Useful lists of things

Really just his podcast regurgitated. But I'm never going to listen to all his podcasts because they are too long and his interviewing style is irritating. So... this books is really useful and interesting for me.
disabledreamer's profile picture

disabledreamer's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 5%

I mean just the white cis het able bodied rich male privilage finally learned enough to realize the snake oil

I've always been a big fan of Tim Ferriss' ever since I first read the 4-Hour Work Week.

Tools of Titans is a great reference of tips and ways of thinking for both business and personal life.

I have this book in both paperback and Kindle as it's one of those books I have to keep near me.

A classic of American and Silicon Valley Exceptionalism.

2 stars because of the cold shower and mediation tips

Amazing book, it took me the whole summer to read and I enjoyed it. Each profile has something of value, and I found myself taking notes, sharing with friends, and taking pictures of pages. I need this book on my bookshelf.

Tim still is a huckster, which is what I didn't like about his previous stuff, but he's muted it far more here (and I think it'd be better if he let his brand just be the product, not himself).

He's grown a lot and now comes across more as a genuine interviewer of people with wide-ranging and interesting views, which is where the meat of this book is to be found. He even has the naivety that defines interviewers like Larry King, who accept and listen, but do not question. Which I expect has helped his subjects get some great material out there. There's a lot of great people in the list which sometimes intersecting and sometimes orthogonal world views.

It's an abbreviated extract of many podcasts, but I think as such it's a solid read.
informative inspiring fast-paced

While I'm not exactly a Tim Ferris fan, I did find this book to be an insightful read. I've recommended it to friends saying they likely won't resonate with all the advice (I found part of the healthy section to be eyebrow-raising), but they will find at least a handful of inspiring interviews. And I think that warrants the 4⭐
informative reflective slow-paced

I love love love me some Timmy! This large book is based on Tim's (the author Tim Ferriss) conversations with an eclectic mix of guests on his podcast "the Tim Ferriss Show". If you've never listened then you are missing out. I loved many of the podcasts so much and now I got the added treat of reading about them again! Some of the many things I learned from the podcasts (and this book):

What can you do to accomplish your 10-year goals in the next six months?

50% will like your work, 25% will love it, 10% never forget

Succeed using your unique strengths

No one owes you anything

Calm is contagious

Depressed is living in the past, anxious is living in the future, peace is living in the present

Dreams vs. goals: a dream is something you fantasize about that will probably never happen. A goal is something you set a plan for, work toward & achieve

What are you continuing to do that you aren't good at? Choices: improve it, eliminate it, or delegate it

Regarding challenges you are facing: which did you assign to yourself? Which are you doing to please someone else? Create your own "to-do" list don't let anyone else add to it

Be so good they can't ignore you

Have a very clear vision of where you want to go

It's not what you know, it's what you do consistently

"We are whatever we pretend to be". K. Vonnegut

Often it's the tiny details that thrill someone enough to make them want to tell all their friends about you

Use your anger/pain (make it funny)

"Either write things worth reading or do things worth writing about". Ben Franklin

80/20 analysis: which 20% of activities/tasks produce 80% of the results you want (make an easy, short list). Which of these highest value activities is easiest for you to do?

Have you figured out a way to not just create but also to deliver my product (distribution)?

What are you afraid of? Why?

What are you embarrassed to be struggling with? What are you doing about it?

10 ideas + 10 first steps

Combine your "pretty goods" to create your niche

How do you get people to prefer your brand?

There is no substitute for the work

It's easier to give existing customers more than to find new ones

Ingredients for a good story/art: setting, emotion, details

When you complain, nobody wants to help you

How are you complicit in creating the conditions You don't want?

Money is a great servant but a horrible master

Remember who you are

Say little, do much

Health has to be your #1 priority

In the midst of overwhelm, ask "is life showing me exactly what I should subtract?" Is this a breakdown or a breakthrough?

The obstacle is the way. Use your pain to find clarity (what to get rid of). What activities are causing majority of negative emotions? What do you need a vacation from?

There is no way to happiness. Happiness IS the way.

What you seek is seeking you

Accepting all the requests you receive is at the expense of the quality of the work (the reasons for the requests in the first place). Protect Creative time. Decline invitations that take away from Creative time.

Do great work simply because you love it

What are your ultimate goals in life? How can you optimize toward them?

Replace each negative thought with a positive one

When people seem like they are mean they're really just anxious. When someone is upset, first ask: are they tired? Hungry? Is someone else bugging them?

Know what you really want and where you're really going

Time > $

Life is too short to be busy

The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion

It's so much less work just to be yourself

Earn with your mind, not your time

Praise specifically, criticize generally

Watch every thought (ask "why am I having this thought?")

Embrace what makes you different

Focus on the body (& health) instead of being trapped in your head

5 am rituals that will help you win the day:
1). Make your bed
2). Meditate
3). Do 5-10 reps of something (1 minute)
4). Tea (pu-erh aged black tea, dragon well green tea, turmeric & ginger shavings (Rishi brand), and coconut oil
5). Morning pages and/or 5mj & affirmations

What 3-5 things are making me most anxious or uncomfortable? For each above item ask "if this were the only thing I accomplished today, would I be satisfied with my day?" Or "what, if done, will make all the rest easier or irrelevant?" Or "will moving this forward make all the other to-do's unimportant or easier to knock off later?" Then block 2-3 hours to focus on ONE of them for today (no phone calls or social media)

Slow-carb diet: no whites (potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, grains), breakfast & lunch 1/3 protein, 1/3 veg, 1/3 beans/legumes. Limit fruit. 1 cheat day per week.

Go to the gym (be active around people)

Express gratitude to someone you care about or who's helped or supported you

Do things to make other people happy - focus on others


And there is so much more that I did not add here! Read it! It's great! Listen to the podcasts! They're even better! Thank you Tim!



He says in the beginning to skip the parts that you don't think are relevant to you, which is good advice. Too often did it feel like he was taking a pause from the interviews to humble brag about his own accomplishments, which wasn't very interesting to say the least. While many of the interviews were interesting and had great tidbits of advice, habits, book recommendations, etc., some seemed a little out of reach for folks with regular jobs. But again, he had advised skipping, so when I found those, I'd just go to the next.