Tim Ferriss is a madman. He admits as much in his new book "The 4 Hour Body". But after devouring the book like a well cooked prime cut rib eye, I realized, this guy is absolutely one hundred percent, nuts. And I think its awesome.
Now, I know all of about 4 people read this blog, and no one asked me to give an official review of the book, but for those who know me, ever since I got my hands on a copy, I haven't put it down. I use it as my reference guide for everything, particularly in the world of health and fitness. And, in typical Guy Petruzzelli fashion, I was skeptical about the book even before it came out.
I knew of its coming release about 2 weeks before it hit shelves. That was in large part due to Brian MacKenzie and his involvement in the book. Brian sent me the "trailer" to the book, (fyi - very cool if you haven't seen it - go to www.thefourhour body.com), and I was intrigued. It featured Brian and other high level athletes doing extraordinary things in small clips. But I'm not a big "self-help book" fan, in fact, I tried reading 2 of those "world renowned" self help books and couldn't make it half way through. To me, they are akin to people needing a life coach - if you think a book is going to help you deal with life, what happens when life throws you a curve? What if its not covered in "the book"? Do they have a hotline you can call? Anyway, you can sense my sarcasm, and it comes from deep inside, instilled when I was young. My outlook on life is best described by Dennis Miller in his most recent stand up HBO special -"Life is tough, wear a cup". So yes, I was skeptical that this might be a slightly cooler variation of a self-help book. I couldn't have been further off if I tried.
First off, the author, Tim Ferriss, is very upfront and honest about his methods, his research, everything. And he encourages readers not to take what he says as gospel. However, what he is saying is that there is a better way to achieve great health that is outside the norm of what has been preached to everyone who walks into a health club. And to get there, like anything that's worth doing, it takes a leap of faith. The book is not written as a challenge, actually in reading it I get the impression that here is a guy who spent over 10 years conducting experiments, researching, basically working his tail off, and simply wants to share his knowledge with the world. He just wants to pull back the curtain on all the tried and true weight loss, get quick fit bs. And he does so, very unapologetically. But he never demands his reader to do anything - you can take it and try it, or toss it aside. See, he knows what he's got, and what's in the book, but he isn't jamming it down anyone's throat. Because he doesn't benefit from you getting fitter or healthier. He simply lays it out and the rest is truly up to you.
Think about this for a second. Why have fad diets and fad workouts failed? Why do people constantly search for "the next best thing" when it comes to health, but never take the time to really look at what it is they are doing? Because its fleeting, there is no permancy to it, and it is all designed to be temporary. How often do you hear, particularly around this time of the year, " I really want to drop 10 lbs before that New Year's party, so I tried this pill, juice, fasting, - i.e. crap"? And let's say the person achieves the goal. On January 1, I would bet that person is well on the way to re-gaining that 10, and then some. Tim's info is designed for life. But the beauty part, if you fall off the wagon, he explains how to GET BACK ON. No hotline to call, no need to panic if you go on a 3 week bender of glutony, Tim has written the book fully expecting all this to happen. Because he was his best test subject. He knows we will fall at times, but there is a way back up.
So yes, Tim Ferriss is a madman. But he's also a genius. He walks that fine line between both worlds and lets the reader in on both. My introduction to Tim has come from the recent cast of characters that I am honored to call my friends - BMack, Kelly Starrett, Doug, Bryan Diaz, Nate Aye, and John Conquest. The last 4 months have been eye-opening for me, and absolutely fascinating. The book is only one part. The thirst for knowledge, and willingness to be my own lab rat has me more excited than ever. When last visiting with my parents, they noticed this shift - the former hypochondriac son, who fretted over everything was looking forward to learning how to hold his breath under water for 5 minutes. And the change is simple, I learned it from my grandmother - the minute you stop learning, you stop living. So kudos to Tim Ferriss and all who helped in the book. Go get yourself a copy and start living the way you want to. Leave the self-help stuff for the fireplace.
Stay Strong,
Guy
