Book review: 4000 Weeks

4000 Weeks, Time Managment for Mortals

If you want a philosophy book on time, this a 4 out of 5 stars.  If you want a “how to” book, this a 2.5 stars out of 5.  

The premise is that we try to do too much with our time and end up crowbarring a lot of unimportant and trivial things into our already cramped and hectic schedules.  The majority of this book is spent looking at how we view time, our concepts of time, and how we should strive to spend that dwindling resource by focusing on the more critical of our life’s work instead of trying to do everything.  Jack off all trades but Master of none?  It’s very similar to that.  In essence by spreading ourselves so thin we accomplish less.  I love the quote from Tolkien in Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins says, “Like butter spread across too much bread.”  That’s what we try to do with our time.  

If you have read Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, then you understand the premise of this book.  Stop caring about so many little things and concentrate on the things that matter.  It’s not that you don’t care or don’t have f*cks to give but rather you are (or should be) stingy with them.  Same with your time.  Be stingy with your time.  Organize your priorities and constantly be re-evaluating them so that you don’t get stuck in a loop or a rut.  

The one missing component is more of a “how to” section.  While it’s there and it’s at the very end, it’s very broad.  But that’s what the whole book is about, Oliver can’t tell you what’s important to you.  All he can do is help you pick and choose your battles by giving you a very roughshod outline on how to select what’s important.  The rest is up to you.