight hat with a wide 360-degree rim and some form of holes for ventilation will work just dandy.

-Kevin, I’ll put up something soon on my learning process. It will be specific to languages, but the principles can be applied anywhere.

-Andrew, I do have a few great stories about getting home visits, but I’m saving that for a podcast or group call of some type. They’re much better when told live 😉

Mahalo to all, and to all a good night,

Tim

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2007-07-13 10:29:24 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Erica, thanks for the post and kind words. For a single mother, I recommend checking out some of the family groups at http://www.ning.com (just search “4hww”), and I also recommend checking out the awesome 4HWW for families blog at http://www.thenewlyrich.com/ Check out the flow charts! Niiiiice.

Dan, I agree. Micki is a hottie and smart to boot. I can say that because she’s the friend of a friend. How nuts that we both took photos of our luggage — weirdos belong together.

Mahalo from Maui,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2007-07-12 10:02:09 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Greetings from Makena! I just saw my first grey reef shark this morning. Happy, happy Tim. I wanted to be a marine biologist for almost a decade.

A few answers to your questions:

1. I sometimes don’t bring iPods, etc. if I truly want to experience nature. I find that music is a convenient and tempting crutch for avoiding conversation and other more unique interactions with the outside world. When I unplug, I really like to unplug.

2. Nokia phones do rock. IMHO, the best phones in the world.

3. Thanks to all who commented that the Costa Rica videos weren’t displaying properly. I can’t seem to duplicate the error, as I’m using Firefox 2 on PC and can see them just fine. Are you using macs? Please let me know the details and I’ll do what I can.

4. Help finding a wife? Sure. I’m always open to suggestions. Athletic and smart with a sense of humor, if you please 🙂

Liked by 1 person

2007-07-12 02:05:28 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ken (and Ken, if there are two of you),

The 4HWW has been sold into Japanese, though I don’t remember the publisher offhand. I’ll keep you in mind for the next book!

As for the “time out” exercise, the origin is actually pretty funny. When I used to breakdance in NYC, NJ, and Philadelphia, the biggest challenge was clearing a space — a “circle” — in crowded clubs large enough to dance in. The solution, which figured out accidental when I once slipped, was to lay on the floor motionless. As the “is that guy dead?” murmurs grew and people stepped away in shock, you could bounce up and start doing footwork, windmills, and all the other joys of breakdancing. It’s really a fun exercise.

I’ve actually heard from quite a number of readers who have done this in places like Starbuck’s, Wal-Mart, crowded bars, etc., but Times Square! Way to go.

Pretty liberating, huh? I still do it when I’m taking myself too seriously. Being mature is so boring.

Keep it up, and pura vida!

Tim

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2007-07-08 08:56:59 Tim Ferriss

A FEW IDEAS — AND PARTY INVITE FOR ANYONE WHO MISSED LEARNING ANNEX

Thanks to all for some great suggestions. I’ve already dropped the books at UPS for future mailings and will be putting together a hybrid of a few ideas — keep them coming!

Ken, I’m pleased with the progress with the book but not satisfied. There is a lot left that it can do. A LOT.

As for “beyond New Rich”, I’ve been seeing (and experimenting with) some ridiculously cool refinements and variations of the ideas in the book. I’m considering putting together a larger program or online tutorial to explore more advanced concepts for those interested.

A world populated by New Rich would be a good thing. The more innovation and entrepreneurial thinking, the better — that’s what made this country and what will save it. Thinking outside of the box is where it all starts.

KILLER PARTY INVITE:

For anyone who signed up for the Learning Annex that was cancelled, you are cordially invited to a party tomorrow, Saturday, at 9pm in San Francisco. I know it’s short notice, but that’s how I roll 🙂 Bring your Learning Annex receipt and you get free entrance from 9-11pm. If you didn’t sign up for Learning Annex but want to join the party, bring some good vibes (and $10-20 for entrance) and join us anytime after 9pm:

Etiquette Lounge
1108 Market St., San Francisco
http://www.etiquettelounge.com/home.htm

Have a great weekend! I’m off to Hawaii on Sunday for some serious scuba and surf…

Tim

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2007-07-06 23:03:31 Tim Ferriss

Dear Christian and All,

THE VOTING IS BACK UP AND WORKING! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Bdq_2fPAxzlv_2bi_2bO0n_2b7_2bb4g_3d_3d

Thanks to all of you (I didn’t post all of the “the voting is broken!” comments, but thanks all the same), I was able to catch this early. You guys blew out the capacity on my account and I had to upgrade! I love it.

Have a great day, and keep those book suggestions and votes coming!

All the best,

Tim

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2007-07-05 22:30:11 Tim Ferriss

Dear Bill,

I’m really sorry to hear that you’ve had some trouble. Are you referring to the reader-only section on http://www.fourhourworkweek.com? We’ve worked really hard — there is a team of four or so who work on the site — to add even more extras than are listed in the book. We are really proud to have less than a 1% inquiry rate from those who attempt to register, but sometimes things do pop up, like glitches related to Firefox 2, spam filters for Earthlink/AOL, etc. We also sometimes take down a bonus to add to it or make improvements. More are on the way.

I apologize if you ran into problems and promise that my tech team is really doing their best. They respond to at least 98% of our tech-related e-mails in 18 hours or so, and we’ve made repeated improvements to the registration area based on user feedback.

In all cases, I can’t stop you from putting us on fraud sites, but I’d ask you not to, as there is no fraud here. Please take a second to give it another shot at http://fourhourworkweek.com/wms/login/login.php and email Steve at [email protected] if you still have problems. We’re really doing our best. Alex and others may also be able to help.

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-07-05 09:53:47 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the great suggestions, all! I’ll be keeping a close eye on the thread as ideas come in.

I would love to do a free digital copy, but the ebook rights are owned by the publisher. The closest I could come was my manifesto on the Low-Information Diet on http://www.changethis.com Keep the ideas coming!

Samiq, you’re right. I was very lucky the second day to get a glimpse of the volcano. The first day, it was completely drowned in clouds, and I made the mistake of trying to see it from the Bandi hot springs, which is an impossible angle, despite the claims. Just a few hours before I was scheduled to leave the following day, a local gave me a ride in his truck to the proper side of the volcano to see lava flow — a bridge in the middle of nowhere! It was incredible: lightning storm to my left, lava in front of me through a clearing in the tree canopy, and a jungle of fireflies to my right. Unreal.

Thanks again for keeping the ideas coming! I’ll let you know at the end what I decide to do. It will be fun to send some idea bombs out and wait for the effect. G’night…

Tim

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2007-07-05 09:42:10 Tim Ferriss

Hi Joyce and All,

At this point, I have not rescheduled with the Learning Annex, so it might be prudent to get your refund and simply rebook later when something is confirmed. My schedule doesn’t open up for at least 5-6 weeks.

Again, I apologize for this confusion. It’s been equally frustrating for me! I hope to have some good news for you guys this week, so keep an eye on the blog.

Also, the finalists for the competition are coming in about 30-60 minutes, I hope, assuming I don’t get kicked out of this internet cafe 🙂

Keep up the good fight!

Tim

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2007-07-04 04:46:07 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, all! Duncan, I do agree that some EU news outlets — ¨some¨ being an operative word here, as UK tabloids and bad newspapers are worse than ours — can be better. The common factors seems to be multiple international editors. If I had to choose one ¨news¨ source, it would be The Economist magazine. My second choice would be the International Herald Tribune. That said, I don´t currently read either regularly, but if I were to put in the time, those would be my top picks.

Gotta run… Off to do something I´ve always dreamed of doing — sitting in hot springs watching lava shoot out of an active volcano! Total cost with 2 hour personal tour beforehand? $35 US.

Keep up the conversation y pura vida!

Tim

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2007-07-02 18:42:57 Tim Ferriss

Thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement! I just finished my last radio interview for this NYC visit, and it’s off to the airport for mojito dreams. Keep an eye out for me on BusinessWeekTV this weekend, and we’ll be announcing the finalists of the Endless Summer competition in a week or so. Much excitement to come!

Signing off for now…

Timbo

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2007-06-27 19:01:17 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

It was a fun segment. I just finished Fox and Friends about 30 minutes ago and am sitting in a Random House office waiting to start a radio tour. Should be fun.

Joseph, I wish I could upload the videos to YouTube, but 1) I don’t have original files, and 2) the shows probably wouldn’t invite me back if I violated their copyrights!

As for escaping Paris, I just realized in the Fox green room that she was being released today (?). “You’re going to Costa Rica today? Wow, you’re going to miss the big Paris interview tonight!” Man, that’s reason enough to be on a plane and away from TVs 🙂 I saw her on the cover (the COVER) of the NY Post on the way back to the Random House offices.

Anybody for a one-week serving of the low-information diet?

Gotta run! More to come…

Tim

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2007-06-27 11:34:02 Tim Ferriss

Hi Andrew,

I need a few more gallons of coffee. LOL… you are absolutely right. I should have qualified my post: these recommendations are definitely targeted at the post-industrial knowledge worker economies (North America, Western Europe, Japan, etc.). Broadband-enabled, credit-based, cell-phone-wielding populations. Trying to use a credit card at a kiosk in Ecuador or restaurant in rural Armenia will get you a nice laugh. “Where’s the closest Bank of America ATM?” will get you an even bigger laugh 😉

Very good observation. Thanks for pointing that out!

Tim

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2007-06-15 06:20:23 Tim Ferriss

Just as some have asked (and in one case flamed without just asking me first — tisk, tisk!), I am not getting affiliate commission or compensation of any kind with Google. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, but I didn’t go that route and never had any intention of making money from this. I have better vehicles for income.

And to the flamers: before you flame me or anybody else, just send them a polite email with a question. It doesn’t cost anything to be polite.

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2007-06-14 11:59:24 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I love the new social networks and can’t wait to see the ideas that come out of them. 4HWW is just Lifestyle Design 101, and it’s testing in the field that will bring out the really cool stuff. I’ll share some recent experiments in the next week or so.

Hermann, how did I get Google involved? Hard to believe, but here’s the secret: I just asked… and not that eloquently. I met a great guy from Google at a speaking event at UC Berkeley, and the “pitch” was something like this:

1. I asked a ton of questions about what he did and what he wanted to do in the future. I was genuinely interested, and it was clear that I wasn’t just waiting for my turn to talk.

2. I had a simple human interaction without the jargon and nonsense of most over-formal and under-thought businessspeak: “Hey, you know, we should really grab a coffee sometime soon. I’m a huge fan of Google and actually have nearly an entire chapter dedicated to testing using tools like Google AdWords in my new book. Want to do something next week? I think we’d be able to come up with some really interesting ideas for co-promotion.”

This ended up being one of our interesting ideas 😉

All the best and g’night,

Tim

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2007-06-12 08:24:54 Tim Ferriss

Thank you all so much for the excellent responses! My sincerest apologies for any issues with the site — it appears there were some issues with Firefox 2 and we should have sorted them out.

For those of you in other countries, here’s an idea, since I feel badly that I can’t offer you this contest for US legal reasons: why not hold your own contest?

If you get some sponsors in your country to offer prizes (like the trip, etc.) and you host the answers/entries on your own site, I’ll be happy to link over. It shouldn’t cost you anything if you set it up properly. Point out to sponsors that I will help promote.

Go get ’em, and keep the great answers coming!

Thanks to all, and have a wonderful week,

Tim

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2007-06-04 06:11:53 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I’m really sorry for the lag with Viddler. Though I compressed the video to less than 100MB, it was over 10 minutes and couldn’t be uploaded to YouTube. If you have any other suggestions, my ears are wide open. I would use the impressive Stage 6 (stage6.divx.com), but I’m lazy and don’t want to convert to DivX format each time. Alternatives?

Jim, I would love to share the outsourcing teams that I use, but here’s the problem: they’d get overwhelmed and my work would suffer! Right now, my teams are mostly small (5-10), filtered and selected on Elance. Even GetFriday, which has done great work for me, is getting snowed under with work since their mentions in the book. The price of success! Be careful what you ask for 😉

Good luck!

Tim

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2007-05-21 02:46:25 Tim Ferriss

Hi Paul,

I actually use SpamArrest in exactly the fashion you do, but I have disabled the [email protected] forwarding. Only a few select options get through at all. Within Gmail, I’ve found their spam filter to work wonderfully. In my case, there is not much more to it, though I’m beginning to have certain addresses forward to specific Gmail addresses for virtual assistants that handle certain functions.

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-05-21 02:33:42 Tim Ferriss

Hi K,

It is pretty overwhelming to even imagine! That said, there a few things that make Robert quite different from most of us: 1) It is his job to aggregate, filter, and interpret tons of news. His inbox is thus his workspace, whereas it is used by most people (my former self included) to avoid doing work; 2) He enjoys being an early adopter (if not the earliest), connecting the dots before anyone else, and otherwise being on the information cutting edge. He really loves the constant connectivity! Just check out how many Twitter friends he has. It’s mind-blowing.

There is no need for most people to consume as much information as Robert does. It would be just as you said, like drinking from a fire hydrant. His techniques and coping mechanisms, however, are ultra-refined and perfect for average Joe and Jane.

Me personally? I know this will seem like sacrilege, but I don’t even currently use an RSS reader! It still helps me to know how he thinks about filtering information, though. As you’ll see in Part II, the philosophies and principles can be applied all over the place.

Thanks for contributing to the conversation!

Tim

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2007-05-17 06:52:39 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I love it! All sorts of goodies to try 5 days from now. My favorite chocolate in Germany is Kinder, which some people will laugh outloud at, as it’s available in any drug or convenience store (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder_Chocolate).

Darren, Recchiuti chocolates from SF are amazing. America still has bad coffee almost everywhere, but the chocolate in a few places like SF can compete with the best. Both E. Guittard and Scharffen Berger (http://www.scharffenberger.com/) are made in SF and blow my mind, especially when paired with a good (not necessarily expensive) wine.

I’m counting the hours until next Saturday 🙂 Pinotage and Recchiuti are on the list thus far.

Tim

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2007-05-14 20:04:07 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thank you all so much for the kind words. I’m really thankful to all of my interviewees who helped me get this book out on-time — it was accelerated by two months and we had some tight deadlines. The timing has really worked out for the topic.

Jim, Brickwork is a great firm, but they’re getting snowing under by all of the people contacting them as a result of the book. I also use http://www.getfriday.com, but they are hitting the same issues. A good solution, and one that allows you to find new providers, is to use either http://www.elance.com (I have the most experience with them), http://www.guru.com, or other online freelancer marketplace. Be sure to eliminate boilerplate responses you get to your project, and assign a brief 20-30-minute task to your final three candidates to test reliability before assigning the project. I always test reliability (the ability to head deadlines on time, every time) before skill-set.

Canada has been a great option for me, as has the US. Americans in economically-depressed areas are moving more and more to online marketplaces to make their skills available, as the local markets simply don’t provide the demand that global reach provides.

Hope this helps!

Tim

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2007-05-14 01:14:53 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Victory, count me in for training with BJ in Hilo. He is amazing. I was with him when he beat Matt Hughes for the title in the UFC.

Peter, Smart Startup, and everyone else, I’m sorry the book has been so hard to get ahold of! No one expected the response to be so sudden, so the distribution was insufficient. The book is once again in-stock on Amazon, as there are trucks full of books headed in all directions in the US. I believe the retail shelves should be stocked next week. Thank you for your support!

All the best,

Tim

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2007-05-11 07:30:53 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the update, Junk Mail Hater! I did this some time back, and I’m not surprised at this ridiculous charge. I’d love to know if you have any other tips.

One work-around is asking the local post office to stop delivering 3rd-class mail. If they won’t for whatever reason, I’ve seen two approaches:

1. Cite the facts and insist: “Refusing 3rd Class Mail is allowed under Domestic Mail Manual Section D 042 ‘Conditions of Delivery’.” I’ve never needed to do this but have been told it works.

2. Get a PO Box and forward all mail there, ensuring that you use a premium forwarding service, which automatically does not forward 3rd-class mail. I realized this worked when I first forwarded mail during extended travel absences.

Thanks again!

Tim

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2007-05-06 05:00:38 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Wow! Talk about a bruhaha!

My apologies for the delay, but I’m traveling in NY and just now checked out the comments awaiting moderation, which totalled more than 300. I did delete quite a few comments: first, those that were the same questions over and over (just to reduce the burden or update emails to everyone, and to prevent me from answering the tanning question 1,000 times 😉 ); and second, those that were just rude or profane. I created this blog to show people what’s possible and offer options, and here’s my rule for the site: be cool. Don’t be mean or rude — it’s a waste of energy.

OK, so here are a few responses to the most common questions:

1. Yes, it is 4 hours and not 8 hours! I had 8 workouts per month in my head (which is accurate), and screwed up the arithmetic. Guess I won’t be writing “The 4-Hour Mathematician” anytime soon 😉

2. I did not maintain the gains. Why? Too much eating. I estimate (I don’t both counting) that I was consuming between 5,000-8,000 calories per day in 5 or 6 divided meals, which is a full-time job. I spent more time eating than working out! I much prefer to be around 165 lbs. for athletics.

3. For each set, I target to reach failure after 80-120 seconds, thus 8-12 repetitions at 5/5 cadence. This is sometimes referred to as “time under tension” (TUT). I will usually do one marathon workout of 2-3 hours before beginning the program to determine an appropriate starting weight for each exercise.

4. Doing bicep curls WILL cause your skin to darken and your body hair to fall out. Since I didn’t do bicep curls, I had to use Nair and go to a tanning salon 😉

Holy crap — I just got some HUGE NEWS via cell phone from my publisher. No joke… you’ll hear about it in the next few days. In the meantime, please check out the writings of a few of my favorites (sorry about Jones’ stuff coming off like a Nautilus ad, as good as his machines are):

Ellington Darden
Ken Leistner
Matt Brzycki (he edited one compendium with excellent research references)

More to come!

Cheerio,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2007-05-02 21:31:20 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ravi,

I actually train alone and have since age 15. I prefer training between 8-10pm and use a “power rack” (a stand-alone cage that acts as a spotter) for safety. Generally, I favor machines over free-weights for ease-of-use, with the exception of deadlifts for experienced trainees. Resistance is resistance, and machines require less clean up.

I’ve put friends — even vegetarians — on this program, who have gained 10-20 lbs. in four weeks despite consuming insufficient calories. For ambitious eaters, and eating is the hardest part, that number will be much higher.

Weight training for me is “me time” and almost meditative, so I never train with a partner. It’s therapeutic to count the cadence (5 seconds up, 5 seconds down) and forget the world for 20-30 minutes at a time.

Last but not least, you are right: short and intense are the defining features of this workout. That said, there is one additional element more neglected than any other: massive recovery time.

Cheers!

Tim

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2007-05-01 12:08:05 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I was long in awe of supposed natural polyglots, but now I’m just skeptical. I’ve met too many people who claim to “speak” Spanish, for example, when they really communicate with a bastard version of Portuguese or Italian. After more than 20 countries, and attempting to find anyone who could really speak distinctly in more than 4 or 5 languages, I have never found a one. They might exist, but I’ve been on a quest to find one and haven’t yet. It might be the case that someone “has” spoken 29 languages — that I can believe — but I woulud bet a million dollars they couldn’t hold conversations with all 29 in the same week.

Outsourcing dating saved my wallet, my liver (from alcohol or coffee), and my sanity 😉

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-04-30 01:16:05 Tim Ferriss

FOR THE ARTICLE:

Sorry it’s cut off! I sent a note to the editor. The last line should read:

“I have the freedom to enjoy a millionaire’s lifestyle every day without waiting for retirement.”

I really hope to catalyze a massive backlash against the deferred-life plan. We’ll see what happens 😉

Tim

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2007-04-29 08:29:44 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind words, all! I have much more planned that I hope you enjoy.

Colin: Drop me a line — I’m glad you enjoyed the call and would love to chat.

Rita: I’d love to connect with Mark Hurst, and I’m still in NYC for a few more days.

Have a great weekend and… GET OUTSIDE! I’ll be running in Central Park tomorrow (on second thought, maybe just sleeping on the grass 😉 )

Tim

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2007-04-29 08:18:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments! Here’s a quick run-down, as I’m in NYC for radio and running around:

Peter: vagabonding with pets can certainly be done (mini-retirement relocations are easier), but it’s much easier in pet-friendly countries (Germany vs. China).

Chris: Pro wrestling requires serious athletic skill, especially the acrobatics. I know Daniel Puder, who won “Tough Enough” and he is amazing.

Virginia: Thanks for the correction. I need more caffeine 😉

Mark, thank you for writing. I am familiar with your situation, as I’m a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, so I see a lot of “compassion fatigue” and related issues. I hope to address this in future posts, but here’s the upshot: you are fortunate to be doing what you love, so the question isn’t how to do it as little as possible, but how to avoid doing it excessively to burnout. This is true with editors in publishing, as well, for example. The principles on this site and in the book should help you get closer to that goal.

Michael, great suggestion on the RSS comment feed. I’ll check into it!

And to all: thanks again for participating in the dialogue! It’s all I want people to do: to talk about the challenges and realize that, in fact, they are not alone.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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2007-04-27 21:29:29 Tim Ferriss

M, where do I know you from? Correct you are! I was born prematurely and my left lung collapsed due to insufficient surfactant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulmonary_surfactant), which means I effectively have one lung for exercise.

So, how do I have the stamina for an extended bout? I need to train intelligently to increase capillary density, but more important, I need to avoid overheating. Just like dogs, humans actually dissapate a good deal of heat through respiration. Since my cooling system is cut in half, I can suffer from heat stroke at the snap of the fingers. Lots of ice water and no wasted movement.

Craig, 4 hours is way too much! That’s why I’m hiring my Indian MBAs to write my sequel, The 2-Hour Workweek 😉

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2007-04-27 07:37:52 Tim Ferriss

Hi Wolf,

Indeed, that was me on Regis and Kelly. The video can be found under “multimedia” on the main site: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com Too funny 😉

Tim

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2007-04-27 04:18:50 Tim Ferriss

Hi Mark,

I’m afraid I know nothing of spread betting. All I know is in this post! Good luck, and may you take the Derby!

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-04-27 04:17:09 Tim Ferriss

Paul, the UK is a puzzle to me (for book distribution, I mean). I still haven’t been able to figure out why the book seems to take longer to come out in London than it does in Tokyo or Moscow! The translation from Yank to POM shouldn’t take that long! I expect that turnaround will speed up a lot after distributors in the UK see the results of this launch, 48 hours in. No offline PR or advertising has even started!

Adam, the low-information diet has been a huge factor for me in terms of not just increasing output, but also hugely decreasing unnecessary (di)stress caused by the overflow of irrelevant and inactionable “news”. Once you identify your sphere of influence and cut accordingly, the results are a thing of beauty.

Thanks again to all!

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2007-04-25 19:50:53 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much to all of you! More to come soon in the next post…

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2007-04-25 08:40:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much to all for the support, and please keep it up! Jordan, thanks for rescuing another i-banker from soul-crushing work death. Tom, here is just one link — Google pops up quite a few — to studies, or reports of them in the UK, at King’s College. They seem to have a penchant for studying how e-mail lowers IQ and kills your brain:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/22/email_destroys_iq/

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2007-04-24 17:49:24 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind words, RC! I’ve seen those models as well, and I know a few women who use them in full baths precisely for the reason you cited: shaving without changing water temperature. The book is officially out as of one hour ago and should be in your hands any moment. I hope you enjoy it!

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2007-04-24 08:10:05 Tim Ferriss

Hi Tanja,

Glad to hear you’re enjoying BsAs! Those damn Californians will start to disappear as the weather cools off 😉

To get the best prices for anything, including tango lessons, you need to have an Argentine negotiate them via phone as if the product/service were for an Argentine, then introduce you in person when it’s too late for them to change the price. It’s a bit of passive-aggressive bait-and-switch, but it’s the only fail-proof way I’ve found to avoid getting fleeced.

Tim

Tim

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2007-04-23 02:08:42 Tim Ferriss

Hi Cris,

Gotta run out the door, but here are a few thoughts:

1. I didn’t address the emotional eating concerns b/c I was just trying to explain my diet, not prescribe one to others. That said, they’re important, and I found Dr. Phil’s book (“Weight-loss Solution”?) to address this surprisingly well.

2. Grass-fed, in addition to those reasons, has higher nutrient content, such as CLA (conjugated linoleic acid):
http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp

3. I eat like this all the time and have for 7 years. If you don’t want to binge, there is no need to be, but I find that everyone does if they don’t cheat on their meal plans. I just preschedule it to limit the damage.

Thanks for the good observations!

Tim
P.S. I’ll let you guys help each other on this post from here out. I have to focus on the book launch next Tuesday! http://www.fourhourworkweek.com

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2007-04-22 22:31:23 Tim Ferriss

James, I’m glad you liked it! Dean, nice recommendations. I find that the hotel parking approach, even if not a guest, can be a real time-saver. The valet charges sometimes reset, meaning that the max charge can be $12-30, as opposed to $30 per day at San Jose Mineta. “Friction-free” travel is something to aspire to. I’d be curious to know if you pay retail for first-class or use free upgrades, points, or other tools.

Thanks for the comments!

Tim

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2007-04-22 22:24:38 Tim Ferriss

That’s a great article, Erick! It’s not bad being Pavlov’s dog, but we need to make sure we’re responding properly to the right stimuli. The psychology of Blackberry addiction seems like a combination of emotional eating and OCD hand washing.

Tim

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2007-04-22 22:19:58 Tim Ferriss

I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying it so far, Frederick! We just had a great pre-launch party last night, and I’m really excited to finally have the ideas and stories out in the world. If you have any questions as you move through it, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for the online bonus chapters when the launch is official on 4/24!

All the best,

Tim

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2007-04-21 20:51:25 Tim Ferriss

Jorge,

Thanks for the comment, che! I completely agree with the wit of Argies being somewhat British. I would actually say that it’s similar to the humor of Kiwis in New Zealand. They love to give each other a hard time, but it’s all in fun. “Boludo, que haces?!” for example. I suspect that a lot of it is the Italian (emotional and sarcastic) and German (dry) humor influence from the immigrants who defined BsAs.

Thanks for reading y mucho gusto conocerte!

Tim

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2007-04-21 20:47:33 Tim Ferriss

My pleasure, James! I still often work to music (without lyrics) to shut-out environmental distractions, as I travel all the time and enjoy writing from cafes and universities. At one point, though, I realized I was legitimately losing my hearing, as I jacked volume up to overpower things like hissing espresso machines and gaggles of high school girls. The solution? Get a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that allows you to shut out the external while listening to music at a non-lethal volume. I used the relatively cheap and extremely portable Philips headphones, and my hearing has fully recovered: http://tinyurl.com/2ulqzb

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2007-04-20 21:59:00 Tim Ferriss

Hi Marc-Antoine,

Thanks for the kind words! People will be able to order the e-book starting next Tuesday, the launch date. This is the page:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307394392

This is a good option for those of you internationals, as though the book is already planned for Dutch, Japanese, Russian, and others, it will take at least 6-12 months for it to make it to most countries.

Good question — thanks!

Tim

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2007-04-20 19:21:43 Tim Ferriss

Irv, your technology is great! Check out http://www.mozes.com, if you haven’t already. Really cool stuff. My first exposure was at Ignite, and I was really impressed.

Michael, thanks so much for the support! I look forward to your thoughts and questions once you read it.

All the best,

Tim

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2007-04-20 07:09:30 Tim Ferriss

Hi John, thanks so much for the comment, and I look forward to your thoughts!

Jeff, the books for those at SXSW who got their requests in on time shipped out earlier this week (I only saw the book for the first time late last week!), so you should have them next week. That said, if you can order a copy on Amazon for your closest workaholic friend or family member, that’d be awesome!

Marcie, the book should be available nationwide at most booksellers, but I’d encourage you to preorder to avoid the stocking issue mentioned in the post. Barnes and Noble should be able to get it quickly, as should other bookstores that use major distributors.

Thanks to all!

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2007-04-19 20:00:19 Tim Ferriss

That should read “I apologize in advance if I CAN’T respond to more personalized requests” 😉

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2007-04-19 07:21:29 Tim Ferriss

Wow! This post is getting out of control. I’ll do my best to answer a few of these, but with the book launch (www.fourhourworkweek.com) coming up next Tuesday, I won’t be able to give specific diet recommendations to each person. Grab the books I recommended, and you’ll be set.

A few things:

1. Cody, excellent observations. I use vinegar on salads, cinnamon, and even lemon in drinks to lower collective meal GI. Smart lad, you are.

2. I never said you need to limit veggies to those I listed, but I’ve found that the more variety you try and build in, the less you stick to your diet. My diet is not designed to be fun — it’s designed to be effective. Those four are the four I’ve found to be most tolerable when eating again and again. Feel free to substitute whichever you want, but some legumes are a good ideas for sufficient calories.

3. On MY diet (this is not to say it’s for everyone), brown rice is not OK unless within an hour after exercise. Too calorically dense and still normally high GI. Some will disagree, but here’s the thing. I’m not trying to get to 12% bodyfat (bf), I’m trying to get to 5-6%. This is HARD and requires that I be more strict that the average person.

4. This diet is great for gaining muscle. Just up volume and ensure you get a good amount of low-GI starches (organic whole-grain brown rice or quinoa; the latter is my favorite) after training sessions. Macaroni mixed with tuna is also a great bulking meal.

5. None of the supplements I recommended generally cause anxiety or insomnia. None are stimulants.

6. Fruit, and fructose, are not good for fat-loss diets — period. Fructose is easily converted into fat after it spills over from the liver. I eat one organic orange before sleep to increase HDL cholesterol, but this is not for fat loss.

7. Cheese (ideally low-fat), nuts, and occassional fried food (ideally without a ton of breading) are fine on this diet. Notice that all are protein-rich and low GI.

Buy the books! They’re more comprehensive than I can hope to be on this post, and I apologize in advance if I can respond to more personalized requests.

Please help each other if you can, and thanks for the discussion!

Tim

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2007-04-19 07:20:31 Tim Ferriss

Ravi,

“Bringing Down The House”, about the same group of MIT students, is one of my favorite books! Too bad the group blackjack approach has since been hacked by the casinos. Facial recognition spoils all the fun 😉

If you are going for bodybuilding, keep an eye out for a post in the next week or two. I’ll be showing people (including photos and training) of how I gained 34 lbs. of muscle in 28 days (!).

Thanks for the comment!

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2007-04-19 07:06:48 Tim Ferriss

Hi Kris,

There are a few approaches to reducing volume. I’ll have a PDF manifesto coming out soon with ChangeThis (started by Seth Godin) that discusses that in depth. If an entrepreneur, you (re)design your business with information flow in mind. If an employee, you use 80/20 analysis applied to how your performance is measured to determine which tasks/emails/people should be responded to at what intervals (daily, every Friday, every two weeks, not at all).

You will need to accept that some people are more important than others, and some people aren’t important at all, as it relates to your goals. This isn’t being cold, it’s avoiding inevitable overload. This means that you can take simple steps, like not responding e-mails that don’t ask for a response or contain a question, and you can take more absolute steps, like depending on an autoresponder to set expectations that allow you to ignore responding to most altogether.

There are ways to do this without alienating everyone. In fact, there are ways to do this that will make others respect you more. Keep an eye on ChangeThis — my manifesto should come out in a few weeks, and I’ll announce it on the blog.

Good questions!

Tim

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2007-04-17 07:31:39 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jay,

Congrats on jumping on the plan. I’ll suggest a few that I currently take in exchange for you keeping us all updated on your progress via comments on this post 😉

I could recommend several hard-core thermogenics like ephedrine hydrochloride, but the trade-off in liver and kidney damage (not to mention things that few people realize, like sinuses) isn’t worth it.

I approach the problem differently. Rather than focusing on speeding up the metabolism via adrenal hormones (adrenaline, norepinephrine, etc.), I prefer to increase insulin sensitivity. Most people get fat via a moderate “Syndrome X” of resistance to insulin, which is a storage hormone. Just google “syndrome X” and “insulin sensitivity” for more. Before bed, I take:

200mcg (that’s micrograms, not milligrams) of chromium polynicotinate (not “picolinate”), which is niacin-bound GTF chromium; this can be found under the brand name “ChromeMate”

500mg of slow-release niacin (nicotinic acid) under the brand name “Slo-Niacin”

23mg of policosanol (I use Nature’s Life brand)

1-2 glasses of red or white wine: I believe these have fat-loss properties, plus they taste great 😉 Look at the research on resveratrol and other wine compounds.

This cocktail not only aids in fat-loss, in my experience, but it lowered my total cholesterol from 222 to 147 in four weeks (!). If that is your goal, I’d also add an organic orange just prior to bed.

Keep us posted on your progress!

Tim

I take another 500mg of niacin upon waking in the morning.

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2007-04-16 06:35:21 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jay,

That’s exactly what I’m saying. Supplements can be used for this, even if your diet and exercise is mediocre. That said, the regimen of supplements that would accomplish this would make your liver and kidneys most unhappy, as both will be affected, and the liver will be filtering most of them from your blood.

In the next 10 days, I’ll be doing a full expose on the regimen I used to gain 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days while cutting bodyfat percentage by 4%, including supplements. Keep an eye out!

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-04-14 04:26:15 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ravi, Tom, Ryan, and Vaughn,

Great comments — thanks! Here are some of my thoughts:

Ravi, I love your to-test dream jobs. I’ve seen people test yoga instructor by offering free lunch-hour lessons to co-workers; I recommend volunteering as a guide during a vacation for adventure guide; and check out http://www.writtenroad.com for Jen Leo’s tips on becoming a travel writer, which is an awesome gig but usually doesn’t pay too much.

Tom, I agree 100%. Monkey trainers deal with a inevitable dominance struggle once monkeys pass adolescence, and few are equipped to deal with it. Kevin knows all of his species and even understands the differences in dominance between Mandrille and Hamadryas baboons, for example. It’s totally different! I never would have guessed.

Ryan, fantastic observations, and you’re making me jealous talking about Golden Gate Park while I’m stuck in Man Jose (San Jose)! Sterile, unchanging environments produce sterile, unchanging thinking, which is bad for business and even worse for personal life. Amen. That’s why I’m now in Kentucky, but more on that in my next post 😉

Vaughn, monkey trainers are fun to hang with, and I’d even recommend finding some of the Great White (White Pointer) divers if you’re in SA — good times if you don’t get eaten. There are some excerpts of the book on the main site at http://www.fourhourworkweek.com, and the whole book hits in 10 days!!!

Thanks for the great comments, and have a fantastic weekend,

Tim

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2007-04-14 04:22:37 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Tortillas are not ideal, as they’re still calorically dense without much added nutritional value, but if you must have some carbs, corn is typically the least damaging.

Salsa is outstanding, especially chunky medium spice salsa with corn, beans, etc. I can’t stand egg whites by themselves, as it’s too boring even for me, but if you just add a few spoons of salsa on top, it’s a delicious little meal (just don’t put the salsa and lentils in the same bowl, as the mix is disgusting).

For books, I recommend “The Glucose Revolution” (http://www.amazon.com/Glucose-Revolution-Authoritative-Index-Groundbreaking/dp/1569246602/ref=sr_1_15/103-9756133-3205402?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176358832&sr=1-15) and “Protein Power” (http://www.amazon.com/Protein-Power-High-Protein-Low-Carbohydrate-Health/dp/0553380788/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9756133-3205402?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176358929&sr=1-1) for some good basics on low-GI eating and how protein affects hormone levels and metabolism.

Last but not least, lacto-ovo is fine. Meat isn’t necessary, but it does make the job easier. Egg and beans will be sufficient to lose weight, but if you’re sticking to the “lacto” portion, I would also include 1% milk in combination with the eggs. Casein protein and calcium will aid in fat-loss; just don’t exceed one glass per meal, as the lactose will spill over to bodyfat past a certain point.

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-04-12 06:24:48 Tim Ferriss

It depends on how much you hustle, in the positive sense. Most operators are independent and depend on booking gigs for income. Few are full-time employees of zoos, circuses, etc. Just as in speaking, there are brokers and agencies that are supposed to book on behalf of clients, in this case trainers, but animal trainer brokers seem to be much less dependable (probably because they have less client volume and need to hold multiple jobs) than speaking bureaus, for example.

In the end, to be a good monkey trainer requires being in business, which requires being a good self-marketer. I’ll be working with Kevin to get his stories and day-to-day experiences to the world via his own blog, which will be awesome. His life and amazing handling skills are really suitable for a TV show on Animal Planet.

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2007-04-12 06:15:00 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Thanks for the great comments and questions! Here are my answers:

1. Canned foods are absolutely fine. No problem. All of my vegetables are either frozen (80%) or canned (20%). I’m a huge fan of canned tuna in water mixed with lentils and chopped onions. If you’re trying to gain muscular weight, just add durum-based macaroni to that and you’ll be set.

2. The pizza is from Pizza My Heart, based here in Nor-Cal (http://www.pizzamyheart.com/). It’s wonderful. Most small independent pizzerias should be able to help you customize a pizza, and you can always have chicken strips at home that you add on top for the finishing touch. Frozen chicken breasts from Safeway can be microwaved and cut in a matter of a few minutes.

3. Meth is bad, unless you want to look like 80s Axle Rose or Kate Moss.

4. Whole grain is not recommended on this diet, due to high caloric content and generally high glycemic index. I challenge you to find one that is not “enriched” (it is bleached, then vitamins, etc. are added back in) or that doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup in its first five ingredients (the ingredients of the “ingredients” listing on all food products are listed in descending order of quantity). It is tempting but not good for fat loss. True whole-grain bread is better than white bread and actually tastes pretty rough, but if you’re serious about fat-loss, I discourage consuming it. Saturdays allow you to go nuts, so be strict otherwise.

5. Eating the same meals over and over again is boring, yes. I will generally eat the same 3-5 meals every day for 1-2 weeks and then rotate to a new 3-5 meals that comply with my diet plan. It is not practical to have consistency and variety at the same time, so I rotate in this fashion to prevent feeling like a POW. That said, being in incredible shape usually justifies having good but familiar food from Sun-Fri. Saturday is no-holds-barred.

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-04-11 09:03:32 Tim Ferriss

Vladimir, good recommendation. Turkey (or ostrich, if you can find it) is a great alternative. For those adventurous souls looking for lower-fat and high-protein red meat besides beef, I also recommend bison (American buffalo).

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2007-04-09 05:51:56 Tim Ferriss

Rod, believe it or not, my breakfast is the egg, black bean, and vegetable combo. I actually prefer lentils over black beans.

Breakfast is usually the hardest meal for most to modify, as we’re a country of toast and cereal-eating junkies. Moving to slow carbs and protein requires a more lunch-like meal for breakfast. This is easier when you realize that breakfast can be a smaller meal, particularly when followed by a lunch 3-5 hours later. Try it for 5 days and you’ll see the difference. Not only will the increased protein intake in your first meal decrease water retention, it will also increase resting metabolism about 20% if your breakfast calories are at least 30% protein.

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2007-04-09 05:49:53 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the kind words, Matt! A brilliant woman in Panama once told me that there were two things in your home more important than all others: a good bed and a good pair of shoes. “If you aren’t in one, you’ll be in the other,” she said. So, so true. BUT, there is an inbetween step: the shower 😉

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2007-04-09 05:44:21 Tim Ferriss

Close. They don’t so much dilute the water as focus the volume in a specific stream. Since the water is being pressurized around a ball, the water comes at you in a circle. Thus, the pressure is much higher, but you don’t get a center stream of water, so the total volume is less. Since the diameter of the stream is quite small, though, it feels like a huge gush of water. Pretty cool.

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2007-04-06 09:32:40 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Elisa! John, regarding remote income generation, I’ll be posting more on that in the near future, but I’d encourage you to first determine your Target Monthly Income (TMI), which is calculated once you define your ideal lifestyle in terms of activities and belongings. Here is where you can get started: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/ferriss-resources-lifestyle.htm

The vehicle you choose for income generation, whether outsourcing your job to overseas assistants, licensing, creating a product or other, will depend on your TMI.

Most to come soon — promise.

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2007-04-06 05:46:35 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ryan, “How to Live Like a Rockstar in Tokyo” is slated for the next few weeks, so keep your eyes open! I spend less in Tokyo — and live better — than in San Francisco. Lots of tools and tricks on the way. Two tips in advance: get a “Suica” prepaid travel card and dine in the small hipster restaurants above the fifth floor in downtown Shinjuku. More to come…

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2007-03-31 23:50:43 Tim Ferriss

Hi Marci and Woodstock,

Tim is on the money. The key here is being able to decide when you check and respond to e-mail, not necessarily checking it twice daily. For some, like Marci, that would be overkill. For Woodstock, he is correctly (I do the same) funneling people to e-mail as his preferred method of communication. The two-times-per-day recommendation was made at SXSW, where most attendees were online and either emailing or Twittering during ALL presentations!

The point of the autoresponder, and much of what I recommend, is controlling the frequency and quantity of your information intake. You need both to prevent overload, but how each of us will implement the tools differs.

Good observations,

Tim

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2007-03-29 20:41:39 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jeb,

Good questions. My understanding is that, among other things:

-Airline clubs are included. Considering you might have to otherwise spend $9.95 per airport for Tmobile wireless, the savings and free coffee adds up
-Complimentary or discounted seat upgrades are available for card members when seats are available (as are late check-outs at hotels, which is a lifesaver for us nightowls)

I believe that the “black titanium” you refer to is the famous Centurion card (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_Card). If you watch Casino Royale, you will notice that he uses a black card to check in. This is rumored to be a product placement for Centurion. These cards will get you MUCH more than platinum, including personal shoppers at Saks Fifth Avenue, but the catch is that you need to spend $250,000 per year on another AMEX card to be invited to apply. Happy spending!

For mere sub-$250,000/year spenders, the Platinum Card is, in my opinion, worth it just for the concierge: http://www133.americanexpress.com/osbn/landing/BusinessPlatinum/BPCR001_Home.asp

Hope that helps,

Tim

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2007-03-29 20:34:51 Tim Ferriss

Hi Doug,

Case studies are most definitely coming, as are some video features and how-to. When I’m on the road, it will be both faster and more interesting for me to post video or audio content. This will especially be true when I do the European tour for the book, first stop Amsterdam (seriously: Dutch was the first foreign right sold). Much fun to come 😉

Tim

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2007-03-29 00:58:06 Tim Ferriss

Hi Anne,

I have found that people will generally expect you to respond as quickly as technology allows you to receive their e-mail, hence the permanent ADD of most Blackberry owners.

I have one friend, a uber-successful mechanical engineer, who received a Blackberry e-mail from his boss just as he (my friend) got on the NYC subway with me at 9pm on a Friday. There was no reception, so he responded as soon as we got off 4 minutes later. His boss had already left him a voicemail indicating that they would need to “have a serious talk” the following Monday about his lack of response, and that the head boss was livid and threatening to fire him.

It’s a sad state of affairs and an all too common problem. This culture of immediacy needs a severe backlash.

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2007-03-26 08:46:00 Tim Ferriss

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the kind words. I wish I had a good answer for Oz and NZ! The book is already going into Dutch, Russian, and Japanese, but I’m not sure of the timing for UK/AUS/NZ. I’ll let the world know as soon as I do 😉

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-03-25 23:49:24 Tim Ferriss

Div, smart you are. I didn’t mention it, but it’s most true that — with sufficient spend (about $20,000-30,000 per year, unless I’m mistaken) — the annual fee is completely paid for with either point purchases or cash back. This figure might seem like a mountain at first, but it really isn’t if you move all of your expenses to AMEX.

Great point.

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2007-03-23 10:29:26 Tim Ferriss

Hi Div,

I hope to be in London as soon as possible! It’s a great town. If you could do something about the $10 USD sandwiches at Pret Manger, I’d love you forever 😉

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-03-23 10:25:46 Tim Ferriss

Charles,

I completely understand your fear of alienating people with the autoresponders. This is a fear everyone, myself included, has (or has had).

Here is how to avoid it: ensure that the autoresponder is only sent — or bounced back — to the same contact every 4-7 days. All of the mainstream e-mail applications I’ve used have this type of option, and even Gmail send at most one autoresponder per 4 days to the same contact.

Using a disclaimer at the bottom near your sig doesn’t work well, in my experience, as people forget it and have learned to turn off as soon as they think it’s another “This is a confidential communication. If this is not intended for you… blah… blah…”

Give it a shot and take it slow. The worst that happens is you go back to the usual routine after testing it. The more likely scenario is that you cut your email intake in half within the first week.

Good luck!

Liked by 2 people

2007-03-23 10:23:22 Tim Ferriss

Hi Alex,

David Allen is a smart, smart man.

GTD is popular for good reason. That said, I find that most people who implement it seem to miss David’s forest (it’s clear in his book) for the trees via what I call the “efficiency epidemic”.

It is all to common, especially among the tech-savvy, to ask “how?” before asking “why?” This means that they focus on doing things better (dozens of email folders, sophisticated sorting, the latest and greatest Blackberries, etc.) instead of determining what is worth doing in the first place. It’s a great example of being very efficient without being effective.

There is a limit to how much information you can sort and organize. For this reason, I think that controlling your information intake (via elimination) before organizing is better than finding new places to put information, unimportant or not. It is amazing how much information that others perceive as important is neither relevant nor actionable once in your hands.

Once you cut all of the fat and interruptions, surprisingly little management is needed to keep life running smoothly.

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2007-03-19 06:12:55 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ben,

Thanks for the food for thought. It’s an interesting and controversial post.

Stowe Boyd has some interesting assertions, but — just as two examples — his stating that connectivity is more important that personal productivity, or that network productivity is more important than personal productivity, are both that… assertions. He doesn’t support these claims with data, but rather states them as premises to support his later conclusions.

I don’t find this compelling.

I think that being connected in important only when the information that travels that connection is somehow important. For most people, their “network” is not just those close to them, but also micro-managing bosses and co-workers who consume time to feel productive, just to name two groups. To be constantly connected (i.e. people have unfettered access to you and the power to interrupt) yet ignore the trivial as Stowe suggests is contradictory. It’s one or the other, in my experience.

Last but not least, I would argue that the productivity of the network is second to personal productivity. Bill Cosby once said that he didn’t know the sure path to success, but he did know the sure path to failure: trying to please everyone else. I agree with him.

This doesn’t mean being antisocial, and it doesn’t require “turning off” completely or becoming JD Salinger, but it does require being selectively ignorant and training those around you to respect your priorities and work flow.

Thanks for the thought-provoking link, Ben. It’s a good counterpoint.

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2007-03-19 05:07:17 Tim Ferriss

I wouldn’t mind a Ducati Monster and a new jiu-jitsu gi (uniform) to start with. Greece is also on the to-do list, and I should be headed that direction for a catamaran trip in August. AMEX points should pay for the airfare, at the least.

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2007-03-17 08:58:11 admin
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The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss / tim.blog

Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Workweek and Lifestyle Design Blog

Comment Date Name Link

Coming soon! Keep an eye on twitter.com/tferriss or facebook.com/timferriss!

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2014-03-25 07:20:05 Tim Ferriss

100% agree that — for business negotiations — it’s better to hire a local, even if you speak perfectly. Better still, negotiate in English (or your native tongue), if you can. I never learn languages for business purposes; it weakens your position, and you can be blamed after-the-fact for “not understanding,” even if you understood perfectly, and they simply chose to breach contract. Caveat emptor.

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2014-03-24 23:02:45 Tim Ferriss

I love Noomi (or Naomi?) Rapace! Incredible actress!

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2014-03-13 09:32:04 Tim Ferriss

Huh… that’s weird. Thanks for the heads up!

Liked by 1 person

2014-03-13 09:30:45 Tim Ferriss

You’ll love it, man!

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2014-03-07 19:51:18 Tim Ferriss

Haha… The only reason Josh puts up with me (he dislikes being thrust into the public eye) is because we’re close friends 🙂

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2014-03-07 19:50:43 Tim Ferriss

Chad, thank you for such a wonderfully thoughtful comment! I have been wondering about Feldenkrais for a long while, and I think I’ll start looking for a local teacher today.

Have a great weekend,

Tim

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2014-03-07 19:47:29 Tim Ferriss

Wow… I LOVE that. So true. I’ve been thinking of writing more about internal conflict and the problems it causes. Great expression.

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2014-03-07 19:44:12 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Peter 🙂

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2014-03-07 19:43:16 Tim Ferriss

2007 or 2008. Brilliant guy and very calm, as you observed.

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2014-03-07 19:40:35 Tim Ferriss

Sweet!

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2014-03-07 19:39:23 Tim Ferriss

Hi Derek,

Really? I thought it was very well written. What didn’t you like about it, specifically? I’d love to know.

All the best, and thank you for the comment,

Tim

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2014-03-06 10:52:41 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the kind words, Mark. I have a bit of insomnia tonight, and this made my smile. In fact, it made my entire week. Thank you 🙂

Kia kaha!

Tim

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2014-03-06 10:51:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Momekh! I know the feeling. We all need to rediscover being a “novice” 🙂

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2014-03-06 10:49:57 Tim Ferriss

Agreed. Here you go!
https://soundcloud.com/tim-ferriss/the-art-of-learning-by-joshua

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2014-03-06 10:46:53 Tim Ferriss

Promote away! No problem with that, for sure.

All the best,

Tim

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2014-03-06 10:45:34 Tim Ferriss

Experiment 🙂 The author makes a LOT more if you buy it from Gumroad (current link) than on Audible.

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2014-03-06 10:44:45 Tim Ferriss

It should be in a few weeks. Working on it.

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2014-03-05 22:41:37 Tim Ferriss

Nice pick! Yes, it’s definitely a book to reread and reread again. I’ll be sharing my own notes from the book soon.

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2014-03-05 22:40:51 Tim Ferriss

Go Sympoh! 🙂

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2014-03-05 22:39:55 Tim Ferriss

It’s out! Download link here:
https://gumroad.com/l/The-Art-Of-Learning-Audiobook

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2014-03-05 22:38:23 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind feedback, David! I really want this club to be special, and part of that is being super-selective.

Hope you enjoy the book!

Tim

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2014-03-05 21:37:13 Tim Ferriss

I have used it, actually. It was in one of my earlier Quarterly boxes, in fact! 🙂

Tim

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2014-03-01 02:00:45 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Michael. You are definitely not alone. I’m in that post-project funk right now. It’s an odd (but temporary) place.

Kia kaha!

Tim

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2014-03-01 01:59:18 Tim Ferriss

Melanie, do you mean the slow-carb diet? If so (and this is true on Paleo/low-carb nearly always), you can try taking 3-5 grams of BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) between meals. This is a trick I learned from Arthur DeVany.

Good luck!

Tim

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2014-03-01 01:34:04 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the feedback, Hope! The next package is a fun one 🙂

Tim

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2014-02-27 22:27:18 Tim Ferriss

Thanks! I’ll check ’em out.

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2014-02-27 09:59:30 Tim Ferriss

Nope, just a Quicktime bug!

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2014-02-27 09:58:59 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Staller! If you like fitness, I think you’ll dig the next box.

Pura vida,

Tim

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2014-02-27 09:58:07 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, guys. Duly noted. For brain function, I’m experimenting with tea these days, more than pills and powders. Still, the experiments will continue to other things.

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2014-02-27 09:57:19 Tim Ferriss

It’s easy to find similar cakes in Chinatown just about anywhere (they’re called “toucha” usually). In SF, Samovar Tea Lounges sell them.

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2014-02-27 09:56:19 Tim Ferriss

That one’s nothing too special. I just like the pic 🙂 Many of the other header pics are from trips to Greece, special events, etc.

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2014-02-27 09:55:14 Tim Ferriss

Great observation. This procrastination-anxiety downward spiral is no joke!

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2014-02-27 00:15:16 Tim Ferriss

Not in this one. Just punch drunk from lack of sleep. I was packing around 1am. If I’m drunk in a video, there will be no question in your mind 🙂

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2014-02-27 00:14:04 Tim Ferriss

Thanks! That beanie was a gift. It’s handmade from Peru. Incredibly soft Alpaca fleece/wool.

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2014-02-27 00:12:44 Tim Ferriss

This should answer your question:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/03/10/24-hours-with-tim-ferriss-a-sample-schedule/

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2014-02-27 00:08:45 Tim Ferriss

Haha… no, not at all. That’s just Quicktime bugging out on me. It’s been a problem!

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2014-02-27 00:06:11 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Andrew, and nice work. I’m doing some related work with UCSF here in San Francisco.

What protocol or approach do you currently use for your own mindfulness meditation?

Cheers,

Tim

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2014-02-20 20:36:42 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, ND! I’ll send this to the publisher ASAP.

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2014-02-19 23:25:21 Tim Ferriss

Totally agree. Sometimes it’s as simple as a decision like this. “Am I going to miss that con-call to get some sleep and not be a mess today? Yes, I think I will.” Health has to be #1.

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2014-02-19 23:21:40 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Allen! I’ll check it out.

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2014-02-13 06:25:30 Tim Ferriss

The danger is even worse. People will often say “I have nothing to hide” and excuse surveillance in the name of safety, but here’s the question:

What happens when a regime in power is able to wiretap/monitor all members of Congress and the Senate? You end up with an executive branch that can blackmail lawmakers, that’s what. Terrifying.

Tim

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2014-02-13 06:23:11 Tim Ferriss

Hell, yeah! I was planning on a major decluttering, and the timing of all the NSA furor made this move easy.

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2014-02-13 06:20:11 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for the very kind words, Paul!

Pura vida,

Tim

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2014-02-13 06:17:45 Tim Ferriss

I’m hoping to compete sometime. Super fun.

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2014-02-06 22:26:43 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Stephen. Nearly all of the advice applies, if not all of it. There’s one big difference. For non-fiction, you sell the book to a publisher, then you write it. For fiction, you finish the manuscript, then you sell it.

Liked by 2 people

2014-02-05 09:20:37 Tim Ferriss

Walter and All,

I’ll contact Appsumo ASAP about this. Thank you for the heads up, and please keep an eye on your email. I’ll get this handled.

All the best,

Tim

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2014-01-29 20:21:44 Tim Ferriss

Hi Martin,

I put “wrote” because I — thankfully — haven’t been on book deadline since last year! If I tackle another book, I’m sure I’ll end up on a similar routine.

Cheers,

Tim

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2013-12-17 05:13:12 Tim Ferriss

Lemme see what I can do there. Thanks for the comment!

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2013-12-17 05:11:58 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jeff,

Because I personally produced the audiobook! We also put in extra content.

That said, you should certainly get the format you like best. Personally, I often buy audiobook from Audible, then Kindle edition, so I can sync them with Whispersync.

Hope that helps,

Tim

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2013-12-17 04:30:00 Tim Ferriss

Great idea! Lift if what finally got me flossing. For those unfamiliar: https://lift.do/

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-16 21:11:48 Tim Ferriss

Hi Alex,

I always feel better if I’m in bed by 11pm but it rarely happens 🙂 My usual is sleeping 2am-10am or so. Not ideal, but that’s my habit.

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-16 21:10:28 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Karl! I’ll keep ’em coming 🙂

Happy holidays,

Tim

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2013-12-16 19:01:49 Tim Ferriss

Hi Pheroze,

The audiobook helps me keep doing the book club most, and the narrator is great. That said, if you can, I’d probably buy both audio and Kindle and sync them via Whispersync! This means you can listen up to page 30, for instance, and then have the Kindle edition automatically start you at pg. 30, and so on. They’re coordinated.

Best,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-16 19:00:48 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment, Bjorn! I love this recommendation and will look him up. Much appreciated!

All the best,

Tim

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2013-12-16 18:58:35 Tim Ferriss

Hmmm… many people assume I sleep as little as possible. In fact, I try and get 8-10 hours a night, often 12 or so if I’m catching up after travel.

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-16 07:49:54 Tim Ferriss

Oh, boy. That’s a tough question. I loved tons of them. Carl Jung was great, as were dozens of others. I picked my favorite takeaways from each and cobbled together my own list of things to try!

Tim

Liked by 2 people

2013-12-16 06:48:00 Tim Ferriss

Word. Better for software than books, but still a point worth remembering.

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2013-12-10 07:49:20 Tim Ferriss

Go get it, gents! Be brave and bring those babies to the world. They’ll start out naked and afraid, and you adjust from there 🙂

Tim

Liked by 4 people

2013-12-10 07:46:47 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Antario 🙂

Liked by 1 person

2013-12-10 07:45:20 Tim Ferriss

Tom, thank you so much for the kind words and thoughtful comment! Very inspiring. Makes me want to get right back to drumming 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-12-09 02:16:52 Tim Ferriss

Hi John,

No subscription needed! Just get the books as I post about them on this blog. New one coming in the next 1-3 weeks 🙂

Tim

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2013-12-09 02:11:58 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Matt! Totally agreed.

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-12-09 02:10:20 Tim Ferriss

Marc Maron roasted coffee beans using a popcorn roaster!

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2013-12-09 02:08:08 Tim Ferriss

Corrected! Thanks for the catch.

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2013-12-02 00:04:18 Tim Ferriss

Jeff, thank you for this comment! Totally made my night. Your gratitude and thankfulness is something we all strive for. In many ways, the achievement is easier than appreciation, so keep up the good fight! I’m sure you’ll get where you want to go.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-11-17 09:56:14 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind words, Scott! I’ll check him out tomorrow AM. Much appreciated…

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2013-11-17 09:54:02 Tim Ferriss

Hi Travis!

We’ve selected the student. I’m hoping to do more along these lines, so keep an eye on this blog. Thank you for asking… and participating.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-11-17 09:44:47 Tim Ferriss

Congrats, Keith! I agree. Vagabonding can have a hell of an impact. Adventure on!

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2013-11-17 09:43:15 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much, John! Hope all is well with you 🙂

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2013-11-11 12:13:50 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Cameron! You should have had access to the full 4HC as soon as you passed the email gate, but let me ping BitTorrent to ask. Happy to email them.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-11-11 12:13:19 Tim Ferriss

Thanks very much for the kind words, Chad. It means a lot. I’m beginning to think that the more we successful we *appear*, the more important the reality checks are… especially for ourselves.

Hope all is well!

Tim

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2013-11-10 03:39:07 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, David — and all of you — for the very kind words. Thank you for reading 🙂

Tim

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2013-11-04 07:55:54 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for commenting, Dom Def, and it’s great to hear your voice. I’ve been there and feel you.

Keep up the good fight!

Tim

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2013-11-04 07:45:25 Tim Ferriss

Correct! I’m using TM, though I think any systematic (and accountable) system of meditation could likely work well.

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2013-11-04 02:34:05 Tim Ferriss

ALL episodes will be available on iTunes, and the first episode will get shared everywhere imaginable online 🙂

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2013-11-01 05:35:00 Tim Ferriss

Definitely totally hand-in-hand skills.

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2013-11-01 05:34:20 Tim Ferriss

I’d love that! Thank you for the kind offer.

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2013-11-01 05:33:47 Tim Ferriss

I’ll do my best, but you might need to hack it with Hotspot Shield or Tor or SurfEasy 🙂

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2013-10-20 23:29:04 Tim Ferriss

It should be on iTunes!

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2013-10-14 01:40:50 Tim Ferriss

Great question.

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2013-09-30 08:51:43 Tim Ferriss

Exactly right.

Here’s the thing: if you send a letter with a product that implies an expectation (e.g. “Hope you love it. A tweet would be great!”), then many people feel like shills or wh*res for helping you. In other words, they feel like a cheap date or a hired gun.

On the other hand, if you just send an awesome product with “Hope you love it as much as we do!”, the influencer can promote/share it and feel clean and good about the it.

Hope that makes sense,

Tim

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2013-09-30 08:51:21 Tim Ferriss

Huge congratulations, Steve!!! I absolutely love Taiwan and hope to get back soon.

Give my best to the family 🙂

Tim

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2013-09-30 08:49:07 Tim Ferriss

My two cents: wait until you’re launched. You can’t control the fire; you can only start it. This means you can easily end up with influencers telling the world… while no one can buy your product. Make sure it’s available before risking broadcast.

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2013-09-30 08:42:04 Tim Ferriss

Good catch!

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2013-09-30 05:23:58 Tim Ferriss

Every few months, I expect, but it’s dependent on when I have good opportunities so hard to predict.

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2013-09-24 03:56:30 Tim Ferriss

Hi Steve,

There is a great debate about this. I think the SEC’s concern is having people invest too high a % of their total nest egg in speculative investments likely to fail (like start-ups).

Curious to see how things shake out.

Tim

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2013-09-24 03:55:33 Tim Ferriss

May you find what you’re seeking elsewhere, Eddie. I’m a big fan of James Altucher’s blog.

Liked by 1 person

2013-09-24 03:50:39 Tim Ferriss

I’ll have Shopify check it out, Ashley. Thank you.

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2013-09-18 16:33:17 Tim Ferriss

To the first point, search for “First TV to Dr. Oz – How to Get Local Media…Then National Media” on this blog. It includes actual pitches, e-mails, etc. that I use. Hope it helps!

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2013-09-18 07:45:59 Tim Ferriss

Several commenters have asked, “How do I get to know journalists or bloggers in the first place?” Besides volunteering to work for free at events where they congregate (e.g. SXSW, GigaOm/PaidContent, etc.), here in an article that explain how to do it remotely:

Search “First TV to Dr. Oz – How to Get Local Media…Then National Media” on this blog. (Includes actual pitches, e-mails, etc.)

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2013-09-18 07:45:19 Tim Ferriss

Fixed!

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2013-09-18 06:36:16 Tim Ferriss

Just tweeted at Prizeo. Link does indeed seem to be down. Should have it up shortly. Thanks for the heads up!

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2013-09-18 06:21:46 Tim Ferriss

Checking on it now…

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2013-09-18 06:14:07 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for all the comments, enthusiasm, and kind words, guys! I could not be more excited about this year’s competition. It’s going to be HUGE.

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2013-09-17 04:20:55 Tim Ferriss

Oh, yes. Wait until tomorrow 🙂

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2013-09-17 04:19:54 Tim Ferriss

Sweet! Hope to see you there!

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2013-09-16 23:30:57 Tim Ferriss

Congrats! It’s very likely you’re gaining muscle from increased protein intake. Stay the course and you’ll see results!

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2013-09-12 16:57:38 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Neil! What would you like to see more of? What are your previous favorite posts?

Best,

Tim

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2013-09-11 02:10:28 Tim Ferriss

Too dramatic a comment, man. I’m simply on deadline so not taking on new commitments. That’s all.

Keep up the good fight, though!

Tim

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2013-09-11 02:09:35 Tim Ferriss

🙂

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2013-09-10 20:54:13 Tim Ferriss

I’d love to interview Neil sometime. He’s the real deal.

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2013-09-10 20:53:46 Tim Ferriss

Good reminder. Thanks!

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2013-09-08 08:35:45 Tim Ferriss

Girls rock. ‘Nuff said, as my good man Logan would say.

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2013-09-08 08:35:19 Tim Ferriss

Cool. Thanks, man. I’m looking at it right now…

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2013-08-30 02:14:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Micah. I’d love to see the Nutritional Facts or ingredients list for Ensure, if you’re able to past it as text here! If too busy, no sweat, but Abbot and Nestle do have excellent resources.

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2013-08-22 06:22:01 Tim Ferriss

Good observation. This would seem to imply less absorption of nutrients, or at least calories.

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2013-08-22 06:19:03 Tim Ferriss

The socio-political point is important. For instance, US corn subsidies lead to 1) corn being exported to Mexico, where we often price out local producers, and 2) corn excesses going to waste in silos across the US. The problem isn’t so much production as distribution, which is often regulated by politics and lobbying more than pure logistics.

Tim

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2013-08-22 06:14:29 Tim Ferriss

Good question.

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2013-08-22 01:31:58 Tim Ferriss

Hi David,

Thank you for the thoughtful comment. You wrote:

“I tell patients to make specific diet changes to improve cholesterol they need about 3 months before I repeat blood tests.”

Why did you pick three months? I’ve seen some fairly dramatic shifts in 4-6 weeks, but this often includes supplementation (niacin, etc.).

All the best,

Tim

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2013-08-21 08:06:45 Tim Ferriss

Good points, all.

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2013-08-21 07:44:35 Tim Ferriss

I also have some concerns about grape seed oil. I’d be curious to hear their rationale.

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:42:40 Tim Ferriss

Haha… if Soylent can give me flowing locks, I’m down for at least 4 weeks of shakes.

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2013-08-21 07:39:24 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Nathan. Just out of curiosity, how do you think Soylent differs most from past attempts at meal-replacement powders? Or is it better use of social media, etc. and not a better designed product?

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:37:05 Tim Ferriss

Good evening, Shane.

I’m not sure on IQ, but as a possible proxy, here’s some literature on cognitive performance and total cholesterol:
http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/67/1/24.short

Quite a few studies on Google Scholar and PubMed for those who would like to dig further.

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:32:46 Tim Ferriss

Solid comment, Graeme. Thank you. I should also say that — in my opinion — the burden of proof should fall on the party making the claim.

Thus, Soylent cannot prove their product is safe by countering with “No one has proven Soylent unsafe.”

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:28:39 Tim Ferriss

Hi Adarsh,

Totally agreed. However, they need to ensure the product is safe if they’re positioning it as a potential full-time meal replacement. I know plenty of people who will take that literally and pay whatever price (known or unknown) as a result.

Cheers,

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:24:55 Tim Ferriss

Hi Aaron,

Agreed that there are definite limitations with both water solubility and — as a consumed liquid — flavor profile that consumers will tolerate. Neither factor necessarily optimizes for nutritional content, and both can force sacrifices.

It’s a tough problem, and kudos to the Soylent team for at least attempting to deconstruct it.

Tim

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2013-08-21 07:23:09 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Taimur. This is definitely a possibility. I find Myoplex (or analog) useful for convenience if dealing with truly obese people. Otherwise, I definitely suggest a whole-food breakfast: 2-3 whole eggs, spinach, and lentils per The 4-Hour Body.

Best,

Tim

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2013-08-14 05:03:40 Tim Ferriss

Pretty sure this is the one I have:
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/

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2013-08-14 00:58:35 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments and suggestions on the podcast, all!

Mitch, the biographer angle is a great suggestion. I’ve actually met Walter Isaacson, who wrote both Franklin and Jobs’ biographies, several times. Good idea.

Tim

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2013-08-14 00:56:40 Tim Ferriss

If you have regular lunches with her, please suggest that 🙂

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2013-08-14 00:53:17 Tim Ferriss

🙂

You’re a good sport, man. Kudos to you. I’ll throw in creativeLIVE, and thank you.

G’night,

Tim

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2013-08-13 06:26:19 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, guys. I’ll post complete show notes when they come up. If not by tomorrow AM, then I post the limited book notes. Thanks! If you can’t, no worries…

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2013-08-13 05:44:50 Tim Ferriss

Lots more video (and maybe a podcast) to come. Thanks for watching!

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2013-08-13 04:44:45 Tim Ferriss

I love this story! Thanks for the comment. That’s exactly what I need for my bike 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-08-09 08:58:13 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, guys. My pleasure to post this video, of course. Noah is good fun to brainstorm and debate with.

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2013-08-09 03:06:02 Tim Ferriss

Buy him a burrito! He loves those things.

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2013-08-09 03:05:12 Tim Ferriss

You have to say no to initially get to the 4HWW. What you *don’t* do determines what you can do, at least in my experience.

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2013-08-09 03:03:33 Tim Ferriss

Cool. I’ll have to check that out again.

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2013-08-07 05:54:49 Tim Ferriss

Here’s another post on hacking Tokyo, from this blog:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/06/08/060808-hacking-japan-inside-tokyo-for-less-than-new-york/

Ganbare!

Tim

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2013-08-07 05:53:38 Tim Ferriss

One of my favorite quotes as well. Thanks for bringing it to front of mind!

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2013-08-06 06:00:06 Tim Ferriss

Agreed 100%.

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2013-08-06 05:52:16 Tim Ferriss

Great quote. Even if these prices might seem excessive to some, the philosophy still holds: you can learn to make more money, not time.

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2013-08-06 05:51:27 Tim Ferriss

Hi Vincent — If you want more mouth-watering goodness, check out my NYC food marathon spots!
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2012/11/21/meet-the-new-york-city-food-marathon-26-2-dishes-in-26-locations-in-24-hours/

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2013-08-06 05:47:17 Tim Ferriss

Definitely possible. Matt might have some suggestions. I suspect he’ll be jumping in here tomorrow 🙂

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2013-08-06 05:43:11 Tim Ferriss

Thank you so much for the kind words, Belen! Espero que — algun dia — tengamos la oportunidad de conocernos. Until then, un abrazo grande desde California 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-08-06 05:40:56 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Jeff.

Perhaps you’d find this case study of a family traveling the world together helpful:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2013/02/01/case-study-what-does-a-real-4-hour-workweek-look-like-with-a-family/

Best,

Tim

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2013-08-06 05:39:24 Tim Ferriss

I have nothing against hard work… if it’s applied to the RIGHT things. That’s central to the 4HWW (i.e. 80/20). This post is focused on precisely that, is it not?

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2013-08-01 00:18:26 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Jacob! Kruse’s work is interesting, to be sure. On the tDCS front, I’d be careful there. I’m actually funding and participating in tDCS studies at a top university in SF. Done improperly, it can hurt performance, and no one knows the long-term implications. Not trying to stop you, but I’d encourage a lot of research and perhaps waiting 6-12 months for more data. I know it’s coming, as I’m quite involved.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-07-31 07:24:54 Tim Ferriss

Here’s a good primer on how glucose is generated from certain amino acids (among other things):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluconeogenesis

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2013-07-31 07:20:27 Tim Ferriss

Jack, thank you so much for this wonderful and kind comment. It’s nice to meet you. You sounds like you have an excellent head on your shoulders, and you’re looking at things the right way.

Keep it up!

Pura vida 🙂

Tim

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2013-07-31 07:17:45 Tim Ferriss

That’s a great way to put it. Excellent expression… and not necessarily a knock on doctors. One can’t be expert in everything.

Liked by 1 person

2013-07-31 07:14:43 Tim Ferriss

To put my comment in context, I only know Kiefer through his direct work with the Supertraining Gym team and athletes like Mark Bell. He and I have spoken in person a few times, and his results with powerlifters have been impressive. I am not very familiar with his writing.

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2013-07-31 07:13:52 Tim Ferriss

I’m not claiming Lyle’s work is reflected in anything in this post. I’m trying to give credit where credit is due for piquing my interested in ketogenic diets, generally speaking.

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2013-07-30 23:55:46 Tim Ferriss

Totally 100% SCD, though I often omit the beans or lentils, as I am consuming a high % of calories from fat. For training, I’m doing mostly KB swings, 2-5 rep compound movements (a la “Effortless Superhuman” chapter in 4HB), and sport (e.g. rock climbing).

SCD + swings is a great minimal effective dose, for sure. Few things beat it for minutes invested.

Keep it up!

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-07-30 23:52:41 Tim Ferriss

I never claimed to invent low-glycemic diets, and I’ve also written extensively (and interviewed) researchers and MDs who cover this area, such as Gary Taubes, Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades, etc. Tons of this content appeared on this blog prior to this post.

Tim

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2013-07-24 19:37:41 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Ayesh! 🙂

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2013-07-23 16:18:56 Tim Ferriss

Keep up the great work, Dave! Can’t wait to see you on the big screen 🙂

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2013-07-17 23:08:11 Tim Ferriss

It can definitely be product if you fit the criteria!

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2013-07-17 23:07:40 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, all!

Reece, not to worry. I’ll be working with start-ups for a long time to come 🙂

Kia kaha,

Tim

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2013-07-17 23:06:10 Tim Ferriss

No need to apologize, man. I’d be more worried if you weren’t excited about your start-up 🙂

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2013-07-17 07:54:55 Tim Ferriss

I would love to take all comers, but it sadly wouldn’t be feasible to sort through them all. These criteria make the process manageable.

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2013-07-17 07:36:24 Tim Ferriss

Indeed.

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2013-07-17 07:35:16 Tim Ferriss

Play nice, guys. Let’s keep it civil.

Liked by 1 person

2013-07-17 07:22:47 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, David. Good catch. I’m on it…

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2013-07-16 07:58:39 Tim Ferriss

Great tip on the White Noise app! Downloading now and will try on my flight tomorrow. Can’t believe I never thought to search that before…

Liked by 1 person

2013-07-16 07:55:12 Tim Ferriss

Definitely love the walks. I should also mention: this is a great thing to do where you live RIGHT NOW. Love walking around so-called “familiar” environs until I find something totally unfamiliar.

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2013-07-16 07:51:40 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Chris!

Other than SF, I’d still choose somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, Portland or Seattle, perhaps. That said, I have no plans to leave SF. Love it here 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

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2013-07-16 07:48:54 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Becky.

One trick: I always tie my running shoes together and hang them from a carabiner on the *outside* of my carry-on so they don’t take up any internal space. Another option: putting them in a plastic bag along with any other carry-on luggage. I’ve never had an issue with TSA.

All the best,

Tim

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2013-07-16 04:34:20 Tim Ferriss

Hi Bob,

Why do you say that? I didn’t get that vibe, but I’d love to know what you think did. Definitely not the intended tone.

Thank you for the comment,

Tim

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2013-07-15 23:39:48 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind offer, Norm! I’ll let Room to Read know.

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2013-06-29 04:18:55 Tim Ferriss

Mekong Delta!

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2013-06-29 04:17:25 Tim Ferriss

Hi Duke,

Let me check on this one and get back to you!

Tim

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2013-06-29 00:04:56 Tim Ferriss

Hi Dan,

Alas, it was my class to teach, so I was expected to participate at a high level. But… plenty of Neil to go around! He has some excellent courses and events on his site.

Tim

Like

2013-06-21 06:53:40 Tim Ferriss

Hi Chris,

It depends. A lot of “skinny” people are actually skinny fat. That is, they appear skinny in clothing but actually have high bodyfat % and little muscle mass. For such people, absolutely.

It’s also possible to look skinny but eat refined carbohydrates and have blood work all out of whack. Ditto for such people.

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-06-21 06:50:20 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Lior. It was a formatting issue with copy and pasting from Word. God, I hate Word with a passion. Fixed!

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2013-06-21 06:48:47 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment and feedback. I do enjoy the videos and hope to do more 🙂

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2013-06-16 00:53:23 Tim Ferriss

Scrivener. Love it.

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2013-06-16 00:51:48 Tim Ferriss

Hi Graeme,

Thanks for the comment. Alas, I’m not aware of a WordPress plugin that allows readers to edit previous comments. If it’s a serious one, please email Donna from the “Contact” page and we’ll get you sorted.

Enjoy the headphones!

Tim

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2013-06-12 19:58:53 Tim Ferriss

Hi Roger,

Thanks for the comment. I don’t feel much from the green tea, but it does have a mild stimulatory effect. I take it mostly for the ORAC value and bodyfat reduction.

I’ll chat with AppSumo and see what I can do, but for “some creativity tool to brainstorm,” the Whack Pack in the latest box is precisely for that!

Tim

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2013-06-12 19:57:30 Tim Ferriss

Here you go! http://www.charitywater.org/

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2013-06-12 19:55:13 Tim Ferriss

A few options offhand:
– For mainstream, something like Lumosity.com
– For a bit geekier, Google “Dual N-Back” or “Single N-Back”

Also, here’s what Abelard Lindsay (smart guy) did with a different stack:

1. Go to http://cambridgebrai…nces.com. Sign up. Take the challenge a few times (http://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/challenge/introduction)

2. Ok got a baseline score and have gotten familiar with the game?

3. Take 2 (you can go up to 3 later) NOW Artichoke Extract Tablets and 1 Solaray Forskolin pill.

4. Wait 1 hour.

5. Play challenge again. I do consistently better on Spatial Search with this stack and do pretty well on everything else. This effect lasts for about 2 – 4 hours.

###

That was from this thread somewhere:
http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/51732-chemically-induced-ltp/page__st__60

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2013-06-12 01:15:42 Tim Ferriss

Thanks very much, David! Hope to see you again. Ja ne 🙂

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2013-06-12 00:59:32 Tim Ferriss

Haha… sorry for the audio and video quality, but it’s the Random Show, hence unstructured by definition.

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2013-06-06 17:40:07 Tim Ferriss

I’ll correct the text. Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) is correct.

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2013-06-06 17:38:55 Tim Ferriss

That’s fascinating. Did the birdie give any explanation of mechanism of action or why that would be the case? I could very well have been in ketosis.

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2013-06-06 17:37:07 Tim Ferriss

Good suggestion, Aaron. Thanks for the comment and for watching!

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2013-06-06 17:35:43 Tim Ferriss

I’m not in a rush. When the timing is right, the timing will be right. I never rush permanent decisions and seldom set deadlines for them as a result. I’m happy with that arrangement thus far…

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2013-06-04 05:56:20 Tim Ferriss

Also, search this blog for “4-hour workweek family” for a good family case study involving three kids.

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2013-06-04 05:54:44 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jennifer,

Much appreciate the comment. The blog post title was a bit of a joke. There are things to minimize and then things to maximize. I would put time with your kids in the latter category, for sure. I’m just curious about little tweaks to behavior (like the “10-min” example) that make a big impact.

All the best to you and yours,

Tim

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2013-06-04 05:53:57 Tim Ferriss

Congrats, Matt! These are huge wins. Onward and upward… 🙂

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2013-06-04 05:52:03 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment, Robin! I hope you share your thoughts more often!

All the best,

Tim

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2013-06-04 05:50:58 Tim Ferriss

I’ve heard great things about John Medina’s book and met his several years ago. Thanks for the comment!

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2013-06-04 05:49:25 Tim Ferriss

I’m guessing that’s supposed to be 8 inches (8″). I’ll check out.

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2013-06-01 01:29:52 Tim Ferriss

Definitely not recommended. Please read The 4-Hour Body or search “Slow-Carb Diet” on this blog.

Liked by 1 person

2013-06-01 01:28:33 Tim Ferriss

I second that!

Liked by 1 person

2013-05-21 05:38:09 Tim Ferriss

Here’s a shortcut: learn to deflect back and ask them the best QUESTIONS about their preferences, and have a few go-to recommendations for different dishes. That will solve 90% of the situations. Sometimes the Qs are more important than the As, as the Qs determine the As 🙂

Like

2013-05-21 05:37:40 Tim Ferriss

I still have a lot to learn, but…

Books:
– On Writing Well
– Bird by Bird
– On Writing (Stephen King)

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2013-05-21 05:36:04 Tim Ferriss

Here’s one good option:
http://www.codeacademy.com

Like

2013-05-21 05:35:18 Tim Ferriss

Hi Mary,

Both cooking and the languages can be figured out in the first 200 pages of http://www.fourhourchef.com Hope you try it!

Tim

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2013-05-21 05:34:13 Tim Ferriss

On this blog, search for “80/20 Guitar” and for speedreading, read this:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/07/30/speed-reading-and-accelerated-learning/

That’s two out of three!

🙂

Tim

Like

2013-05-21 05:33:29 Tim Ferriss

Hi Humberto,

I’ll take a look. Thanks for the heads up. In the meantime, you might want to Google it. The video was from Wordcamp in SF.

Cheers!

Tim

Like

2013-05-12 22:33:54 Tim Ferriss

I wouldn’t do it, Dan. The performance loss — and potential for heat exhaustion — is just too high.

Best,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-05-12 12:13:52 Tim Ferriss

Dear Brian,

Thank you so much for this wonderful and kind comment. It made my night… and congratulations on all the transformations!

I hope to meet you as well someday to say that in person 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend,

Tim

Like

2013-05-10 23:56:01 Tim Ferriss

Hi Graeme,

Thank you so much for a very thoughtful comment and kind words. I really do appreciate it!

This is great feedback and exactly the type of thing I want to hear. Merrell shoes are unique to me, and if I haven’t articulated the reasons I personally use their gear (as well as some stories from over the years), I definitely need to do that.

Onward and upward! 🙂

Tim

Like

2013-05-03 06:16:48 Tim Ferriss

Have a friend unfamiliar with the subject interview you on the subject! I do this all the time. Be sure to record it all. I did this to break writer’s block when writing my first book and third.

Tim

Like

2013-05-03 06:13:29 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for a great comment, Todd! (and all)

You wrote:
“A bottom-up, community-based, give-first movement is as stable a venture as any these days.”

I would say it is THE most stable, most adaptable venture one can possibly create. It travels with you, no matter the platform or distribution or economy, assuming you don’t build the whole thing in someone’s back yard (e.g. YouTube).

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-05-03 06:11:57 Tim Ferriss

If the seminar is 3 days long, I try and deliver that value in the first 2 hours of the first day. Seriously. That means sparing no expense in terms of time investment, as well as capital (good location, guests, speakers, materials, etc.). I attempted to throw an event better than anything I’d personally ever attended, including similarly priced events.

Like

2013-05-03 06:09:25 Tim Ferriss

I truly only think about Step 1. I’m not competing with other blogs. I view myself as competing with internal drive to take the easier path, which is sugar-high traffic over timely stuff that A) I can write more quickly, but B) that will be forgotten just as quickly.

Tim

Like

2013-05-03 06:06:54 Tim Ferriss

I will be doing an OTK 2 in the next 12 months. Keep an eye out 🙂

Like

2013-05-03 06:05:32 Tim Ferriss

Hi Steve,

Thank you for the kind words. I think one of the best approaches here is to add in resistance training, whether with a trainer, CrossFit, or following exercises in The 4-Hour Body. It’s very difficult to add quality mass without a stimulus like this.

That said, do you find she looks unhealthy at 110 at 5’5″? I only ask as I have female friends who are healthy athletes around that range. If she’s active in sports and no openly self-conscious or dwelling on being “thin”, she might be OK. Regardless, weight training of some type will add muscle and shape, if that’s the goal.

Hope this helps somehow! Darya may have other thoughts.

Tim

Like

2013-05-02 02:36:55 Tim Ferriss

Another helpful approach is starting SUPER small. When my dad lost 100+ pounds, it all start with:

– NO exercise recommendations
– NO diet (meal) changes.
– JUST: 30 grams of protein within 30 min of waking up.

You just need to get the ball rolling. Though far from perfect, ready-to-drink, pre-mixed Myoplex shakes were most convenient for my dad, so we started there. The best way to make huge changes is to start with tiny changes. Scratch that — ONE tiny change.

Hope that helps somehow!

Tim

Like

2013-05-01 20:45:29 Tim Ferriss

Cool idea. Let me ruminate on that…

Like

2013-04-27 02:26:53 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Justus. And I totally agree. I am so, so stoked to have the readers I do. I learn more from you all in these comments than any post I can provide! 🙂

Truly,

Tim

Like

2013-04-27 02:25:22 Tim Ferriss

Please search for “Noah Kagan” on this blog. He wrote a great piece about exactly this.

Like

2013-04-27 02:22:47 Tim Ferriss

Google Keyword Tool is a hell of a thing 🙂 That URL should deliver decent organic traffic without triggering any super spammy triplines in the Goog machine.

Like

2013-04-27 02:20:05 Tim Ferriss

Fantastic comment, Joel! Thanks so much. That is a great example with Neil (a good friend of mine), and the numbers look just like every competition I’ve ever run on this blog.

As you said:
“His [Tim’s] goal is not to take someone by the hand and mouth-feed them but rather to show you what the best in the world have done and it’s up to the most crazy, innovative, resourceful people to gulp as much information as possible and make the best out of it.”

I would simply subtract “crazy, innovative” from that statement 🙂 It just takes the extra commitment that largely separates the “overnight” successes from the also-rans.

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-04-27 02:12:43 Tim Ferriss

Agreed, Allen. One good blog post can make your business or your career. It’s worth taking time to focus on quality over quantity.

Like

2013-04-27 02:07:53 Tim Ferriss

Guys, just to jump in here:

– I understand the desire to know profits. I would love to know these figures. HOWEVER.

– With the exception of public companies, companies and start-ups almost never disclose profits and profit margin, nor intricate financial breakdown.

– So, my choice is A) include these case studies with lots of details and revenue (but not profits) or B) not write about the case studies at all. Which would you prefer?

Like I said, I understand the desire to know, but the realities land us at the above. Secondly, to reiterate what Mark said, we know the EXACT revenue numbers because the transactions go through Shopify. If you do some research online for comparable products sold through public companies, you can probably figure out the estimated profits.

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-04-27 02:06:42 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for all the comments, everyone!

Zack, I agree on the stories. I remember the day I decided to outsource my shipping for BrainQUICKEN:

I had packed 20-40 boxes with product and collateral, and then realized my car was dead. It was 30 min to Post Office closing time, and I needed to ship, so I put them all in garbage bags, held them in one hand, and rode my motorcycle all the way there, almost killing myself in the process. Gah!

That said, it does make for good storytelling 🙂

Tim

Like

2013-04-27 02:02:32 Tim Ferriss

Be sure to search this blog for “$100 start-up” and you’ll find 15-20 case studies!

Like

2013-04-27 01:59:56 Tim Ferriss

Huge congratulations to you! Well earned 🙂

Like

2013-04-24 23:21:27 Tim Ferriss

Yes, I ordered coyote urine to scare off the raccoons! Totally true. Thanks for the tip, man! For those who don’t know what the hell we’re talking about, prepare to have your mind blown:
http://www.thepeemart.com/

Like

2013-04-16 07:11:31 Tim Ferriss

Ah, good catch. I think that’s simply a typo. Most likely should be “below normal” where “normal” is defined blood-concentration range. I’ll edit to “normal” and Roman can correct me as needed.

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-04-16 07:08:40 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Joel (and all), for all of the wonderful comments!

Pura vida,

Tim

Like

2013-04-16 07:06:59 Tim Ferriss

Hi Joshua,

I think Roman’s point it paying attention to your readers, even if you have a small audience.

If you’d like to see how I prepped and planned to pitch Warren Buffett, here it is:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/06/11/061108-picking-warren-buffetts-brain-notes-from-a-novice/

Here’s how some friends got to play b-ball with Obama:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2012/04/04/playing-b-ball-with-obama-6-steps-to-crossing-anything-off-your-bucket-list/

Hope that helps,

Tim

Like

2013-04-16 07:04:44 Tim Ferriss

Hahaha… nice to see you, Joel. For those not aware, Joel is one of Roman’s close friends. He can also eat more food than any human being I’ve ever seen (including Roman).

Like

2013-04-16 05:31:26 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Natalia! I appreciate the kind comment and heads up. I’ll check it out…

All the best,

Tim

Like

2013-04-16 05:30:13 Tim Ferriss

Great point, Drew. Yes, the principles of positioning any product — book or otherwise — are the same.

Best,

Tim

Like

2013-04-16 05:28:56 Tim Ferriss

I’ve spent a lot of time in Edindurgh 🙂

Like

2013-04-11 07:56:43 Tim Ferriss

Hi Allen,

Really depends on the companies (there are good SEO firms), but I generally prefer PR firms with a lot of digital savvy, such as understanding the PageRank value of Gizmodo etc.

I focus more on the PR side with known outlets as targets.

Hope that helps!

Tim

Like

2013-04-11 04:25:55 Tim Ferriss

Hi Shaun,

Thank you for your comment. Two things:

– I’ve been thinking of a bootcamp, so thank you for the reminder, and
– I should be speaking in Australia in November, I believe. Keep an eye on the blog for announcements!

All the best,

Tim

Like

2013-04-11 04:18:34 Tim Ferriss

Hi Kenneth,

Thanks for the thoughtful and kind comment. I have not had this problem in my lucid dream state, though perhaps I’m still experiencing beginner’s luck. I’d imagine that the more comfortable I become, the more these often bad habits will infiltrate dream space, but not yet 🙂

Pura vida,

Tim

Like

2013-04-10 09:17:02 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for reading and the comment, Scott! I hope it’s the first of many.

I think you might like the next few posts 🙂

All the best,

Tim

Like

2013-04-10 06:19:02 Tim Ferriss

Perhaps true in many cases. I did, however, start this blog before my first book came out.

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-05 22:56:07 Tim Ferriss

Sweet! Just wait until you see what’s coming 🙂

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-05 08:09:57 Tim Ferriss

You can use torrents to your advantage. Here’s a current example:
http://blog.bittorrent.com/2013/04/04/your-book-is-a-startup-tim-ferriss-the-4-hour-chef-and-the-bittorrent-publishing-model/

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-05 08:08:53 Tim Ferriss

Great suggestion! Thanks!

Like

2013-04-05 08:05:35 Tim Ferriss

Absolutely would consider doing digital-only. If I were self-publishing, that’s probably all I would do.

Like

2013-04-05 04:36:15 Tim Ferriss

Aw, shucks… Thanks, Doc!

Like

2013-04-05 04:35:34 Tim Ferriss

I agree. I do not try and hijack trends. Personally, I write about what I want to study, and I research the best that’s come before.

Liked by 2 people

2013-04-05 04:29:35 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the great comment, Graeme! I’ll check with the WordPress guys on your question…

Like

2013-04-05 04:02:17 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, guys! Yes, my old blog is unbelievable. How did I think those colors would work out? 🙂

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-05 03:12:17 Tim Ferriss

This is also a fascinating cousin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-MeO-DMT

To everyone: as with all such things, caveat emptor and do your homework. Drugs aren’t to be taken lightly, whether aspirin, LSD, or otherwise.

TIm

Like

2013-04-04 01:24:09 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Todd. What is your dosing schedule/amount to produce the “following month” effect you write about here?

“Much calmer and more balanced for the following month; no noted downsides.”

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-04-03 21:29:11 Tim Ferriss

Check out the “80/20 Guitar” as a start! Hopefully more to come….

Liked by 1 person

2013-04-03 21:26:57 Tim Ferriss

Hi Blair,

I appreciate the feedback. That’s how this works, after all 🙂

What would be your ideal design/scheme?

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-04-03 21:26:20 Tim Ferriss

My pleasure, Michael.

Thanks to you and everyone for reading!

Pura vida,

Tim

Like

2013-03-26 08:13:43 Tim Ferriss

Hmmm… While I appreciate the comment, I think it’s totally unfair and I don’t think the anger is warranted.

First off, someone’s favorite books are their favorite books. End of story. There need not be some ulterior motive. My favorite book happens to be Letters from a Stoic — does that make me a sexist? Ridiculous. Many of my favorite authors (or even “most”) happen to be male. Should I be condemned for this sin against humanity?

First off, as Fred noted in his own response, he reads plenty of female authors. I love many female authors, including Joyce Carol Oates, Anne Lamotte, your suggested Toni Morrison, etc.

Second — in my opinion — Fred nor I should have to defend ourselves if the majority of our favorite authors happen to be brown, black, female, male, white, or Martian… as long as we don’t choose their books *because* of those characteristics alone.

Just my 2 cents,

Tim
P.S. If there was a misspelling in the copy, it’s the fault of my proofing, so I’ll take the blame. Never was very good at it 🙂

Like

2013-03-26 08:08:16 Tim Ferriss

Hi Doc!

In this case, we did 90% via email, then followed up by phone clarifications and additions. Email whenever possible saves some time on the crafting of blog posts!

Happy you enjoyed this one,

Tim

Like

2013-03-26 00:47:52 Tim Ferriss

It’ll just get better 🙂 I have guest posts from Josh on this blog, also. Just do a search for his name.

Tim

Like

2013-03-25 23:22:27 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Mozz! My pleasure entirely, of course. I learn more from my readers every week that I could teach them in a lifetime.

Kia kaha,

Tim

Like

2013-03-25 05:18:52 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the kind comment, Lisa! Congratulations on all! See you in Sydney — might be there in November 🙂

All the best,

Tim

Like

2013-03-25 03:30:04 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jose et al,

I’ll have my assistant reach out to you right away. Sorry for any confusion!

Tim

Like

2013-03-25 03:00:28 Tim Ferriss

Haha… just a photo I like that a friend snapped. Nothing subliminal.

Like

2013-03-18 01:06:45 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind comment, EVO! Have fun and share your results!

Pura vida,

Tim

Like

2013-03-18 01:05:44 Tim Ferriss

Good idea for a follow up. Let me see what I can do!

All the best,

Tim

Like

2013-03-16 06:03:22 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment, Mark, and huge congrats! Also happy you enjoyed the Quarterly box. Here’s the story of how I got involved with investing:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/06/28/mba/

Be well,

Tim

Like

2013-03-16 00:54:05 Tim Ferriss

Hi Reuben,

Easy – I’ll have Quarterly ping you 🙂

Cheers,

Tim

Like

2013-03-15 23:30:37 Tim Ferriss

Hi Mehmet,

Thanks for subscribing! For daily use, if it helps:

– I use Athletic Greens (from the box) every morning.
– I also revisit both books included on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

With the boxes, I am trying to offer a combination of practicality, creativity, and “Holy $%#&, I never would have found this on my own”-type goodies. Much like my books, I suppose.

Hope that helps,

Tim

Like

2013-03-15 23:29:54 Tim Ferriss

Check out the Reach Glove link above. It’s pretty close and what I were to a lot of business stuff in SF.

Like

2013-03-15 23:06:34 Tim Ferriss

Hi Sharna,

So sorry about this. I’ll take another look.

The main issue is that I appear to be trapped on Feedburner and unable to get the email addresses out of their system. If I can find a simple method, I’ll try and transfer to Aweber or something like that.

Thanks for reading the blog!

Tim

Like

2013-03-15 23:05:12 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for all the wonderful comments, Kevin and all!

Haha… not in a million years could I ever have imagined it.

Tim

Like

2013-02-24 18:21:51 Tim Ferriss

Coming shortly, guys!

Like

2013-02-01 16:49:39 Tim Ferriss

Stomatotypes? Did I misspell “somatotypes”? I couldn’t find the error…

Like

2013-01-28 07:31:40 Tim Ferriss

Chris, it’s in the “Expanded and Updated” edition, which has (I believe) about 100 pages of case studies from readers. Here’s the link:
http://amzn.to/14oCTk0

Like

2013-01-28 06:56:33 Tim Ferriss

Nope, you’re all set. Thanks again!

Like

2013-01-26 01:56:45 Tim Ferriss

That’s totally OK 🙂

Like

2013-01-26 01:54:21 Tim Ferriss

Hi Sioban,

If there were all dated this week, sure 🙂

Tim

Like

2013-01-24 19:37:37 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Elizabeth! The form should work fine now.

Like

2013-01-24 19:36:55 Tim Ferriss

Thank you so much, Jeff! This is awesome news that made my day. I love to fact that, surprisingly, some of my best feedback has come from chefs. I was really worried I’d get some backlash, but the industry peeps have been super cool.

Like

2013-01-24 19:34:35 Tim Ferriss

Just go to your order history on Amazon and take a screenshot of the last two orders as one image. That should do it 🙂

Like

2013-01-24 19:32:40 Tim Ferriss

I wish I’d known earlier, too! Amazon only told me yesterday afternoon, alas.

Like

2013-01-24 19:31:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Bill. Yes, you can do that.

Like

2013-01-24 19:30:14 Tim Ferriss

Sorry, only to hardcover orders this time…

Like

2013-01-24 15:58:03 Tim Ferriss

Hi Taylor — you can see it now that it’s live. Just click on the right-hand side.

Like

2013-01-24 15:55:19 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Brandon, and congrats on the steak! It’s my absolute fave. That rosemary/ghee/fat sauce is also the icing on the cake.

Like

2013-01-24 15:54:29 Tim Ferriss

Sure. No problem. That said, the three books would really help me out 🙂

Like

2013-01-24 15:53:45 Tim Ferriss

Hi Michael — thank you and congrats! I personally go 2x/week on Mondays and Fridays. See the kettlebell swing technique video on this blog, as well. It’ll help. Have fun 🙂

Like

2013-01-24 15:53:00 Tim Ferriss

UK page is fine (just get the UK version), and the 404 error should be fixed. Thx!

Like

2013-01-24 15:51:05 Tim Ferriss

Yes, that’s fine. I’ll clarify in the post. Thx for the reminder!

Like

2013-01-24 13:22:32 Tim Ferriss

UK and international are fine!

Like

2013-01-24 13:20:04 Tim Ferriss

Thank you so much for the kind comment, Ed! Wonderful to hear from you. I might see you soon back in BsAs. I have to get my dancing back up to speed 🙂

Un abrazo gordo desde SF,

Tim

Like

2013-01-19 01:18:39 Tim Ferriss

Haha… I saw that. Seems like he mixed up the instructions a bit. The goal is optimize your performance, not screw up your employer!

Like

2013-01-17 08:51:45 Tim Ferriss

Agreed on WWOOF! I believe it’s in 4HWW, and there also might be a post on this blog about it.

Like

2013-01-17 08:50:33 Tim Ferriss

I understand the fear but don’t think it needs to damage the company. Take Evernote, for instance. Free forever, used that way by 99% of users (I’m guessing). Those who want bonus features or added services can choose paid add-ons.

Like

2013-01-17 07:11:44 Tim Ferriss

Great recommendation! Thank you, Lucas!

Like

2013-01-17 01:36:32 Tim Ferriss

Ah… thanks, Scott. I don’t know the details, but I can say this: running a non-profit is tough. It’s also hard to attract the best talent. From what I know, the B Corp is a great approach for building socially-conscious (by requirement) businesses that are sustainable through for-profit revenue streams. Having seen a lot of good done by such companies, it strikes me as an investment in the future, but I could be off base. Sadly, a lot of the most talented people leave non-profits after a few years, and offering them financial rewards for good work that does good seems like a good move to me.

Like

2013-01-17 01:34:33 Tim Ferriss

Hahaha… maybe that could become my signature, like Gilbert Gottfried (sp?).

Like

2013-01-17 01:29:47 Tim Ferriss

Thank you, Oliver!

Like

2013-01-17 01:25:37 Tim Ferriss

Yes, I do like gardening and think it taps into a similar primal/manual urge. Foraging even more so…

Like

2013-01-17 01:24:36 Tim Ferriss

Oh, boy, here we go…

To reiterate the blog comment rules: PLAY NICE! Please be constructive. No personal attacks needed on either side.

On pet peeve, though: assuming all Hindus think one way is no worse than implying/assuming NCA is white, so please… let’s drop this fight. Also, I’m not a big fan of using “sin” or “sinful” on this blog, so let’s avoid that as well.

All the same, thank you for contributing to the dialog,

Tim

Like

2013-01-17 01:23:01 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comment. How has it become commercial? Do you mean popular and more mainstream?

Like

2013-01-17 01:15:03 Tim Ferriss

Hi Michael,

Stick with the deadlift. Once you change the program (Barry Ross’s), it’s no longer the program. Cleans have higher injury potential, and the squats can cause issues for some athletes.

In this case, at age 17, I’d suggest you use Barry’s program as described. It a GREAT program that will give you outstanding results.

Good luck!

Tim

Like

2013-01-11 19:58:43 Tim Ferriss

John, here’s what Heather from Evernote had to say:

“At a very base level, the image that is chosen for the snippet view is the “largest” image we find in the body of the note. If all images are the same overall size, we’ll take the first one.

If it’s a clipping that has a large (pixelwise) background image, that can supercede any other images you have in the note.

So – try editing your images so that the one you want to show up in the snippet is the one that is the highest quality/pixel depth.”

Like

2012-12-22 04:58:42 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Andre! Great find!

Like

2012-12-22 03:02:26 Tim Ferriss

Hi John,

Great question! I’ll ask them now via email.

Happy holidays!

Tim

Like

2012-12-22 02:56:06 Tim Ferriss

Thank you for the support, Mike. The box won’t disappoint!

Happy holidays to you and yours 🙂

Tim

Like

2012-12-21 02:31:30 Tim Ferriss

Got it for free from a start-up named Plancast while at sxsw.com a few years ago 🙂

Like

2012-12-20 21:13:21 Tim Ferriss

I cover that in some of my other “Marketing” category posts. Look to the right sidebar!

Liked by 1 person

2012-12-18 21:02:38 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Chris! Hahaha… you mean the “why are you bald?” question? That was hysterical. He was genuinely asking, so I didn’t take it personally. Jason Statham makes it work. Since I’ve been shaving my head since 12 for wrestling, it’s not much of a transition 🙂

Liked by 1 person

2012-12-18 21:00:19 Tim Ferriss

Check out Shopify — Ottawa, Canada!

Liked by 1 person

2012-12-18 20:57:26 Tim Ferriss

Good idea. Here’s some fun stuff in the meantime, all done with Dave Camarillo, BJJ black belt:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2012/01/08/tim-ferriss-getting-his-ass-kicked-how-to-survive-a-physical-attack-video-series/

He also did a great BJJ demo with me on http://www.creativelive.com

Cheers!

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2012-12-12 22:34:03 Tim Ferriss

On it! Thanks for the catch!

🙂

Tim

Like

2012-12-12 21:53:37 Tim Ferriss

Testing Comments

Like

2008-03-08 00:47:25 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I totally agree that the wording is REALLY confusing on the proposition.

It’s like putting a bunch of double-negatives in anything. “Do you not agree that the US shouldn’t stop people from quitting smoking?” Huh? Better wording needed, for sure.

Tim

Like

2008-03-05 23:33:45 Tim Ferriss

More kids! More kids!

And — guys, keep them coming — but what happened to the women out there?

Tim

Like

2008-02-29 13:41:51 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Great comments and discussion.

Here is the PDF that Dr. Eades referred to, titled “Metabolic Syndrome and Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diets in the Medical School Biochemistry Curriculum”:

http://www.hscbklyn.edu/kingsbrook/pdf's/Feinman&Makowske.pdf [the URL is being broken up by the apostrophe, so copy and paste the whole thing]

Enjoy 🙂

Tim

Like

2008-02-27 07:30:58 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great feedback. Dr. Eades actually sleeps, where I am a night owl, so I expect he’ll be joining us tomorrow to add his additional thoughts.

In the meantime, just a few things:

@Jaredb –
If you’re training for a marathon, a strict low-carb diet makes little sense. I would focus on low-glycemic index carbs (more to come on the pros/cons of this soon), avoid white carbs in general, and perhaps consider a cyclical ketogenic diet if you need to lose bodyfat for competitive or performance purposes.

@Aaron –
What’s to be made of the violent winners at the Oscar’s? Not much, I think. In this case, I think you just have a coincidental confluence of good filmmakers with scripts that contain violence.

@All –
More on my cholesterol modification and familial food allergies to come.

G’night,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2008-02-26 09:39:07 Tim Ferriss

@ Donovan and Shaolin

Hi Guys,

For HTML, here’s what is happening and driving me nuts:

the tags are fine, then when I save or publish — poof! — the closing tag disappears and all the text below that point becomes bold. It’s quite a glitch and I’d never seen it before today.

Any ideas?

Tim

Like

2008-02-22 02:09:36 Tim Ferriss

I’ve also seen groups within companies — even divisions — set an e-mail checking schedule to avoid any endless loops with autoresponders. That can cut 40-60% of internally-generated e-mail alone.

BTW, I know WordPress is acting up with the formatting on the blog (bold vs. unbolded, etc.). WTF?

Tim

Like

2008-02-22 00:25:42 Tim Ferriss

IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL:

A good question from a reader and my response:

Tim-

Perhaps you can speak a bit more about how far you want your readers to go [with the wiki edits]. I could imagine providing nicely designed charts and graphics, or writing entire paragraphs of suggested material and sharing case studies- but that seems like it might be going way beyond what you intend.

Your thoughts?

###

Hi Jed,

Good point. I encourage people to contribute as much as they feel comfortable contributing without getting compensated for it, whether that’s diagrams, graphs, rewording of paragraphs, entirely new paragraphs, case studies, new chapter suggestions, or just a typo/URL correction. In the case of a really good diagram or something like that, I would try and get the publisher to give attribution or “based on” for credit, but I wouldn’t be able to promise it.

That certainly wouldn’t prevent me from giving credit to them if I shared it on the site, however. Great question!

Tim

Like

2008-02-20 19:52:35 Tim Ferriss

IMPORTANT NOTE:

One reader commented:

The RSS feed for this post mentions a Nintendo Wii and Guitar Hero. Yet, reading the above article, I see no mention of these items. Was the Nintendo Wii mentioned solely to drive traffic to your site?

###

Hi Erik,

Not at all! This was a screw up on my part. I was brainstorming ideas and looking at other contests people had run. The post was a 1st draft and instead of hitting “save,” I accidentally hit “publish.” Totally my goof.

Any idea on how to re-push via RSS?

Do I need to rename the post title to do so? I’m a Luddite — please help if you can.

Thanks!

Tim

Like

2008-02-20 05:40:08 Tim Ferriss

@David

I totally agree that a class in financial literacy should be made part of the core curriculum. Feel free to quote that if it helps. What good is educating students and putting them in a world that requires financial literacy if they’re not prepared? FYI, your link includes a period and thus turns up as an error. Here it is for others:
http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=48913&comview=1

@All

Happy Valentine’s Day! 🙂

Tim

Like

2008-02-15 01:37:59 Tim Ferriss

Hello Boys and Girls,

I’ll get you the results here soon! Please be patient as I read your very, very amusing answers 🙂

Tim

Like

2008-02-13 11:59:48 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

From a recent email from a friend:

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:

a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

G’night,

Tim

Like

2008-02-11 07:51:41 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jose,

I’d believe Mexico City. How do you know?

Tim

Like

2008-02-10 00:32:23 Tim Ferriss

The diagonal flip I’m talking about in the first video above is immediately after the backflip off the wall.

Tim

Like

2008-02-09 21:47:14 Tim Ferriss

Parkour is unreal. My favorite move in the initial Casino Royale chase scene is the dive head-first over the 10-15-foot table. Incredible.

Still, I can’t figure out the diagonal flip in this first video where the kid catches the ball on his instep and lands in a dribble. WTF? What happens when you mess that up?

Ouch.

Tim

Like

2008-02-09 21:45:43 Tim Ferriss

Just a little snippet I like from The Paradox of Choice:

A maximizer is like a perfectionist, someone who needs to be assured that their every purchase or decision was the best that could be made. The way a maximizer knows for certain is to consider all the alternatives they can imagine. This creates a psychologically daunting task, which can become even more daunting as the number of options increases. The alternative to maximizing is to be a satisficer. A satisficer has criteria and standards, but a satisficer is not worried about the possibility that there might be something better. Ultimately, Schwartz agrees with Simon’s conclusion, that satisficing is, in fact, the maximizing strategy.

-Tim

Like

2008-02-09 02:03:36 Tim Ferriss

Place nice, kiddies! Or maybe you’re just flirting with each other? Hard to tell…

Timbo

Like

2008-02-08 22:05:44 Tim Ferriss

FYI, I say 180K, but list is much less. The price can get jacked up due to dealer pre-selling at higher margins due to demand.

Tim

Like

2008-02-01 02:31:20 Tim Ferriss

Jeremy, the Audi is INSANE. I won’t tell it all here, but there will be more coming on this. Google the R8 and you’ll see every tuner’s dream. I’d never driven a optimized supercar, and — while I won’t be buying one — it’s worth every penny. More to come 🙂

Tim

Like

2008-01-30 08:46:53 Tim Ferriss

Quick question for all, as I’m testing a plug-in: if you read this post in RSS, did the entire post display, or did it get cut off?

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Tim

Like

2008-01-25 08:02:31 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, guys. I’ve wanted to write this post for a while.

@Diana:

The three biggest challenges when hiring VAs:

1. Letting go of micro-managing and being willing to let the small bad things happen in the beginning. It’s all part of the process.

2. Firing VAs upon which you become semi-dependent if they stop performing. It’s hard to do, but it’s like a band-aid — faster is better. It’s not that hard to find replacements.

3. Shifting from a “per hour” mindset to a “per project” mindset. Someone who costs $20/hour might be cheaper than someone who costs $5/hour if they take 1/4 the time or do great work with fewer mistakes. Look at the cost per completed project or per week, not just per hour.

Hope that helps!

Tim

Like

2008-01-22 05:23:52 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great dialog and comments.

Regarding Twitter, I haven’t gone to the “dark side” by any stretch!

I’m experimenting with Twitter and another cool tool coming soon to keep in touch with you guys on things that aren’t worth clogging your RSS feeds with.

Soooo… for example, if I’m going to a party last-minute and want to extend an open invite to you guys, Twitter would be a good avenue.

We’ll see where it goes, but it’s all a micro-test, as you’d expect 🙂

Pura vida — off to Sabbia in La Barra,

Tim

Like

2008-01-09 04:47:23 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Just a few responses:

1. I will be in the UK around the first week of April for the UK release of 4HWW. See you there!

2. For apartments in general, I often use the good ‘ol http://www.craigslist.org

Off to sun — pura vida 😉

Tim

Like

2008-01-01 22:14:58 Tim Ferriss

Oh, and I didn’t forget about “collective filtering”… I just wanted to get this one out right around X-mas/holiday time. Good time to reflect. Collective filtering and other hacks to come, but think BIG picture first 🙂

Happy Holidays!

Tim

Like

2007-12-22 04:54:18 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jose,

My quick answer (See my next blog post as well)? I like CA more than NY, but I still LOVE NYC in small doses. Otherwise it turns me into Woody Allen, which isn’t my idea of fun 😉

Tim

Like

2007-12-18 06:48:00 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Thank you for the great comments!

I also wanted to give a shout out and thank you to Jema Watts (www.e-ssistance.com) who helped me fix the ridiculously small font on the email version of these posts.

Now people can actually read it!

Thanks, Jema 🙂

Tim

Like

2007-11-29 21:11:39 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi Geo,

I completely agree that meditation doesn’t have to be tied to mysticism and judgment.

The most effective types, in my opinion, aren’t at all. Unfortunately, it’s difficult for many people to get through all the misinformation to find them, hence the suggestion that gratitude training be considered as a simple alternative. Ideally, it would make the perfect compliment, not a replacement.

All the best,

Tim

Like

2007-11-20 06:41:18 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

I’m thrilled at the level of participation and discussion on this post.

Let me try and address a concern that has come up a few times: am I tricking or deceiving people?

This post was really just bouncing ideas off of the readers of this blog, as this is where I like to get feedback as much as expound.

I do think it is useful to see underneath the polite exterior sooner rather than later with people, but it doesn’t require deception at all, just putting the two of you in challenging circumstances. No funny business required.

A nice, but physically demanding, 3-hour hike might often do the trick. The examples I gave were just a few brain ticklers to get people talking and discussing the bigger issue of choosing relationships carefully.

Hope that helps! 🙂

Tim

Like

2007-11-19 23:17:31 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

Wow… I love the dialog, and thanks for contributing. A few things:

1. Could it be that I used this entire post to see how different readers would respond to a controversial viewpoint? 🙂

2. I often use this blog to develop ideas I’m playing with or exploring. I don’t use all 6 of these potential approaches on everyone; not at all. These are just a few examples of how people demonstrate character, and some don’t apply well to all people (like introverts, as one person noted). These are just some ideas that I find interesting.

3. I haven’t had my date yet, but I most likely won’t be barraging her with all sorts of manufactured disasters! That’s not my style — again, this post is exploring a few concepts. I’m a bit more subtle, and I’d like to think nicer, than that!

4. “That’s why I don’t have a girlfriend/wife/etc.” Not true. My past relationships have been great, and I date plenty. I just have extremely high standards. I haven’t found the right person for a lifelong relationship — that’s why I’m not married yet, not because I keep on creating stressful situations for dates who get fed up and punch me in the face 🙂

5. For tardiness: I forgive people once or twice if they have good reasons. After that, I just leave or remove them from my life. I don’t have time to constantly wait for people who don’t value the time of others. Just like in personal outsourcing, I gauge reliability before everything else. Every once in a while, sh*t happens and people are late — that’s fine. But if it’s a habit, that’s fatal.

Keep the ideas and observations (tweaks and other suggestions, too) coming!

Thanks for contributing,

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2007-11-15 23:19:11 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi Geo and Andrew and all,

Alex is definitely a controversial figure, but that doesn’t necessarily make him 100% reckless. I’ll let him respond here if he can, but this is from his company website:

“Team Polizei has a flawless safety record across 8 rallies in four years, covering over 25,000 miles in the US, Europe, Asia & Africa.”

Is driving 130mph safe? Probably not, but I’m not heroizing Alex. I’m just presenting a picture of someone how has chosen to create a unique life and lifestyle. You might agree or disagree with his choices, but I just want to get you questioning assumptions about your own lives.

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-11-14 22:00:58 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

So many cool observations and questions. Let me try and answer/comment upon a few:

-Joe, I didn’t know that ASL uses SOV. That is too cool! Esperanto, anyone?

-Michel Thomas CDs are one of the few collections I recommend. Very, very good. The usual Pimsleur tend to be WAY too slow and repetitive for most brains. His CDs are Pimsleur on steroids.

-Celebs and gatekeepers. Make friends with gatekeepers. For many celebs and other high-profile folks, they make a lot of the decisions. Leave voicemail the first time, then wait a while before doing so again.

-Business plans for bank financing due to having to prepurchase lots of inventory. My rec’s: #1 – reconsider buying lots of inventory upfront and look at other business models that don’t require it. #2 – check out “guerrilla financing” http://www.amazon.com/Guerrilla-Financing-Marketing-Bruce-Blechman/dp/0395522641/ref=sr_1_1/002-0498323-6621606?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194491939&sr=8-1,
#3 – get “The Entrepreneurial Venture” http://www.amazon.com/Guerrilla-Financing-Marketing-Bruce-Blechman/dp/0395522641/ref=sr_1_1/002-0498323-6621606?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194491939&sr=8-1

-Where to find foreign language manga? Amazon, Amazon in your target country, or find a friend in that city via Craigslist or whatever and beg 🙂

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-11-08 03:28:14 Tim Ferriss

Hi Sean,

I don’t do too many events at all, but keep an eye out. I’ll announce them as they get confirmed. Sorry the MIT announcement was so late, as it was free. There will be more, though I don’t know exactly when.

All the best — I remember being a poor college student 😉

Tim

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2007-11-07 05:23:41 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

FYI, all people who registered for the teleseminar will be receiving full details via e-mail within the next 48 hours, so no later than Thursday at 5pm PST. It will be fun and very dense on actionable tips. I’m looking forward to it.

Pura vida,

Tim

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2007-11-06 20:11:45 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Thanks for the great contributions to the conversation! Gabrielle, no worries at all. I’m not being too serious — I know you were just ribbing, and I need it sometimes 🙂

FYI, all people registered for the teleseminar will be receiving full details via e-mail within the next 48 hours, so no later than Thursday at 5pm PST. It will be fun and very dense on actionable tips.

All the best,

Tim

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2007-11-06 20:06:32 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jenn and All,

Thanks for the great contributions to the conversation, everyone!

Jenn, all people registered for the tele-seminar will be receiving full details via e-mail within the next 48 hours, so no later than Thursday at 5pm PST. It will be fun and very fun and dense on actionable tips.

All the best,

Tim

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2007-11-06 20:02:43 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thank you so much for all of your support. This has been an amazing experience. A few answers…

1. SXSW — I am officially in! I will be moderating a panel called “The Art of Speed” It will be awesome, so register for SXSW Interactive at http://www.sxsw.com.

2. Raina, I will probably only be in PHX for one day, but if you can find me, I’m down to hang out and grab coffee. It all depends on my obligations for that 24-hour period (or less) on the ground, but I’ll do my best if you are able to come to the event. I doubt I’ll be able to travel outside of the event.

3. David, you are an inspiration. Incredible.

4. Salvador, it takes a lot to make me jealous, but a 12-month motorcycle tour of Latin America does the trick. You might hear from me some day soon 😉

Pura vida for you all,

Tim

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2007-11-06 06:42:46 Tim Ferriss

Hi TJ,

Yes, this is a BIG experiment 🙂 I don’t mind dating/hunting/courting, but this is a more interesting science experiment.

I like girls who are willing to step outside of the box, so we’ll see…

Tim

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2007-10-31 05:44:46 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Andre, the how to live like a rock star is Tokyo is actually already written. It’s coming out in one of the magazines by 80/20 Publishing. Not sure of the name, but I’ll let you know when I see it.

Answering: what happened to outsourcing dating? Here’s the choice: pay assistants to find girls who are hit and miss (still find some winners, though); or have women pay to date me and qualify themselves. Which would you choose? The latter is much easier and benefits a cause, so I’m testing it out. I’m still down for a good hunt, but this is worth trying out and a nice role reversal for a change.

For Caline: thanks for the note. For all people who contact me via Match — yes, I’m always looking for good long-term female candidates, BUT I really need photos upfront. I don’t do long online e-mail romances, and it helps everyone to see if the chemistry works in the beginning.

Hopefully some fun announcements coming soon…

Tim

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2007-10-31 02:54:29 Tim Ferriss

Hi Dane,

To be honest, I think it might be hard to merge the two. I don’t know the first thing about Facebook Causes, but someone else here might. I wish I could help more!

Victory,

Yes, I will speaking at the same event as Sir Richard Branson from Nov. 8-10. I’m not doing any one-on-ones or small groups, but I’ll be there. Bill Phillips will also be speaking. Smart cookies.

Thanks so much for getting off the bench and making a difference!

Tim

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2007-10-30 21:11:32 Tim Ferriss

Hi Raina,

More info on speaking to come in the next post. One thing at a time for me. Single tasking 🙂

Tim

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2007-10-30 18:36:49 Tim Ferriss

###

Hi All!

Thanks for all the great comments and questions. Let me answer a few things:

1. The book will be coming out in Russian and Hebrew, though I don’t have the dates.

2. Contractors and performance-based outsourcers handle almost 100% of my business, so: 1) I wasn’t ignoring customer service issues easily solved in 10 minutes, as I haven’t handled them for more than 4 years, and 2) No one is depending on me for 100% of their income, nor their childrens’ college tuition.

3. The gun range name… good question! Attila, can you help here? I no speak the Slovak.

4. The death of the fulfillment president wasn’t a breakdown in automation. I did have a contingency plan for this type of crisis, and everything was rolled over and running smoothly within 48 hours. The transition of communication is what cost orders, as — to avoid people being charged but not receiving product — we simply refunded nearly everyone who’d ordered in the last 2 weeks. I had no desire to deal with complaints or chargebacks, even if just a few, so I took the financial hit as a quality-of-life tax.

5. Knau, as you suggested, I did have an autoresponder set that explained I was overseas and checking e-mail infrequently. I also had an assistant checking e-mail, who was on the alert to get in touch via secret means if absolutely necessary. Most — but certainly not all — people who want something NOW either 1) don’t need it now, and/or 2) are people you don’t want to do business with. They’ll drive you nuts with 30 e-mail a day.

Hope that helps!

Tim

Liked by 1 person

2007-10-26 16:59:02 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Tim here. I am in Tokyo and have to hit bed before a big day tomorrow, but I wanted to mention that AJ does actually tackle the New Testament as well. He makes no claims to be the world’s foremost expert in the bible, but does do his homework, and his religious advisors (rabbis, priests, etc.) are 1st-class.

A good thought-provoker, regardless of where you are on the spectrum.

O-yasumi!

Tim

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2007-10-12 11:56:06 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the comments. To answer a few questions:

-Money is definitely not the only way to give back! Let me clear up a misconception about LitLiberation: you DO NOT need to donate any of you own money. The competition rewards the best fundraiser — the person who can influence the most people to develop the habit of giving — not necessarily the person with the biggest bank account. Providing your time and effort is definitely as valid, often more valid, than simply writing a check. Remember: giving back the right way is the same as empowering others. Empowering others takes action, not lots of money.

-The date for the call won’t be determined for a bit, but if you pay for it and can’t make the date, I’ll refund the amount, so no worries. Best to sign up and then just get the refund if you can’t make it.

-Jesse, I’m a fan of Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute, but I called and emailed them to be involved with LitLiberation, and no one ever returned the inquiries. I take response time as a good gauge of how quickly non-profits can capitalize on good opportunities, so they are not included in this campaign. I’m nervous about giving my money to any group that won’t return my calls for weeks on end. Perhaps in the future, as I am a fan of what they’re doing in Afghanistan.

Thanks to all!

Tim

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2007-10-05 13:20:22 Tim Ferriss

Thanks to all for the great comments and suggestions! A few things:

-Please be patient with comments getting approved! It can take some time, so don’t assume you’ve been censored, as it’s probably just me or my VAs on an airplane. Big things on the horizon…

-I am going to continue my move to mac. If they had their top-secret solid-state laptops out already, I’d be 100%. These will be tiny and replace my Sony VAIO. Vista is the devil.

-The wait-list for the bracelets is real, as some have noted! Waiting 6 months is not uncommon, as they don’t charge for them and get snowed under quickly. Hence the billion-dollar value of my four bracelets I’ll be mailing out 😉

-You guys rock. The comments to this post alone could be used to completely redesign your most damaging behaviors. Cool. I’ll be rereading these later.

All the best,

Tim

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2007-09-18 21:12:07 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great comments and contributions to the discussion. I love the Robert Heinlein quote.

A few clarifications:

1) “World-class” to me is being the top 1-5% most proficient of all people who practice a certain skill.

2) I stated you could become world-class in almost any skill, not all. There are some limits on sports (powerlifting, etc.) that require massive physical adaptation of connective tissue, but motor skills can be learned quickly. I had never done ballroom or partner dancing of any type before training 5 months to set the world record in tango and also get to the semi-finals of the world championships, for example.

3. It IS possible to be both a generalist and a specialist. When I did tango, I did it for 6-8 hours a day. Did I specialize? Yes, but I only did so for a total of about 8 months. Thus, I’m a macro-generalist and a micro-specialist.

4. There are pros and cons to both being a specialist and being a generalist. This post was just a few reasons on the “pro” side of generalists. I’ll let you guys battle out the rest 😉

5. I believe education, including formal education, can be extremely valuable. I wouldn’t trade my liberal arts education for the world. There are crappy teachers and good teachers both inside and outside of institutions. The prizes go to those who seek out the best teachers.

Hope that helps, and keep up the comments!

Tim

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2007-09-14 22:58:54 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great observations and suggestions. The contest details will be coming between now and the first week of October. Hope to have more soon 😉

Pura vida,

Tim

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2007-09-12 01:24:02 Tim Ferriss

Mike, if you like judo, you HAVE to see the throws at the end of the next installment. Dave is Olympic-caliber and BJ Penn calls him the best in the world at combining jiu-jitsu and judo.

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2007-09-08 07:19:43 Tim Ferriss

Oh, and I forgot: I would LOVE to teach Napoleon Dynamite judo 🙂

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2007-09-08 05:11:46 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Let me try and answer a few of the questions and comments:

1. Small joint manipulation is valid, just don’t forget that someone can knock you out while you’re going for the hold. Next time you drill, but a 16-ounce glove on your partner’s free hand and let them hit you at 50% power. It’s a different world.

2. I am a fan of some of the Krav Maga weapon defenses (some, but not all), but I’ve never seen a Krav Maga person beat a good MMA or BJJ fighter, even when illegal moves are permitted.

3. Situational awareness is very important. I tend to avoid most bars altogether, and I always assume that a potential aggressor has a weapon. I encourages you to use your mouth for diplomacy or negotiation vs. getting into a brawl. I’ve never seen anyone but good boxers and good muay thai fighters take out multiple opponents, and that’s assuming you have them all in front of you. Three big football players could still kill Lennox Lewis if they surrounded and attacked at once. Bruce Lee taking our a building of people is for the movies. If you don’t believe me, let an athletic friend get a choke on you from behind at the same time that you let another friend hit you with 16-ounce gloves from the front. No fun.

4. I’m not out of ideas for the blog! Please note that this is NOT a strict 4HWW blog. It is about lifestyle design and otherwise a place for me to explore different concepts. I already wrote the 4HWW and have no desire to rewrite it on this blog. I’ll cover tons of related topics, new techniques, etc., but this blog is broader.

5. Dave Camarillo will talk more in the next videos 😉

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tim

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2007-09-08 05:09:03 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Ernst, thanks for the question about the title and if I think it’s misleading. I don’t think 4HWW is misleading, but people take it literally without reading the book. But that’s OK.

I wanted to elicit a strong response with the book, and the first step is getting attention. I can’t argue the points until someone picks up the book, but I wanted no more than a “WTF?” response resulting in picking up the book, whether to enjoy it or disprove it.

There were other titles, but I’m all for controversy as a means of getting the foot in the door.

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-09-05 07:22:51 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Just a few answers to your questions:

1. The dive was over Monterey bay — absolutely gorgeous.
2. You get out of the front flips by arching your body and assuming the standard skydive hover position.
3. As for how I dissect different topics, I’ll be delving into that very soon using languages as the example!

Pura vida,

Tim

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2007-09-04 21:12:35 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Simon, I now make my yerba mate tea is a way that is sacrilege for any true Argentine. First, I just boil the water (a HUGE no-no for real mate drinkers), then I wet about 1/2 of the yerba leaves I have put in a metal mate cup (purists only use gourd or special wood). I use the mate “con palo” (with stems) because my “bombilla,” or mate straw, tends to get clogged otherwise.

Sara, for lucid dreaming, just get LaBerge’s books and you’ll be set. I used to reach lucidity every night while keeping a consistent sleep journal, but it’s very easy to look the skill, which hinges on cultivating visual awareness during waking hours.

Good luck to all!

Tim

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2007-08-27 08:47:47 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Charles, I agree with Pressfield’s “just get it done” mindset when it applies to idea generation, which is more mechanical for me, as opposed to organization or synthesis (e.g. putting the ideas into prose).

Tom, sorry about the small font! I’ll look into it.

Dan and Victory, the espresso power nap is something I’ve experimented with. First, the duration of the nap — 20 minutes or less — prevents you from entering sleep cycles that would leave you feeling fatigued upon waking (60 minutes kills me). Second, caffeine inhibits adenosine, which makes you feel sleepy. Here’s some of the research: http://www.sleepdex.org/caffeine-nap.htm

Tom B, sorry about neglecting under-18 in the survey! I was experimenting with lucid dreaming and woke up last night after 4.5 hours to help promote lucidity upon going back to sleep. I just missed it and won’t next time.

Keep on rocking!

Tim

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2007-08-25 19:08:31 Tim Ferriss

Hi Rob,

Nice catch on the typo! Writing an e-mail to my editor now… Man, you can have a dozen proofreaders read a book 1,000 times and still miss things. It’s amazing…

Thanks!

Tim

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2007-08-08 21:51:17 Tim Ferriss

Hi Dan,

This is no farewell post! The book is just the beginning, and this blog will hopefully be much bigger. Cool experiments are on the way…

As for “legacy”, I view it as the lasting contribution you leave behind. This can take many forms, including simply mentoring a single child or student.

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-08-07 20:57:38 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thank you so, so much for the kind words!

Victory, I don’t know Warren Whitlock, but I’m a big fan of Rick Frishman’s book PR. He works for Planned Television Arts (PTA) in NYC.

Coop, you’re a nut! CrossFit is a killer program. I’ve trained with them in CA, and it’s a favorite among fighters. Watch out for the wall ball circuit. Bring a bucket.

As for adding “wisdom” or “love” to the poll… that would make it a tad bit too easy, would it not? I want these questions to make you ask yourself hard questions. That’s how your brain gets big and strong 😉

G’night,

Tim

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2007-08-07 07:27:36 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the wonderful new recommendations and observations.

There will be much more coming on the ever nebulous concept of “happiness” and the fascinating field of comparative economics… how do we get past “keeping up with the Joneses”? It’s coming!

In the meantime, have a kick-ass weekend!

Tim

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2007-08-02 21:15:37 Tim Ferriss

Hi There,

Victory, that is a fantastic story! I love it!

Paul, brilliant catch. I was wondering when someone would point out that I used “should” in the headline. LOL… well done! It’s important to have fun with the small “stuff” 😉

Have a brilliant weekend, all,

Tim

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2007-07-28 17:39:30 Tim Ferriss

Hello All!

James, I also dig Aquarius but usually water it down a bit first.

Victory, please DO NOT post the interview anywhere. It is definitely for your ears only, and it would get me in trouble with Jack if it were to be posted everywhere, not to mention that it would be unfair to people who are getting the 10 books for this content. Thanks for understanding! There will be plenty of content coming soon that you can put on http://www.ning.com, and I appreciate the enthusiasm.

Alex, the interview should go out within 24-48 hours of you sending the BN.com email receipt to amy-at-fourhourworkweek.com I’ll also follow up with her to make sure.

Thanks to all!

Tim

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2007-07-27 18:13:07 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Kevin, correct you are. I ask that people use http://www.bn.com for multiple-copy orders because they count each book as an order. Amazon counts one order as one order, whether it’s one book or 500. http://www.bn.com is definitely what I recommend if you are an aspiring bestselling author and people are buying multiple copies.

Peter and Corri, your questions are related. I’ll cover a bunch of learning in future posts, but the 3 questions I generally ask are:

1. What were the 1-3 best uses of time and money when you did ___?

2. What were the 1-3 biggest wastes of time and money when you did ___?

3. If you were me, what would you be doing, and who would you speak with?

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-07-27 06:05:50 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Great recommendations, and I love the observation about beer being safer than water in places. Most true.

Also, if you choose bottled water in areas with poor water safety (which I’d recommend), do not have ice! It comes from the tap or worse in most cases.

UnaBonger, if you’re having trouble with the video, please see the link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOxJ_uho02E

Anyone else having video issues?

Keep the recommendations coming 😉

Tim

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2007-07-26 20:18:15 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thanks for the great comments. Just a few more ideas/responses:

-Ron, I would never outsource reading to my kids, but I think it’s a hysterical exercise that helps to cultivate lateral thinking that can be applied in more practical cases. I’m really looking forward to having a few hellions and relishing every moment of it. I only outsource the things I don’t want to do.

-Sam, no need to shoot yourself in the head. Again, I only outsource the things I don’t want to do, which leaves me with more time to do the fun stuff. It’s about creating rich experiences vs. a string of endless mundane ones.

-To all who asked about me outsourcing the blog: I don’t outsource any of it right now. Akismet catches nearly all spam, and I’m actually enjoying this whole experiment of interacting with people all over. It’s fun. Keep in mind that I only post once or twice a week, so I don’t have some of the pressures/expectations that many bloggers create for themselves.

Keep the ideas and thoughts coming!

All the best from NY,

Tim

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2007-07-24 18:21:19 Tim Ferriss

FYI, the embedded video was too slow, so here are some alternatives:

http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/4hourworkweek/index.html
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/4hourworkweek/index2.html

If those don’t work for you:
http://www.faosd.com/videos/4hww/businessweek.swf
http://www.faosd.com/videos/4hww/foxnfriends.swf

😉

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2007-07-20 19:18:17 Tim Ferriss

LOL… I mentioned no names! That said, here is my dream: challenging Colbert to a good ‘ol fashioned American breakdancing battle. He can run, but he can’t hide… 😉

Anybody taking bets? He may have some footwork, but he’s never seen my air freezes or swipes.

Tim

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2007-07-20 02:38:36 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Julien, I hear you, but I’ll tell you this much: I know one gent who was scheduled for Oprah and he decided to sell a book two days before the show aired. He received high 6 figures after a few phone calls.

Being on a national show like Oprah gives you one thing: options. It doesn’t obligate you to anything, but it gives you some very powerful new doors to open, should you choose.

As you know, I wouldn’t do anything that would tie me down for long 😉

Have a killer weekend!

Tim

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2007-07-19 23:35:45 Tim Ferriss

Hi Robert,

I commend your vote. Thank you so much for taking action! I just want people to get off the couch and fight for whichever cause speaks to them. The effort is so minimal, and the effect is enormous.

Allow me to explain my reasons for personally choosing education and DonorsChoose:

Education is, after much research, what I believe has the greatest long-term potential to solve all of our problems: potable water, AIDS, malaria, racial discrimination, unfair trade agreements for developing countries, and all of the rest. Limiting education and DonorsChoose to colored pencils isn’t really fair. They’ve already directly helped in preventing teen pregnancies and getting future leaders from low-income areas on the path to college.

Adding people without adding the tools — education and confidence — can create more problems than it solves. Increased disease, famine, and war are just three examples. The US, for example, has no problem multiplying its population; it’s training those people to get along and build a better future that’s the challenge.

So why DonorsChoose? Many non-profits sound great on paper and then fail in execution. I’ve seen inside DonorsChoose. They are streamlined like a Silicon Valley start-up, have helped more than 600,000 students with almost no resources, and they have superstars guiding them, including the Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures, the founder of NetFlix, the co-founder of Yahoo, and Bill Bradley, among many others. Their corporate partners include Crate and Barrel and Yahoo. It goes on and on.

With even $1 million, let alone $5 million, DonorsChoose can change the future of US education. I’ve seen them execute.

I don’t expect them to get everyone’s vote, but they get mine. Get involved and vote, whichever direction you go! http://www.membersproject.com/Education/5630

Stand up and make a difference — you really can.

Tim

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2007-07-17 21:14:12 Tim Ferriss

Hi Andrea,

Cool — BJJ is fun. No need to get hit in the face. Just do the grappling and skip MMA sparring. Be sure to wear a mouthguard and headgear, though, as missing teeth and cauliflower ears are not good for attracting the opposite sex. At least, not the people you want to attract!

Anyone reading this not know about cauliflower ears? Here you go:
http://www.ghorayeb.com/CauliflowerEar.html

With that image in my head, I bid you all goodnight 🙂

Tim

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2007-07-16 10:28:27 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Michael Davis, thanks so much for the brilliant suggestions for family 4HWW.

Adam, I don’t go to flea bag hotels! LOL… I brought the towel for snorkeling, boat trips, camping, sleeping on the beach, etc. If I stay at a hotel — like I did at http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/maui-prince-hotel.php — I’ll just use their plush towels 🙂

Have a great Sunday,

Tim

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2007-07-15 23:26:40 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Longfei, I recommend you major in what interests you most. Don’t worry about the job that will follow. When in doubt, I recommend either a science or English. Both will help you develop clear and concise thinking, which is number one and can later be applied to anything. Writing is just thought on paper.

To all the birdwatchers… I’m sorry!

I didn’t realize my recommendation to borrow binoculars would set off such civil unrest 😉 Replace “binoculars” with “sunscreen” and you’re all set. I only used the first example because on wildlife tours I’ve taken in Panama, Costa Rica, and Brazil, we usually only spot two or three highlight birds on a 3-4-hr. tour, and asking to take a 10-second peek hasn’t bothered anyone thus far. I’m not advocating you hog someone’s $1,000 camera on their trip of a lifetime while they miss great opportunities. I’m just saying: borrow instead of buy when it won’t cause grief for others. M’kay? I should have made that clear — my apologies.

Have a great weekend! There are some great opportunities coming next week…

Pura vida,

Tim

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2007-07-15 03:54:29 Tim Ferriss

Hi Guys!

What awesome feedback. I’ll be digesting this and getting things in motion upon returning to the mainland from Maui.

Speaking of awesome… Roger, killer video. Really well done. I dig the koi at the end.

To all who invited me to party/drink/connect in Costa Rica, muchas gracias por la invitacion! Les agradezco mucho. Pido mil disculpas pero ya estoy en Hawaii — asi que hasta la proxima!

G’night,

Tim

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2007-07-13 10:56:41 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

You guys rock. I just finished a night of Maui mojitos with some brilliant folks under the stars. Life is good.

I have to hit the sack, but here are a few responses (sorry I can’t hit them all!):

-Michael Bester, your plug-in rocks, and I was thrilled to see you write in. I have someone working on the video issue right now, so please hold tight, folks. I’m on it.

-Ben, splitting posts is a good idea. The reason I’m giving 2-for-1 is that I have so much I want to tell you guys! I have notebooks full of hundreds of topics and tricks I couldn’t get in the book. We’ll see…

-The coffee harvester hat? Check out http://www.cafebritt.com. They might have them. Otherwise, any lightweight hat with a wide 360-degree rim and some form of holes for ventilation will work just dandy.

-Kevin, I’ll put up something soon on my learning process. It will be specific to languages, but the principles can be applied anywhere.

-Andrew, I do have a few great stories about getting home visits, but I’m saving that for a podcast or group call of some type. They’re much better when told live 😉

Mahalo to all, and to all a good night,

Tim

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2007-07-13 10:29:24 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Erica, thanks for the post and kind words. For a single mother, I recommend checking out some of the family groups at http://www.ning.com (just search “4hww”), and I also recommend checking out the awesome 4HWW for families blog at http://www.thenewlyrich.com/ Check out the flow charts! Niiiiice.

Dan, I agree. Micki is a hottie and smart to boot. I can say that because she’s the friend of a friend. How nuts that we both took photos of our luggage — weirdos belong together.

Mahalo from Maui,

Tim

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2007-07-12 10:02:09 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Greetings from Makena! I just saw my first grey reef shark this morning. Happy, happy Tim. I wanted to be a marine biologist for almost a decade.

A few answers to your questions:

1. I sometimes don’t bring iPods, etc. if I truly want to experience nature. I find that music is a convenient and tempting crutch for avoiding conversation and other more unique interactions with the outside world. When I unplug, I really like to unplug.

2. Nokia phones do rock. IMHO, the best phones in the world.

3. Thanks to all who commented that the Costa Rica videos weren’t displaying properly. I can’t seem to duplicate the error, as I’m using Firefox 2 on PC and can see them just fine. Are you using macs? Please let me know the details and I’ll do what I can.

4. Help finding a wife? Sure. I’m always open to suggestions. Athletic and smart with a sense of humor, if you please 🙂

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2007-07-12 02:05:28 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ken (and Ken, if there are two of you),

The 4HWW has been sold into Japanese, though I don’t remember the publisher offhand. I’ll keep you in mind for the next book!

As for the “time out” exercise, the origin is actually pretty funny. When I used to breakdance in NYC, NJ, and Philadelphia, the biggest challenge was clearing a space — a “circle” — in crowded clubs large enough to dance in. The solution, which figured out accidental when I once slipped, was to lay on the floor motionless. As the “is that guy dead?” murmurs grew and people stepped away in shock, you could bounce up and start doing footwork, windmills, and all the other joys of breakdancing. It’s really a fun exercise.

I’ve actually heard from quite a number of readers who have done this in places like Starbuck’s, Wal-Mart, crowded bars, etc., but Times Square! Way to go.

Pretty liberating, huh? I still do it when I’m taking myself too seriously. Being mature is so boring.

Keep it up, and pura vida!

Tim

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2007-07-08 08:56:59 Tim Ferriss

A FEW IDEAS — AND PARTY INVITE FOR ANYONE WHO MISSED LEARNING ANNEX

Thanks to all for some great suggestions. I’ve already dropped the books at UPS for future mailings and will be putting together a hybrid of a few ideas — keep them coming!

Ken, I’m pleased with the progress with the book but not satisfied. There is a lot left that it can do. A LOT.

As for “beyond New Rich”, I’ve been seeing (and experimenting with) some ridiculously cool refinements and variations of the ideas in the book. I’m considering putting together a larger program or online tutorial to explore more advanced concepts for those interested.

A world populated by New Rich would be a good thing. The more innovation and entrepreneurial thinking, the better — that’s what made this country and what will save it. Thinking outside of the box is where it all starts.

KILLER PARTY INVITE:

For anyone who signed up for the Learning Annex that was cancelled, you are cordially invited to a party tomorrow, Saturday, at 9pm in San Francisco. I know it’s short notice, but that’s how I roll 🙂 Bring your Learning Annex receipt and you get free entrance from 9-11pm. If you didn’t sign up for Learning Annex but want to join the party, bring some good vibes (and $10-20 for entrance) and join us anytime after 9pm:

Etiquette Lounge
1108 Market St., San Francisco
http://www.etiquettelounge.com/home.htm

Have a great weekend! I’m off to Hawaii on Sunday for some serious scuba and surf…

Tim

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2007-07-06 23:03:31 Tim Ferriss

Dear Christian and All,

THE VOTING IS BACK UP AND WORKING! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Bdq_2fPAxzlv_2bi_2bO0n_2b7_2bb4g_3d_3d

Thanks to all of you (I didn’t post all of the “the voting is broken!” comments, but thanks all the same), I was able to catch this early. You guys blew out the capacity on my account and I had to upgrade! I love it.

Have a great day, and keep those book suggestions and votes coming!

All the best,

Tim

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2007-07-05 22:30:11 Tim Ferriss

Dear Bill,

I’m really sorry to hear that you’ve had some trouble. Are you referring to the reader-only section on http://www.fourhourworkweek.com? We’ve worked really hard — there is a team of four or so who work on the site — to add even more extras than are listed in the book. We are really proud to have less than a 1% inquiry rate from those who attempt to register, but sometimes things do pop up, like glitches related to Firefox 2, spam filters for Earthlink/AOL, etc. We also sometimes take down a bonus to add to it or make improvements. More are on the way.

I apologize if you ran into problems and promise that my tech team is really doing their best. They respond to at least 98% of our tech-related e-mails in 18 hours or so, and we’ve made repeated improvements to the registration area based on user feedback.

In all cases, I can’t stop you from putting us on fraud sites, but I’d ask you not to, as there is no fraud here. Please take a second to give it another shot at http://fourhourworkweek.com/wms/login/login.php and email Steve at [email protected] if you still have problems. We’re really doing our best. Alex and others may also be able to help.

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-07-05 09:53:47 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the great suggestions, all! I’ll be keeping a close eye on the thread as ideas come in.

I would love to do a free digital copy, but the ebook rights are owned by the publisher. The closest I could come was my manifesto on the Low-Information Diet on http://www.changethis.com Keep the ideas coming!

Samiq, you’re right. I was very lucky the second day to get a glimpse of the volcano. The first day, it was completely drowned in clouds, and I made the mistake of trying to see it from the Bandi hot springs, which is an impossible angle, despite the claims. Just a few hours before I was scheduled to leave the following day, a local gave me a ride in his truck to the proper side of the volcano to see lava flow — a bridge in the middle of nowhere! It was incredible: lightning storm to my left, lava in front of me through a clearing in the tree canopy, and a jungle of fireflies to my right. Unreal.

Thanks again for keeping the ideas coming! I’ll let you know at the end what I decide to do. It will be fun to send some idea bombs out and wait for the effect. G’night…

Tim

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2007-07-05 09:42:10 Tim Ferriss

Hi Joyce and All,

At this point, I have not rescheduled with the Learning Annex, so it might be prudent to get your refund and simply rebook later when something is confirmed. My schedule doesn’t open up for at least 5-6 weeks.

Again, I apologize for this confusion. It’s been equally frustrating for me! I hope to have some good news for you guys this week, so keep an eye on the blog.

Also, the finalists for the competition are coming in about 30-60 minutes, I hope, assuming I don’t get kicked out of this internet cafe 🙂

Keep up the good fight!

Tim

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2007-07-04 04:46:07 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments, all! Duncan, I do agree that some EU news outlets — ¨some¨ being an operative word here, as UK tabloids and bad newspapers are worse than ours — can be better. The common factors seems to be multiple international editors. If I had to choose one ¨news¨ source, it would be The Economist magazine. My second choice would be the International Herald Tribune. That said, I don´t currently read either regularly, but if I were to put in the time, those would be my top picks.

Gotta run… Off to do something I´ve always dreamed of doing — sitting in hot springs watching lava shoot out of an active volcano! Total cost with 2 hour personal tour beforehand? $35 US.

Keep up the conversation y pura vida!

Tim

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2007-07-02 18:42:57 Tim Ferriss

Thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement! I just finished my last radio interview for this NYC visit, and it’s off to the airport for mojito dreams. Keep an eye out for me on BusinessWeekTV this weekend, and we’ll be announcing the finalists of the Endless Summer competition in a week or so. Much excitement to come!

Signing off for now…

Timbo

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2007-06-27 19:01:17 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

It was a fun segment. I just finished Fox and Friends about 30 minutes ago and am sitting in a Random House office waiting to start a radio tour. Should be fun.

Joseph, I wish I could upload the videos to YouTube, but 1) I don’t have original files, and 2) the shows probably wouldn’t invite me back if I violated their copyrights!

As for escaping Paris, I just realized in the Fox green room that she was being released today (?). “You’re going to Costa Rica today? Wow, you’re going to miss the big Paris interview tonight!” Man, that’s reason enough to be on a plane and away from TVs 🙂 I saw her on the cover (the COVER) of the NY Post on the way back to the Random House offices.

Anybody for a one-week serving of the low-information diet?

Gotta run! More to come…

Tim

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2007-06-27 11:34:02 Tim Ferriss

Hi Andrew,

I need a few more gallons of coffee. LOL… you are absolutely right. I should have qualified my post: these recommendations are definitely targeted at the post-industrial knowledge worker economies (North America, Western Europe, Japan, etc.). Broadband-enabled, credit-based, cell-phone-wielding populations. Trying to use a credit card at a kiosk in Ecuador or restaurant in rural Armenia will get you a nice laugh. “Where’s the closest Bank of America ATM?” will get you an even bigger laugh 😉

Very good observation. Thanks for pointing that out!

Tim

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2007-06-15 06:20:23 Tim Ferriss

Just as some have asked (and in one case flamed without just asking me first — tisk, tisk!), I am not getting affiliate commission or compensation of any kind with Google. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, but I didn’t go that route and never had any intention of making money from this. I have better vehicles for income.

And to the flamers: before you flame me or anybody else, just send them a polite email with a question. It doesn’t cost anything to be polite.

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2007-06-14 11:59:24 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I love the new social networks and can’t wait to see the ideas that come out of them. 4HWW is just Lifestyle Design 101, and it’s testing in the field that will bring out the really cool stuff. I’ll share some recent experiments in the next week or so.

Hermann, how did I get Google involved? Hard to believe, but here’s the secret: I just asked… and not that eloquently. I met a great guy from Google at a speaking event at UC Berkeley, and the “pitch” was something like this:

1. I asked a ton of questions about what he did and what he wanted to do in the future. I was genuinely interested, and it was clear that I wasn’t just waiting for my turn to talk.

2. I had a simple human interaction without the jargon and nonsense of most over-formal and under-thought businessspeak: “Hey, you know, we should really grab a coffee sometime soon. I’m a huge fan of Google and actually have nearly an entire chapter dedicated to testing using tools like Google AdWords in my new book. Want to do something next week? I think we’d be able to come up with some really interesting ideas for co-promotion.”

This ended up being one of our interesting ideas 😉

All the best and g’night,

Tim

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2007-06-12 08:24:54 Tim Ferriss

Thank you all so much for the excellent responses! My sincerest apologies for any issues with the site — it appears there were some issues with Firefox 2 and we should have sorted them out.

For those of you in other countries, here’s an idea, since I feel badly that I can’t offer you this contest for US legal reasons: why not hold your own contest?

If you get some sponsors in your country to offer prizes (like the trip, etc.) and you host the answers/entries on your own site, I’ll be happy to link over. It shouldn’t cost you anything if you set it up properly. Point out to sponsors that I will help promote.

Go get ’em, and keep the great answers coming!

Thanks to all, and have a wonderful week,

Tim

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2007-06-04 06:11:53 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I’m really sorry for the lag with Viddler. Though I compressed the video to less than 100MB, it was over 10 minutes and couldn’t be uploaded to YouTube. If you have any other suggestions, my ears are wide open. I would use the impressive Stage 6 (stage6.divx.com), but I’m lazy and don’t want to convert to DivX format each time. Alternatives?

Jim, I would love to share the outsourcing teams that I use, but here’s the problem: they’d get overwhelmed and my work would suffer! Right now, my teams are mostly small (5-10), filtered and selected on Elance. Even GetFriday, which has done great work for me, is getting snowed under with work since their mentions in the book. The price of success! Be careful what you ask for 😉

Good luck!

Tim

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2007-05-21 02:46:25 Tim Ferriss

Hi Paul,

I actually use SpamArrest in exactly the fashion you do, but I have disabled the [email protected] forwarding. Only a few select options get through at all. Within Gmail, I’ve found their spam filter to work wonderfully. In my case, there is not much more to it, though I’m beginning to have certain addresses forward to specific Gmail addresses for virtual assistants that handle certain functions.

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-05-21 02:33:42 Tim Ferriss

Hi K,

It is pretty overwhelming to even imagine! That said, there a few things that make Robert quite different from most of us: 1) It is his job to aggregate, filter, and interpret tons of news. His inbox is thus his workspace, whereas it is used by most people (my former self included) to avoid doing work; 2) He enjoys being an early adopter (if not the earliest), connecting the dots before anyone else, and otherwise being on the information cutting edge. He really loves the constant connectivity! Just check out how many Twitter friends he has. It’s mind-blowing.

There is no need for most people to consume as much information as Robert does. It would be just as you said, like drinking from a fire hydrant. His techniques and coping mechanisms, however, are ultra-refined and perfect for average Joe and Jane.

Me personally? I know this will seem like sacrilege, but I don’t even currently use an RSS reader! It still helps me to know how he thinks about filtering information, though. As you’ll see in Part II, the philosophies and principles can be applied all over the place.

Thanks for contributing to the conversation!

Tim

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2007-05-17 06:52:39 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I love it! All sorts of goodies to try 5 days from now. My favorite chocolate in Germany is Kinder, which some people will laugh outloud at, as it’s available in any drug or convenience store (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder_Chocolate).

Darren, Recchiuti chocolates from SF are amazing. America still has bad coffee almost everywhere, but the chocolate in a few places like SF can compete with the best. Both E. Guittard and Scharffen Berger (http://www.scharffenberger.com/) are made in SF and blow my mind, especially when paired with a good (not necessarily expensive) wine.

I’m counting the hours until next Saturday 🙂 Pinotage and Recchiuti are on the list thus far.

Tim

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2007-05-14 20:04:07 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Thank you all so much for the kind words. I’m really thankful to all of my interviewees who helped me get this book out on-time — it was accelerated by two months and we had some tight deadlines. The timing has really worked out for the topic.

Jim, Brickwork is a great firm, but they’re getting snowing under by all of the people contacting them as a result of the book. I also use http://www.getfriday.com, but they are hitting the same issues. A good solution, and one that allows you to find new providers, is to use either http://www.elance.com (I have the most experience with them), http://www.guru.com, or other online freelancer marketplace. Be sure to eliminate boilerplate responses you get to your project, and assign a brief 20-30-minute task to your final three candidates to test reliability before assigning the project. I always test reliability (the ability to head deadlines on time, every time) before skill-set.

Canada has been a great option for me, as has the US. Americans in economically-depressed areas are moving more and more to online marketplaces to make their skills available, as the local markets simply don’t provide the demand that global reach provides.

Hope this helps!

Tim

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2007-05-14 01:14:53 Tim Ferriss

Hi All!

Victory, count me in for training with BJ in Hilo. He is amazing. I was with him when he beat Matt Hughes for the title in the UFC.

Peter, Smart Startup, and everyone else, I’m sorry the book has been so hard to get ahold of! No one expected the response to be so sudden, so the distribution was insufficient. The book is once again in-stock on Amazon, as there are trucks full of books headed in all directions in the US. I believe the retail shelves should be stocked next week. Thank you for your support!

All the best,

Tim

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2007-05-11 07:30:53 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the update, Junk Mail Hater! I did this some time back, and I’m not surprised at this ridiculous charge. I’d love to know if you have any other tips.

One work-around is asking the local post office to stop delivering 3rd-class mail. If they won’t for whatever reason, I’ve seen two approaches:

1. Cite the facts and insist: “Refusing 3rd Class Mail is allowed under Domestic Mail Manual Section D 042 ‘Conditions of Delivery’.” I’ve never needed to do this but have been told it works.

2. Get a PO Box and forward all mail there, ensuring that you use a premium forwarding service, which automatically does not forward 3rd-class mail. I realized this worked when I first forwarded mail during extended travel absences.

Thanks again!

Tim

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2007-05-06 05:00:38 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Wow! Talk about a bruhaha!

My apologies for the delay, but I’m traveling in NY and just now checked out the comments awaiting moderation, which totalled more than 300. I did delete quite a few comments: first, those that were the same questions over and over (just to reduce the burden or update emails to everyone, and to prevent me from answering the tanning question 1,000 times 😉 ); and second, those that were just rude or profane. I created this blog to show people what’s possible and offer options, and here’s my rule for the site: be cool. Don’t be mean or rude — it’s a waste of energy.

OK, so here are a few responses to the most common questions:

1. Yes, it is 4 hours and not 8 hours! I had 8 workouts per month in my head (which is accurate), and screwed up the arithmetic. Guess I won’t be writing “The 4-Hour Mathematician” anytime soon 😉

2. I did not maintain the gains. Why? Too much eating. I estimate (I don’t both counting) that I was consuming between 5,000-8,000 calories per day in 5 or 6 divided meals, which is a full-time job. I spent more time eating than working out! I much prefer to be around 165 lbs. for athletics.

3. For each set, I target to reach failure after 80-120 seconds, thus 8-12 repetitions at 5/5 cadence. This is sometimes referred to as “time under tension” (TUT). I will usually do one marathon workout of 2-3 hours before beginning the program to determine an appropriate starting weight for each exercise.

4. Doing bicep curls WILL cause your skin to darken and your body hair to fall out. Since I didn’t do bicep curls, I had to use Nair and go to a tanning salon 😉

Holy crap — I just got some HUGE NEWS via cell phone from my publisher. No joke… you’ll hear about it in the next few days. In the meantime, please check out the writings of a few of my favorites (sorry about Jones’ stuff coming off like a Nautilus ad, as good as his machines are):

Ellington Darden
Ken Leistner
Matt Brzycki (he edited one compendium with excellent research references)

More to come!

Cheerio,

Tim

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2007-05-02 21:31:20 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ravi,

I actually train alone and have since age 15. I prefer training between 8-10pm and use a “power rack” (a stand-alone cage that acts as a spotter) for safety. Generally, I favor machines over free-weights for ease-of-use, with the exception of deadlifts for experienced trainees. Resistance is resistance, and machines require less clean up.

I’ve put friends — even vegetarians — on this program, who have gained 10-20 lbs. in four weeks despite consuming insufficient calories. For ambitious eaters, and eating is the hardest part, that number will be much higher.

Weight training for me is “me time” and almost meditative, so I never train with a partner. It’s therapeutic to count the cadence (5 seconds up, 5 seconds down) and forget the world for 20-30 minutes at a time.

Last but not least, you are right: short and intense are the defining features of this workout. That said, there is one additional element more neglected than any other: massive recovery time.

Cheers!

Tim

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2007-05-01 12:08:05 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

I was long in awe of supposed natural polyglots, but now I’m just skeptical. I’ve met too many people who claim to “speak” Spanish, for example, when they really communicate with a bastard version of Portuguese or Italian. After more than 20 countries, and attempting to find anyone who could really speak distinctly in more than 4 or 5 languages, I have never found a one. They might exist, but I’ve been on a quest to find one and haven’t yet. It might be the case that someone “has” spoken 29 languages — that I can believe — but I woulud bet a million dollars they couldn’t hold conversations with all 29 in the same week.

Outsourcing dating saved my wallet, my liver (from alcohol or coffee), and my sanity 😉

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-04-30 01:16:05 Tim Ferriss

FOR THE ARTICLE:

Sorry it’s cut off! I sent a note to the editor. The last line should read:

“I have the freedom to enjoy a millionaire’s lifestyle every day without waiting for retirement.”

I really hope to catalyze a massive backlash against the deferred-life plan. We’ll see what happens 😉

Tim

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2007-04-29 08:29:44 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind words, all! I have much more planned that I hope you enjoy.

Colin: Drop me a line — I’m glad you enjoyed the call and would love to chat.

Rita: I’d love to connect with Mark Hurst, and I’m still in NYC for a few more days.

Have a great weekend and… GET OUTSIDE! I’ll be running in Central Park tomorrow (on second thought, maybe just sleeping on the grass 😉 )

Tim

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2007-04-29 08:18:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the comments! Here’s a quick run-down, as I’m in NYC for radio and running around:

Peter: vagabonding with pets can certainly be done (mini-retirement relocations are easier), but it’s much easier in pet-friendly countries (Germany vs. China).

Chris: Pro wrestling requires serious athletic skill, especially the acrobatics. I know Daniel Puder, who won “Tough Enough” and he is amazing.

Virginia: Thanks for the correction. I need more caffeine 😉

Mark, thank you for writing. I am familiar with your situation, as I’m a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, so I see a lot of “compassion fatigue” and related issues. I hope to address this in future posts, but here’s the upshot: you are fortunate to be doing what you love, so the question isn’t how to do it as little as possible, but how to avoid doing it excessively to burnout. This is true with editors in publishing, as well, for example. The principles on this site and in the book should help you get closer to that goal.

Michael, great suggestion on the RSS comment feed. I’ll check into it!

And to all: thanks again for participating in the dialogue! It’s all I want people to do: to talk about the challenges and realize that, in fact, they are not alone.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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2007-04-27 21:29:29 Tim Ferriss

M, where do I know you from? Correct you are! I was born prematurely and my left lung collapsed due to insufficient surfactant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulmonary_surfactant), which means I effectively have one lung for exercise.

So, how do I have the stamina for an extended bout? I need to train intelligently to increase capillary density, but more important, I need to avoid overheating. Just like dogs, humans actually dissapate a good deal of heat through respiration. Since my cooling system is cut in half, I can suffer from heat stroke at the snap of the fingers. Lots of ice water and no wasted movement.

Craig, 4 hours is way too much! That’s why I’m hiring my Indian MBAs to write my sequel, The 2-Hour Workweek 😉

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2007-04-27 07:37:52 Tim Ferriss

Hi Wolf,

Indeed, that was me on Regis and Kelly. The video can be found under “multimedia” on the main site: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com Too funny 😉

Tim

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2007-04-27 04:18:50 Tim Ferriss

Hi Mark,

I’m afraid I know nothing of spread betting. All I know is in this post! Good luck, and may you take the Derby!

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-04-27 04:17:09 Tim Ferriss

Paul, the UK is a puzzle to me (for book distribution, I mean). I still haven’t been able to figure out why the book seems to take longer to come out in London than it does in Tokyo or Moscow! The translation from Yank to POM shouldn’t take that long! I expect that turnaround will speed up a lot after distributors in the UK see the results of this launch, 48 hours in. No offline PR or advertising has even started!

Adam, the low-information diet has been a huge factor for me in terms of not just increasing output, but also hugely decreasing unnecessary (di)stress caused by the overflow of irrelevant and inactionable “news”. Once you identify your sphere of influence and cut accordingly, the results are a thing of beauty.

Thanks again to all!

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2007-04-25 19:50:53 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much to all of you! More to come soon in the next post…

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2007-04-25 08:40:34 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much to all for the support, and please keep it up! Jordan, thanks for rescuing another i-banker from soul-crushing work death. Tom, here is just one link — Google pops up quite a few — to studies, or reports of them in the UK, at King’s College. They seem to have a penchant for studying how e-mail lowers IQ and kills your brain:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/22/email_destroys_iq/

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2007-04-24 17:49:24 Tim Ferriss

Thanks for the kind words, RC! I’ve seen those models as well, and I know a few women who use them in full baths precisely for the reason you cited: shaving without changing water temperature. The book is officially out as of one hour ago and should be in your hands any moment. I hope you enjoy it!

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2007-04-24 08:10:05 Tim Ferriss

Hi Tanja,

Glad to hear you’re enjoying BsAs! Those damn Californians will start to disappear as the weather cools off 😉

To get the best prices for anything, including tango lessons, you need to have an Argentine negotiate them via phone as if the product/service were for an Argentine, then introduce you in person when it’s too late for them to change the price. It’s a bit of passive-aggressive bait-and-switch, but it’s the only fail-proof way I’ve found to avoid getting fleeced.

Tim

Tim

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2007-04-23 02:08:42 Tim Ferriss

Hi Cris,

Gotta run out the door, but here are a few thoughts:

1. I didn’t address the emotional eating concerns b/c I was just trying to explain my diet, not prescribe one to others. That said, they’re important, and I found Dr. Phil’s book (“Weight-loss Solution”?) to address this surprisingly well.

2. Grass-fed, in addition to those reasons, has higher nutrient content, such as CLA (conjugated linoleic acid):
http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp

3. I eat like this all the time and have for 7 years. If you don’t want to binge, there is no need to be, but I find that everyone does if they don’t cheat on their meal plans. I just preschedule it to limit the damage.

Thanks for the good observations!

Tim
P.S. I’ll let you guys help each other on this post from here out. I have to focus on the book launch next Tuesday! http://www.fourhourworkweek.com

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2007-04-22 22:31:23 Tim Ferriss

James, I’m glad you liked it! Dean, nice recommendations. I find that the hotel parking approach, even if not a guest, can be a real time-saver. The valet charges sometimes reset, meaning that the max charge can be $12-30, as opposed to $30 per day at San Jose Mineta. “Friction-free” travel is something to aspire to. I’d be curious to know if you pay retail for first-class or use free upgrades, points, or other tools.

Thanks for the comments!

Tim

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2007-04-22 22:24:38 Tim Ferriss

That’s a great article, Erick! It’s not bad being Pavlov’s dog, but we need to make sure we’re responding properly to the right stimuli. The psychology of Blackberry addiction seems like a combination of emotional eating and OCD hand washing.

Tim

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2007-04-22 22:19:58 Tim Ferriss

I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying it so far, Frederick! We just had a great pre-launch party last night, and I’m really excited to finally have the ideas and stories out in the world. If you have any questions as you move through it, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for the online bonus chapters when the launch is official on 4/24!

All the best,

Tim

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2007-04-21 20:51:25 Tim Ferriss

Jorge,

Thanks for the comment, che! I completely agree with the wit of Argies being somewhat British. I would actually say that it’s similar to the humor of Kiwis in New Zealand. They love to give each other a hard time, but it’s all in fun. “Boludo, que haces?!” for example. I suspect that a lot of it is the Italian (emotional and sarcastic) and German (dry) humor influence from the immigrants who defined BsAs.

Thanks for reading y mucho gusto conocerte!

Tim

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2007-04-21 20:47:33 Tim Ferriss

My pleasure, James! I still often work to music (without lyrics) to shut-out environmental distractions, as I travel all the time and enjoy writing from cafes and universities. At one point, though, I realized I was legitimately losing my hearing, as I jacked volume up to overpower things like hissing espresso machines and gaggles of high school girls. The solution? Get a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that allows you to shut out the external while listening to music at a non-lethal volume. I used the relatively cheap and extremely portable Philips headphones, and my hearing has fully recovered: http://tinyurl.com/2ulqzb

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2007-04-20 21:59:00 Tim Ferriss

Hi Marc-Antoine,

Thanks for the kind words! People will be able to order the e-book starting next Tuesday, the launch date. This is the page:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307394392

This is a good option for those of you internationals, as though the book is already planned for Dutch, Japanese, Russian, and others, it will take at least 6-12 months for it to make it to most countries.

Good question — thanks!

Tim

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2007-04-20 19:21:43 Tim Ferriss

Irv, your technology is great! Check out http://www.mozes.com, if you haven’t already. Really cool stuff. My first exposure was at Ignite, and I was really impressed.

Michael, thanks so much for the support! I look forward to your thoughts and questions once you read it.

All the best,

Tim

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2007-04-20 07:09:30 Tim Ferriss

Hi John, thanks so much for the comment, and I look forward to your thoughts!

Jeff, the books for those at SXSW who got their requests in on time shipped out earlier this week (I only saw the book for the first time late last week!), so you should have them next week. That said, if you can order a copy on Amazon for your closest workaholic friend or family member, that’d be awesome!

Marcie, the book should be available nationwide at most booksellers, but I’d encourage you to preorder to avoid the stocking issue mentioned in the post. Barnes and Noble should be able to get it quickly, as should other bookstores that use major distributors.

Thanks to all!

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2007-04-19 20:00:19 Tim Ferriss

That should read “I apologize in advance if I CAN’T respond to more personalized requests” 😉

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2007-04-19 07:21:29 Tim Ferriss

Wow! This post is getting out of control. I’ll do my best to answer a few of these, but with the book launch (www.fourhourworkweek.com) coming up next Tuesday, I won’t be able to give specific diet recommendations to each person. Grab the books I recommended, and you’ll be set.

A few things:

1. Cody, excellent observations. I use vinegar on salads, cinnamon, and even lemon in drinks to lower collective meal GI. Smart lad, you are.

2. I never said you need to limit veggies to those I listed, but I’ve found that the more variety you try and build in, the less you stick to your diet. My diet is not designed to be fun — it’s designed to be effective. Those four are the four I’ve found to be most tolerable when eating again and again. Feel free to substitute whichever you want, but some legumes are a good ideas for sufficient calories.

3. On MY diet (this is not to say it’s for everyone), brown rice is not OK unless within an hour after exercise. Too calorically dense and still normally high GI. Some will disagree, but here’s the thing. I’m not trying to get to 12% bodyfat (bf), I’m trying to get to 5-6%. This is HARD and requires that I be more strict that the average person.

4. This diet is great for gaining muscle. Just up volume and ensure you get a good amount of low-GI starches (organic whole-grain brown rice or quinoa; the latter is my favorite) after training sessions. Macaroni mixed with tuna is also a great bulking meal.

5. None of the supplements I recommended generally cause anxiety or insomnia. None are stimulants.

6. Fruit, and fructose, are not good for fat-loss diets — period. Fructose is easily converted into fat after it spills over from the liver. I eat one organic orange before sleep to increase HDL cholesterol, but this is not for fat loss.

7. Cheese (ideally low-fat), nuts, and occassional fried food (ideally without a ton of breading) are fine on this diet. Notice that all are protein-rich and low GI.

Buy the books! They’re more comprehensive than I can hope to be on this post, and I apologize in advance if I can respond to more personalized requests.

Please help each other if you can, and thanks for the discussion!

Tim

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2007-04-19 07:20:31 Tim Ferriss

Ravi,

“Bringing Down The House”, about the same group of MIT students, is one of my favorite books! Too bad the group blackjack approach has since been hacked by the casinos. Facial recognition spoils all the fun 😉

If you are going for bodybuilding, keep an eye out for a post in the next week or two. I’ll be showing people (including photos and training) of how I gained 34 lbs. of muscle in 28 days (!).

Thanks for the comment!

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2007-04-19 07:06:48 Tim Ferriss

Hi Kris,

There are a few approaches to reducing volume. I’ll have a PDF manifesto coming out soon with ChangeThis (started by Seth Godin) that discusses that in depth. If an entrepreneur, you (re)design your business with information flow in mind. If an employee, you use 80/20 analysis applied to how your performance is measured to determine which tasks/emails/people should be responded to at what intervals (daily, every Friday, every two weeks, not at all).

You will need to accept that some people are more important than others, and some people aren’t important at all, as it relates to your goals. This isn’t being cold, it’s avoiding inevitable overload. This means that you can take simple steps, like not responding e-mails that don’t ask for a response or contain a question, and you can take more absolute steps, like depending on an autoresponder to set expectations that allow you to ignore responding to most altogether.

There are ways to do this without alienating everyone. In fact, there are ways to do this that will make others respect you more. Keep an eye on ChangeThis — my manifesto should come out in a few weeks, and I’ll announce it on the blog.

Good questions!

Tim

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2007-04-17 07:31:39 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jay,

Congrats on jumping on the plan. I’ll suggest a few that I currently take in exchange for you keeping us all updated on your progress via comments on this post 😉

I could recommend several hard-core thermogenics like ephedrine hydrochloride, but the trade-off in liver and kidney damage (not to mention things that few people realize, like sinuses) isn’t worth it.

I approach the problem differently. Rather than focusing on speeding up the metabolism via adrenal hormones (adrenaline, norepinephrine, etc.), I prefer to increase insulin sensitivity. Most people get fat via a moderate “Syndrome X” of resistance to insulin, which is a storage hormone. Just google “syndrome X” and “insulin sensitivity” for more. Before bed, I take:

200mcg (that’s micrograms, not milligrams) of chromium polynicotinate (not “picolinate”), which is niacin-bound GTF chromium; this can be found under the brand name “ChromeMate”

500mg of slow-release niacin (nicotinic acid) under the brand name “Slo-Niacin”

23mg of policosanol (I use Nature’s Life brand)

1-2 glasses of red or white wine: I believe these have fat-loss properties, plus they taste great 😉 Look at the research on resveratrol and other wine compounds.

This cocktail not only aids in fat-loss, in my experience, but it lowered my total cholesterol from 222 to 147 in four weeks (!). If that is your goal, I’d also add an organic orange just prior to bed.

Keep us posted on your progress!

Tim

I take another 500mg of niacin upon waking in the morning.

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2007-04-16 06:35:21 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jay,

That’s exactly what I’m saying. Supplements can be used for this, even if your diet and exercise is mediocre. That said, the regimen of supplements that would accomplish this would make your liver and kidneys most unhappy, as both will be affected, and the liver will be filtering most of them from your blood.

In the next 10 days, I’ll be doing a full expose on the regimen I used to gain 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days while cutting bodyfat percentage by 4%, including supplements. Keep an eye out!

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-04-14 04:26:15 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ravi, Tom, Ryan, and Vaughn,

Great comments — thanks! Here are some of my thoughts:

Ravi, I love your to-test dream jobs. I’ve seen people test yoga instructor by offering free lunch-hour lessons to co-workers; I recommend volunteering as a guide during a vacation for adventure guide; and check out http://www.writtenroad.com for Jen Leo’s tips on becoming a travel writer, which is an awesome gig but usually doesn’t pay too much.

Tom, I agree 100%. Monkey trainers deal with a inevitable dominance struggle once monkeys pass adolescence, and few are equipped to deal with it. Kevin knows all of his species and even understands the differences in dominance between Mandrille and Hamadryas baboons, for example. It’s totally different! I never would have guessed.

Ryan, fantastic observations, and you’re making me jealous talking about Golden Gate Park while I’m stuck in Man Jose (San Jose)! Sterile, unchanging environments produce sterile, unchanging thinking, which is bad for business and even worse for personal life. Amen. That’s why I’m now in Kentucky, but more on that in my next post 😉

Vaughn, monkey trainers are fun to hang with, and I’d even recommend finding some of the Great White (White Pointer) divers if you’re in SA — good times if you don’t get eaten. There are some excerpts of the book on the main site at http://www.fourhourworkweek.com, and the whole book hits in 10 days!!!

Thanks for the great comments, and have a fantastic weekend,

Tim

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2007-04-14 04:22:37 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Tortillas are not ideal, as they’re still calorically dense without much added nutritional value, but if you must have some carbs, corn is typically the least damaging.

Salsa is outstanding, especially chunky medium spice salsa with corn, beans, etc. I can’t stand egg whites by themselves, as it’s too boring even for me, but if you just add a few spoons of salsa on top, it’s a delicious little meal (just don’t put the salsa and lentils in the same bowl, as the mix is disgusting).

For books, I recommend “The Glucose Revolution” (http://www.amazon.com/Glucose-Revolution-Authoritative-Index-Groundbreaking/dp/1569246602/ref=sr_1_15/103-9756133-3205402?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176358832&sr=1-15) and “Protein Power” (http://www.amazon.com/Protein-Power-High-Protein-Low-Carbohydrate-Health/dp/0553380788/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9756133-3205402?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176358929&sr=1-1) for some good basics on low-GI eating and how protein affects hormone levels and metabolism.

Last but not least, lacto-ovo is fine. Meat isn’t necessary, but it does make the job easier. Egg and beans will be sufficient to lose weight, but if you’re sticking to the “lacto” portion, I would also include 1% milk in combination with the eggs. Casein protein and calcium will aid in fat-loss; just don’t exceed one glass per meal, as the lactose will spill over to bodyfat past a certain point.

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-04-12 06:24:48 Tim Ferriss

It depends on how much you hustle, in the positive sense. Most operators are independent and depend on booking gigs for income. Few are full-time employees of zoos, circuses, etc. Just as in speaking, there are brokers and agencies that are supposed to book on behalf of clients, in this case trainers, but animal trainer brokers seem to be much less dependable (probably because they have less client volume and need to hold multiple jobs) than speaking bureaus, for example.

In the end, to be a good monkey trainer requires being in business, which requires being a good self-marketer. I’ll be working with Kevin to get his stories and day-to-day experiences to the world via his own blog, which will be awesome. His life and amazing handling skills are really suitable for a TV show on Animal Planet.

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2007-04-12 06:15:00 Tim Ferriss

Hi All,

Thanks for the great comments and questions! Here are my answers:

1. Canned foods are absolutely fine. No problem. All of my vegetables are either frozen (80%) or canned (20%). I’m a huge fan of canned tuna in water mixed with lentils and chopped onions. If you’re trying to gain muscular weight, just add durum-based macaroni to that and you’ll be set.

2. The pizza is from Pizza My Heart, based here in Nor-Cal (http://www.pizzamyheart.com/). It’s wonderful. Most small independent pizzerias should be able to help you customize a pizza, and you can always have chicken strips at home that you add on top for the finishing touch. Frozen chicken breasts from Safeway can be microwaved and cut in a matter of a few minutes.

3. Meth is bad, unless you want to look like 80s Axle Rose or Kate Moss.

4. Whole grain is not recommended on this diet, due to high caloric content and generally high glycemic index. I challenge you to find one that is not “enriched” (it is bleached, then vitamins, etc. are added back in) or that doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup in its first five ingredients (the ingredients of the “ingredients” listing on all food products are listed in descending order of quantity). It is tempting but not good for fat loss. True whole-grain bread is better than white bread and actually tastes pretty rough, but if you’re serious about fat-loss, I discourage consuming it. Saturdays allow you to go nuts, so be strict otherwise.

5. Eating the same meals over and over again is boring, yes. I will generally eat the same 3-5 meals every day for 1-2 weeks and then rotate to a new 3-5 meals that comply with my diet plan. It is not practical to have consistency and variety at the same time, so I rotate in this fashion to prevent feeling like a POW. That said, being in incredible shape usually justifies having good but familiar food from Sun-Fri. Saturday is no-holds-barred.

Hope that helps!

Tim

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2007-04-11 09:03:32 Tim Ferriss

Vladimir, good recommendation. Turkey (or ostrich, if you can find it) is a great alternative. For those adventurous souls looking for lower-fat and high-protein red meat besides beef, I also recommend bison (American buffalo).

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2007-04-09 05:51:56 Tim Ferriss

Rod, believe it or not, my breakfast is the egg, black bean, and vegetable combo. I actually prefer lentils over black beans.

Breakfast is usually the hardest meal for most to modify, as we’re a country of toast and cereal-eating junkies. Moving to slow carbs and protein requires a more lunch-like meal for breakfast. This is easier when you realize that breakfast can be a smaller meal, particularly when followed by a lunch 3-5 hours later. Try it for 5 days and you’ll see the difference. Not only will the increased protein intake in your first meal decrease water retention, it will also increase resting metabolism about 20% if your breakfast calories are at least 30% protein.

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2007-04-09 05:49:53 Tim Ferriss

Thanks so much for the kind words, Matt! A brilliant woman in Panama once told me that there were two things in your home more important than all others: a good bed and a good pair of shoes. “If you aren’t in one, you’ll be in the other,” she said. So, so true. BUT, there is an inbetween step: the shower 😉

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2007-04-09 05:44:21 Tim Ferriss

Close. They don’t so much dilute the water as focus the volume in a specific stream. Since the water is being pressurized around a ball, the water comes at you in a circle. Thus, the pressure is much higher, but you don’t get a center stream of water, so the total volume is less. Since the diameter of the stream is quite small, though, it feels like a huge gush of water. Pretty cool.

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2007-04-06 09:32:40 Tim Ferriss

Thanks, Elisa! John, regarding remote income generation, I’ll be posting more on that in the near future, but I’d encourage you to first determine your Target Monthly Income (TMI), which is calculated once you define your ideal lifestyle in terms of activities and belongings. Here is where you can get started: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/ferriss-resources-lifestyle.htm

The vehicle you choose for income generation, whether outsourcing your job to overseas assistants, licensing, creating a product or other, will depend on your TMI.

Most to come soon — promise.

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2007-04-06 05:46:35 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ryan, “How to Live Like a Rockstar in Tokyo” is slated for the next few weeks, so keep your eyes open! I spend less in Tokyo — and live better — than in San Francisco. Lots of tools and tricks on the way. Two tips in advance: get a “Suica” prepaid travel card and dine in the small hipster restaurants above the fifth floor in downtown Shinjuku. More to come…

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2007-03-31 23:50:43 Tim Ferriss

Hi Marci and Woodstock,

Tim is on the money. The key here is being able to decide when you check and respond to e-mail, not necessarily checking it twice daily. For some, like Marci, that would be overkill. For Woodstock, he is correctly (I do the same) funneling people to e-mail as his preferred method of communication. The two-times-per-day recommendation was made at SXSW, where most attendees were online and either emailing or Twittering during ALL presentations!

The point of the autoresponder, and much of what I recommend, is controlling the frequency and quantity of your information intake. You need both to prevent overload, but how each of us will implement the tools differs.

Good observations,

Tim

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2007-03-29 20:41:39 Tim Ferriss

Hi Jeb,

Good questions. My understanding is that, among other things:

-Airline clubs are included. Considering you might have to otherwise spend $9.95 per airport for Tmobile wireless, the savings and free coffee adds up
-Complimentary or discounted seat upgrades are available for card members when seats are available (as are late check-outs at hotels, which is a lifesaver for us nightowls)

I believe that the “black titanium” you refer to is the famous Centurion card (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_Card). If you watch Casino Royale, you will notice that he uses a black card to check in. This is rumored to be a product placement for Centurion. These cards will get you MUCH more than platinum, including personal shoppers at Saks Fifth Avenue, but the catch is that you need to spend $250,000 per year on another AMEX card to be invited to apply. Happy spending!

For mere sub-$250,000/year spenders, the Platinum Card is, in my opinion, worth it just for the concierge: http://www133.americanexpress.com/osbn/landing/BusinessPlatinum/BPCR001_Home.asp

Hope that helps,

Tim

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2007-03-29 20:34:51 Tim Ferriss

Hi Doug,

Case studies are most definitely coming, as are some video features and how-to. When I’m on the road, it will be both faster and more interesting for me to post video or audio content. This will especially be true when I do the European tour for the book, first stop Amsterdam (seriously: Dutch was the first foreign right sold). Much fun to come 😉

Tim

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2007-03-29 00:58:06 Tim Ferriss

Hi Anne,

I have found that people will generally expect you to respond as quickly as technology allows you to receive their e-mail, hence the permanent ADD of most Blackberry owners.

I have one friend, a uber-successful mechanical engineer, who received a Blackberry e-mail from his boss just as he (my friend) got on the NYC subway with me at 9pm on a Friday. There was no reception, so he responded as soon as we got off 4 minutes later. His boss had already left him a voicemail indicating that they would need to “have a serious talk” the following Monday about his lack of response, and that the head boss was livid and threatening to fire him.

It’s a sad state of affairs and an all too common problem. This culture of immediacy needs a severe backlash.

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2007-03-26 08:46:00 Tim Ferriss

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the kind words. I wish I had a good answer for Oz and NZ! The book is already going into Dutch, Russian, and Japanese, but I’m not sure of the timing for UK/AUS/NZ. I’ll let the world know as soon as I do 😉

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-03-25 23:49:24 Tim Ferriss

Div, smart you are. I didn’t mention it, but it’s most true that — with sufficient spend (about $20,000-30,000 per year, unless I’m mistaken) — the annual fee is completely paid for with either point purchases or cash back. This figure might seem like a mountain at first, but it really isn’t if you move all of your expenses to AMEX.

Great point.

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2007-03-23 10:29:26 Tim Ferriss

Hi Div,

I hope to be in London as soon as possible! It’s a great town. If you could do something about the $10 USD sandwiches at Pret Manger, I’d love you forever 😉

Cheers,

Tim

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2007-03-23 10:25:46 Tim Ferriss

Charles,

I completely understand your fear of alienating people with the autoresponders. This is a fear everyone, myself included, has (or has had).

Here is how to avoid it: ensure that the autoresponder is only sent — or bounced back — to the same contact every 4-7 days. All of the mainstream e-mail applications I’ve used have this type of option, and even Gmail send at most one autoresponder per 4 days to the same contact.

Using a disclaimer at the bottom near your sig doesn’t work well, in my experience, as people forget it and have learned to turn off as soon as they think it’s another “This is a confidential communication. If this is not intended for you… blah… blah…”

Give it a shot and take it slow. The worst that happens is you go back to the usual routine after testing it. The more likely scenario is that you cut your email intake in half within the first week.

Good luck!

Liked by 2 people

2007-03-23 10:23:22 Tim Ferriss

Hi Alex,

David Allen is a smart, smart man.

GTD is popular for good reason. That said, I find that most people who implement it seem to miss David’s forest (it’s clear in his book) for the trees via what I call the “efficiency epidemic”.

It is all to common, especially among the tech-savvy, to ask “how?” before asking “why?” This means that they focus on doing things better (dozens of email folders, sophisticated sorting, the latest and greatest Blackberries, etc.) instead of determining what is worth doing in the first place. It’s a great example of being very efficient without being effective.

There is a limit to how much information you can sort and organize. For this reason, I think that controlling your information intake (via elimination) before organizing is better than finding new places to put information, unimportant or not. It is amazing how much information that others perceive as important is neither relevant nor actionable once in your hands.

Once you cut all of the fat and interruptions, surprisingly little management is needed to keep life running smoothly.

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2007-03-19 06:12:55 Tim Ferriss

Hi Ben,

Thanks for the food for thought. It’s an interesting and controversial post.

Stowe Boyd has some interesting assertions, but — just as two examples — his stating that connectivity is more important that personal productivity, or that network productivity is more important than personal productivity, are both that… assertions. He doesn’t support these claims with data, but rather states them as premises to support his later conclusions.

I don’t find this compelling.

I think that being connected in important only when the information that travels that connection is somehow important. For most people, their “network” is not just those close to them, but also micro-managing bosses and co-workers who consume time to feel productive, just to name two groups. To be constantly connected (i.e. people have unfettered access to you and the power to interrupt) yet ignore the trivial as Stowe suggests is contradictory. It’s one or the other, in my experience.

Last but not least, I would argue that the productivity of the network is second to personal productivity. Bill Cosby once said that he didn’t know the sure path to success, but he did know the sure path to failure: trying to please everyone else. I agree with him.

This doesn’t mean being antisocial, and it doesn’t require “turning off” completely or becoming JD Salinger, but it does require being selectively ignorant and training those around you to respect your priorities and work flow.

Thanks for the thought-provoking link, Ben. It’s a good counterpoint.

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2007-03-19 05:07:17 Tim Ferriss

I wouldn’t mind a Ducati Monster and a new jiu-jitsu gi (uniform) to start with. Greece is also on the to-do list, and I should be headed that direction for a catamaran trip in August. AMEX points should pay for the airfare, at the least.

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2007-03-17 08:58:11 admin
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Scobleizer / scobleizer.blog

Spatial Computing Catalyst 👓

Comment Date Name Link
Owl,

I appreciate the skepticism, as I realize that my bio seems unbelievable. I'm a skeptic myself and would probably respond the same way.

I'll address both of your points here, as I've only now come to realize how many places you've posted the same criticisms/comments. I would have replied sooner but have been on the road.

I made the attribution of the poem on p. 284 based on the legitimacy of the source of the e-mail -- a close friend and doctor. I only just became aware of its use in chain e-mail thanks to a heads up from one of my readers (thank you, Scott), and this will be immediately corrected in the next printing. No fraud involved. I have nothing to gain from making inaccurate attributions other than headache.

For the fighting, please the multimedia section of my site. There is video footage -- and has been since the site launched -- of me winning the national sanshou (Chinese kickboxing) nationals at 165 lbs. in 1999 in Maryland. I also have a feature article with a photo of me fighting in the May 2007 issue of Fortune Small Business (FSB). I have a black belt in judo from the Kodokan in Tokyo, Japan, where I competed from 1992-1993. I have also trained at Brazilian Top Team (Rio) (photos on Flickr), Norwegian Top Team with Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen (Oslo), Takada Dojo (Tokyo), Kiguchi Dojo (Tokyo, where Takanori Gomi trains), Enson Inoue's Purebred (Omiya, Japan), Yuki Nakai's Paraestra (Tokyo), and Fairtex Muay Thai in Bangplee, Thailand (one of my Muay Thai knockouts -- knee to the liver -- is also on the fight video on my site), among others. I now train with some of best in the world of MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at www.akakickbox.com. Drop in anytime to see me in action.

I hope this clears things up. Robert, I sincerely apologize for the confusion caused by my delay in responding.

Have a great weekend to all,

Tim Ferriss
P.S. Owl, I'd sincerely appreciate it if you could hold a ceasefire on the assault. I am not a fraud. I'm just a first-time author doing his best to spread ideas that might benefit a few people.
2007-06-16T05:53:00+00:00 Tim Ferriss
Owl,

I appreciate the skepticism, as I realize that my bio seems unbelievable. I'm a skeptic myself and would probably respond the same way.

I'll address both of your points here, as I've only now come to realize how many places you've posted the same criticisms/comments. I would have replied sooner but have been on the road.

I made the attribution of the poem on p. 284 based on the legitimacy of the source of the e-mail -- a close friend and doctor. I only just became aware of its use in chain e-mail thanks to a heads up from one of my readers (thank you, Scott), and this will be immediately corrected in the next printing. No fraud involved. I have nothing to gain from making inaccurate attributions other than headache.

For the fighting, please the multimedia section of my site. There is video footage -- and has been since the site launched -- of me winning the national sanshou (Chinese kickboxing) nationals at 165 lbs. in 1999 in Maryland. I also have a feature article with a photo of me fighting in the May 2007 issue of Fortune Small Business (FSB). I have a black belt in judo from the Kodokan in Tokyo, Japan, where I competed from 1992-1993. I have also trained at Brazilian Top Team (Rio) (photos on Flickr), Norwegian Top Team with Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen (Oslo), Takada Dojo (Tokyo), Kiguchi Dojo (Tokyo, where Takanori Gomi trains), Enson Inoue's Purebred (Omiya, Japan), Yuki Nakai's Paraestra (Tokyo), and Fairtex Muay Thai in Bangplee, Thailand (one of my Muay Thai knockouts -- knee to the liver -- is also on the fight video on my site), among others. I now train with some of best in the world of MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at www.akakickbox.com. Drop in anytime to see me in action.

I hope this clears things up. Robert, I sincerely apologize for the confusion caused by my delay in responding.

Have a great weekend to all,

Tim Ferriss
P.S. Owl, I'd sincerely appreciate it if you could hold a ceasefire on the assault. I am not a fraud. I'm just a first-time author doing his best to spread ideas that might benefit a few people.
2007-06-15T22:53:17-07:00 Tim Ferriss
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gigaom / gigaom.com

Technology news, trends, research and analysis covering the digital world and how it affects you.

Comment Date Name Link

Adam, thank you very much for helping out. Interestingly enough, the only “company” that always paid me on-time, even early (and they do require terms) was the US government and military!

As a side note, the volume that some distributors can offer is seductive, but be careful. QVC or Walmart may be able to move 20,000 units in one day, but they are also able to order 20,000 units on net-120 and then return them all for a refund.

Cheers,

Tim}

2007-06-13 16:15:54 timothyferriss

Anne, thanks for starting the discussion, and thanks to all for participating! Let me see if I can provide a few answers and ideas:

1. I know it seems unbelievable, but nothing in my bio is made up. To address the question about the tango world record, I set it on Live with Regis and Kelly for Guinness, and the video is on my site. For cage fighting, I used to train and compete with Shooto fighters in Tokyo (including Kiguchi Dojo and those from the original Japan Vale Tudo), and I was a police officer in the Chinese series “Human Cargo” — we shot US-based scenes in Oakland — which was broadcast in the mainland and HK around 4-6 years ago.

2. The outsourcing is definitely a multi-faceted socio-economical and political topic. I recently spoke at the Ignite keynote for Web 2.0 last week (www.web2expo.com) and was approached by a Swiss gentleman who works at UBS, the investment bank, in Zurich. While we were talking, another person walked up and asked if I felt bad about taking jobs from Americans to give to Indians, and the Swiss gentleman answered it for me. He said, “Tim, you’re actually in social development. In Switzerland, a recent study showed that for every white-collar job that was outsourced to India we were bringing 25 people above the poverty line.” He explained that five people could be paid the same wages as one Swiss, and five people depend on each of those five. The Swiss would be provided for by social services in Switzerland until he or she got another job, where the Indians did not have that provision.

Please note that the wages paid to these overseas workers are often the highest-paying jobs available in their countries. $5/hour doesn’t should like much here, but in India — even in a place like Argentina, where I used to live — it can go quite far. There are plenty of Americans overseas who work for $5/hour, and I’ve used them as well. It’s not underpayment; it’s just payment in another economic structure. I don’t in any way recommend exploitation in the book — I recommend being someone who “moves resources from low-yield areas to high-yield areas,” which is precisely how J.D. Say originally defined and coined the word “entrepreneur.”

##

I don’t blame people for being skeptical, as I’m a skeptic myself. The whole premise seems impossible, but as Billy and the dozen or so case studies in the book will attest, it isn’t. It’s just uncommon. To respond to Oliver’s last two sentences, the book is all about finding your own path, not about being Tim Ferriss. Most people have no interest in tango or cage fighting, and I push the principles to extremes, but people can use time however they please once they create it. I just want to give them options.

Hope that helps!

Tim Ferriss
P.S. I actually dig the Chuck Norris comparison ;)

2007-04-23 19:19:59 Tim Ferriss

I second the use of Skype for impromptu virtual meetings. The chat to phone segue is simple, and bringing in multiple parties for conference is a piece of the cake. If only Skype could get conference bridge lines to recognize its number tones! If you try and “dial your conference code” or something of the sort using Skype’s dial pad (or typing it in), I would estimate a 60% failure rate, which is awful. This has screwed me on a few occassions when trying to conference from foreign countries with non-Skype folk in the US. I’d love to hear of any patches or work arounds for that weakness.

2007-03-23 06:49:05 Tim Ferriss
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Hi Ravi,

I actually train alone and have since age 15. I prefer training between 8-10pm and use a "power rack" (a stand-alone cage that acts as a spotter) for safety. Generally, I favor machines over free-weights for ease-of-use, with the exception of deadlifts for experienced trainees. Resistance is resistance, and machines require less clean up.

I've put friends -- even vegetarians -- on this program, who have gained 10-20 lbs. in four weeks despite consuming insufficient calories. For ambitious eaters, and eating is the hardest part, that number will be much higher.

Weight training for me is "me time" and almost meditative, so I never train with a partner. It's therapeutic to count the cadence (5 seconds up, 5 seconds down) and forget the world for 20-30 minutes at a time.

Last but not least, you are right: short and intense are the defining features of this workout. That said, there is one additional element more neglected than any other: massive recovery time.

Cheers!

Tim
2007-05-01T07:08:05-05:00 Tim Ferriss