The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Workweek and Lifestyle Design Blog. Tim is an author of 5 #1 NYT/WSJ bestsellers, investor (FB, Uber, Twitter, 50+ more), and host of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast (400M+ downloads)
Preface from Tim Back in 2012, Gabriel Wyner wrote an article for Lifehacker detailing how he learned French in 5 months and Russian in 10, using mostly spare time on the subway. That article went viral. But don’t run off! That was nothing but version 1.0. This post gives you version 2.0 and more. He’s …
Continue reading “How to Learn Any Language in Record Time and Never Forget It”
Allow me to explain using a related problem. Vocabulary lists in a run-of-the-mill Spanish textbook usually look something like the below, taken from real-world sources I won’t shame by naming: La mano – the hand El arbol – the tree Las muñecas – the wrists ¡Nos vemos mañana! – See you tomorrow! Mande? – Sorry? Pardon? What …
Preface by Tim Ferriss I’ve written about how I learned to speak, read, and write Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish. I’ve also covered my experiments with German, Indonesian, Arabic, Norwegian, Turkish, and perhaps a dozen others. There are only few language learners who dazzle me, and Benny Lewis is one of them. This definitive guest post …
(Photo: Sybren A. Stüvel) Neil Strauss has written six New York Times bestsellers and is a contributing editor for Rolling Stone magazine. From the standpoint of most aspiring writers, he’s reached the pinnacle of success. That’s why I first sent him an e-mail in 2005. I attached a draft book proposal and asked for his …
Continue reading “So, You Want to Be a Writer? Read This First.”
This pre-China trip includes the below: – Personal experiences with Y-Combinator, demo days, and pitching new ideas through avenues like YC. – Five things you can do as a new startup to get your ideas, app, or product in front of influencers. – Tweaking your website: per-user metrics, cost per acquisition, lifetime value of the …
Continue reading “Random 4: Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose on Y-Combinator, Language Learning and More”
Greetings from Kunming, China, land of Pu-erh tea! I’ve been offline for a week and feel fantastic. Kevin Rose, Glenn McElhose, and I are up to no good and having a blast. The above video is the first of several to chronicle our experience exploring the incredible world of tea in China, so be prepared …
Continue reading “Going to China, Language Reactivation, and Other Mischief”
The Okano Isao judo textbook I used to learn Japanese grammar. Post reading time: 15 minutes. Language learning need not be complicated. Principles of cognitive neuroscience and time management can be applied to attain conversational fluency (here defined as 95%+ comprehension and 100% expressive abilities) in 1-3 months. Some background on my language obsession, from …
The above video is of my presentation at the Entertainment Gathering, titled “How to Feel Like the Incredible Hulk.” In a short 17 minutes, I explain exactly how I conquered fears of swimming, language learning, and ballroom dancing by questioning “obvious” guidelines and dogmatic teaching. I explain three approaches (first principles/assumptions, material over method, and …
Continue reading “How to Feel Like the Incredible Hulk in 2009”
Finally! The debut of my TV show — “Trial by Fire” — will air this Thursday, 12/4, at 11pm ET/PT on The History Channel. It’s been two years in the making. I’ve been told that the times are 11pm ET, 10pm CST, 9pm MT, and 11pm PST. Double check to be safe on the History …
Continue reading “BIG NEWS and Sneak Peek – Tim Ferriss TV Show Debut 12/4”
Ah, lawyers. It’s a love-hate relationship. Just this week alone, I’m working with a literary attorney (publishing), an entertainment attorney (TV), and a corporate financing attorney (angel investments). All three are great. Yesterday, though, I received the threatening letter below from Protocol Integrated Direct Marketing, whose call centers I recommend in the 4HWW. WTF? Click …