When I first heard about the book 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss, I thought it was just a body building book. And it was a bit of a turn off. Fortunately I was wrong. There were chapters in this book that were genuinely eye opening. After reading them I found myself discussing them at work with others. I even brought them up with my mum at one stage.

What’s This Book About?

This book is a gem that touches on almost all areas of the human body and tells you how to ‘hack’ maximum results for minimum input. The content interest level is incredible. I particularly liked the sections on

• Genetic testing
• Programming your body to only need 4 hours sleep a day
• Becoming a swimming genius
• Losing weight
• How to spot sloppy ‘industry’ research – a pet peeve of mine that I see on an almost daily basis.

And yes, this book even has a trailer. It goes less than a minute, check it out:

Plus Tim doesn’t just preach. He goes through the tests himself and shows the results of other people who took up the challenge. The images shown are in black and white. Sure it would be nice to have them in colour – but look at the price. Tim’s compiled all this great information and delivered it for under $20 in a hardcover. Yes a hardcover.

Physical Book Dimensions

4 Hour Body is 550 pages, bound in a hardcover (making it a mammoth 5cm thick). It’s a generous A5 size, and the text is about 14 font, which is nice and easy on the eyes. Thumbs up.

Why Should You Listen to Tim Ferriss?

Tim’s original book, the 4 Hour Work Week was a #1 New York Times best seller and is often quoted as a must read by small business owners. Although I subscribe to a lot of blogs, Tim’s blog is one of a handful that I read every post. Tim’s a lifestyle designer, which means he is self employed and engages in pursuits that he wants, on his terms at a time he wants. Apart from his books he doesn’t ‘sell stuff’. Tim takes pleasure in uncovering ways to do things better. I recommend you sign up to Tim Ferriss’ blog

What do I Rate the Book?

At the time of this review about 1,300 people have rated the 4 Hour Body on Amazon, with the average rating being 4.5/5 stars. Considering this book only came out about 3 months ago, that’s a significant positive response. The book does show you the steps you need to take in order to achieve the results and also warns you against common mistakes. As many of the actions require significant lifestyle changes that push you outside your comfort zone, I dare say that many readers will digest the information as a nice to know, rather than action it. Sure there were chapters that I enjoyed more than others, but overall it really was a great book.

Who’s the Book For?

Yes I know, this is a small business blog, what tenuous link does this book have with small business? In a business sense, not much. But in a mindset sense, it’s a perfect fit. As a small business owner you need to be looking for the best methods, the tricks and the traps to get the best outcome for minimal effort. The underlying psychology of this book is a great fit to the small business entrepreneur who must bush wack though their competitive environment. Plus it’s only $20. So much information for $20.

Can I See Some Sample Content?

Tim has some bonus chapters available on his website which will give you a feel for the content. These include:

• Becoming Brad Pitt: Uses and Abuses of DNA
• An Alternative to Dieting
• Hyperclocking and Related Mischief: How to Increase Strength 10% in One Workout
• The Top 10 Reasons Why BMI Is Bogus

Check out the 4 Hour body at Amazon.

Growing your small business,

David Moloney
Small Business Planned