Enter another motivational book. The premise for the 4 hour work week is that there is too much life to be living to get caught up in the office for the rest of your life. Why be tied to a job in an office? And the story unfolds from there.

Tim’s break / opportunity comes when he is made redundant from some Silicon Valley company some years ago (probably during the dotcom bust – I don’t recall) and so he takes it upon himself to start selling vitamin supplements to a niche market. And things grow from there.

I found this book particularly good because it gives a great view into the mentality required to start something for yourself but maintaining the view that it needs to be able to let you do the things you want. To provide you with the freedom you desire and the means to live life the way you wish. It’s definitely aspirational in that sense. All you really need is one thing to get you on your way to Ditching the Office and then, as I’ve found so far, you’ll have plenty of other ideas that you can try as time goes on. Whatever it takes to get your creative and entrepreneurial juices flowing.

This book also has some tangible hints, tips and techniques to making sure that you live the 4 hour work week. From making sure you outsource where you can to putting systems in where repetition is king. There’s a great section on using virtual assistances (va). You can rest assured though you’ll need to spend more than 4 hours a week getting to the point when 4 is all you need to spend but it’s a great goal!

It’s on my recommended reading list. Pick up your copy here.

What would any self-respecting, financial freedom inspired blog be these days without the obligatory review of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad?  I don’t really have a witty answer so it seems that I should support the status quo.  Kind of.  Rather than give a blow by blow, I think it would be good to give a view of the lasting memories that I have.

I read Rich Dad Poor Dad a couple of years ago while on holidays in China.  The book is written as something like the internal dialogue of Robert as he learnt, from a young age, the thought processes, skills and attitudes necessary to become rich.  The learnings are all conveyed through the story his experiences with the attitudes and help of his Rich Dad (father of his friend) and his Poor Dad (Biological father).  I could be wrong here about the internal dialogue, which is both possible and likely, but it has been two years.  Either way, I remember it being an engaging read.

I had already begun this “I can’t continue working in an office like this” journey at the time but I really had no idea on what I was going to do to sort it out.  I’ll be honest.  I really enjoyed Rich Dad Poor Dad.  I really enjoyed it in the “I read it in a day and a half, found it engaging and took something away all at the same time!” way.  Since then I’ve wondered on a regular basis why I enjoyed it and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the way the book gives you a great sense of opportunity.  It looks to change your perspective in a very simple way.  It is in essence a motivational book.  It helped get me off my proverbial to start to act on my desires.  Big call huh?

Some friends who’ve read Rich Dad Poor Dad don’t like it.  They think it’s either:

• Rubbish because it’s simple
• Rubbish because it doesn’t prescribe how to get rich
• Rubbish because of the whole play between the Rich Dad and Poor Dad (you”ll need to read it to get this part)
• Rubbish because they don’t like capitalism

If I were not to take the book as a motivational, then I would have a few of issues (read points for discussion with the Robert) and would put these at the top of the list:

• The irony that you’re lining Robert’s pockets by buying the book is not lost on me.
• If I remember right about the story being told from the perspective of a young Robert, I don’t really know why he wasn’t applying the rich attitudes and practices up to the point when he hit rock bottom at mid life.

I think that it probably is a rubbish book from a point of view of getting great tips running to get rich.  If read as a motivational book, I think it is both great and potentially very powerful in the sense that it can change your perspective.  So with that in mind I’d recommend you read it.  You can pick up Rich Dad Poor Dad up through Amazon.