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Tim Ferriss is a great writer. I would say this is the best book I have read this year. I found out about this book when I read his piece on managing information overload on ChangeThis, which I am starting to learn is a place to pre-pitch your book before you publish it. And of course, who wouldn’t be drawn the idea about learning about information overload? So I checked it out.

When I actually got the book, within about 3 sentences I realized it was a change your lifestyle get rich kind of deal and thought, “Doh!” I was tricked. And, that Tim’s a smart guy. But I read it anyway. First off, he’s hilarious in the way he weaves together a story, with (actually) just the right humility and humor about himself. And, he’s revealing about what he’s done. It’s all out there for you to pick from. And it’s really interesting - the idea of taking mini-retirements throughout life as opposed to waiting until the end. I especially like the part that says “Boredom is the Opposite of Happiness.” It’s true.

And there is a section on managing information overload - it’s a lot about thinking about what’s really important. I agree with that. There are a few places where I think sometimes a little inefficiency is ok. I actually can’t tell for sure from the book if Tim is an extrovert or an introvert but part of life sometimes is to have those moments where someone is spending some time with you, even on something not important, even on something work related. There’s a journey, and that has to be fun. Even for the 4 hours. But that’s just me, and I’m good with that. It’s interesting to read about another way here, of course.

There’s a really funny and interesting chapter on the concept of the virtual assistant - a person you can hire from anywhere on the globe that will do just about anything for you that doesn’t require a physical presence. These days, that’s a lot. There’s also a good guide to packing up your life and being more mobile as you do the vagabond thing.

I know that I’m not a vagabond - that wouldn’t make me happy (I suppose you could say it would bore me) and I’m not looking for a lot of adventure travel. However, the lesson here is a good reminder for us to make our own kind of music, sing our own special song, and there’s nothing holding us back. Really. Nothing. What does it cost to take a trip (or a cruise) around he world compared to the time and emotional energy we spend not taking a trip or a cruise around the world?

I am probably in the camp that sort of thinks this way anyway, so the philosophy is going to appeal to me generally. And it’s a reminder to not stop trying new things. I am about to try a lot of new things, and that’s why life is good.

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