“I’m not a book quitter!” Clutching The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo, I heard the words inadvertently escaping. “Why don’t you just stop reading it?” My girlfriend asked upon seeing me squirm under the covers, reading by nightstand light, brows furrowed, an occasional guffaw breaking the silence.
I picked up Richard Koch’s: The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less upon recommendation from the Tim Ferriss Podcast (see my review of the Tim Ferriss Podcast here). I can see why a tinkerer like Tim might gravitate towards this book and its contrarian logic. The substance of the book is: defining the concept, its application within the business world and its application to one’s personal life. Right off the bat, he states his motivation:
“This book is written from a burning conviction validated in personal and business experience, that this principle is one of the best ways of dealing with and transcending the pressures of modern life.”
“Polymath” is an apt characterization of Tim Ferriss. He’s an entrepreneur, an author, an angel investor, a master interviewer, an accomplished martial artist, a… oh, just go to his about page for his story. He’s done a ton in just over 40 years on this here planet.
I honestly don’t even remember how I came across his podcast, but about two years ago I started listening and was immediately drawn to the format and content. It became my go-to podcast for car commutes and lunch-time walkabouts. The podcast is long form interviews featuring “world-class performers,” in which he attempts “to extract the tactics, tools, and routines” that made these folks who they are today (which implicitly listeners may adopt themselves). If you find yourself drawn to self-improvement and/or biographical content, you’ll be right at home with Tim. Read More
