Tim Ferriss on London Real: The 4-Hour Phenomenon

Tim Ferriss is an American author, podcaster and investor, best known for The 4-Hour Workweek (2007) and the 4-Hour series that followed it, The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Chef. Since 2014 he has hosted The Tim Ferriss Show podcast, and his later books include Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors.

Brian Rose interviewed Ferriss once on London Real, in January 2013, during a visit to London shortly after The 4-Hour Chef was published. They talked about meta-learning, his annual “ego reset”, the pros and cons of the drug modafinil, gratitude, and why he chose not to become a Silicon Valley venture capitalist. London Real re-released the conversation in August 2014 as Blast From The Past.

The interview and its re-release are listed below.

Bio

Start here

The 4-Hour Phenomenon (2013). His only London Real interview, recorded shortly after The 4-Hour Chef came out. Brian Rose has called it a pivotal moment for the early show. Blast From The Past (2014) is the same conversation, re-released with Brian Rose’s account of how the booking happened.

Every Tim Ferriss interview on London Real

Key ideas

Meta-learning

Ferriss presented The 4-Hour Chef as a book about learning how to learn, using cooking as the example. His argument is that any skill can be broken into parts, the most useful parts learned first, and progress made far faster than people expect.

Assume an abundance of opportunity

Speaking in 2013, Ferriss said he tries to assume there will always be more opportunities, which stops him making decisions out of fear. He added that if you can generate one good idea, you can generate more.

Gratitude and an ego reset

He described focusing on what he is grateful for, and explained why he set aside time each year for what he called an “ego reset”, including his then use of psilocybin mushrooms, as a way of checking his priorities.

Not keeping up with the Joneses

Ferriss explained why he chose not to become a Silicon Valley venture capitalist. Near the end of the interview he spoke about resisting the pressure to keep up with his high-flying friends in the technology world.

Books

Frequently asked questions

Who is Tim Ferriss?

Tim Ferriss is an American author, podcaster and investor, born in 1977 in East Hampton, New York. He is best known for The 4-Hour Workweek and the 4-Hour book series, and he hosts The Tim Ferriss Show podcast.

What did Tim Ferriss talk about on London Real?

In January 2013 he talked about meta-learning and The 4-Hour Chef, his annual ego reset, the pros and cons of modafinil, gratitude, and why he chose not to become a Silicon Valley venture capitalist.

How many times has Tim Ferriss been on London Real?

Once, in January 2013. The episode Blast From The Past, published in August 2014, is a re-release of that same interview rather than a second conversation.

Which Tim Ferriss episode should I watch?

Watch The 4-Hour Phenomenon from 2013. Blast From The Past from 2014 is the same interview, re-released with Brian Rose’s story of how he booked Ferriss.

What is The 4-Hour Workweek about?

The 4-Hour Workweek, published in 2007, argues for designing your life around time and mobility rather than a traditional career. It covers ideas such as outsourcing, automation and the 80/20 principle, and it became a long-running bestseller.

What is The 4-Hour Chef about?

The 4-Hour Chef, published in 2012, uses cooking to teach a general method for learning any skill quickly. Ferriss discussed it with Brian Rose shortly after it came out.

What is The Tim Ferriss Show?

The Tim Ferriss Show is the podcast Ferriss launched in 2014, in which he interviews high performers from business, sport, the arts and science about their tactics and routines.

Related

Official site: tim.blog

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