I promised I would review the 4 Hour Body, and here I am, at last to do so!
As Tim Ferriss himself points out, this is a book not meant to be read cover to cover- it is more of a reference book about physical stuff- albeit a "crazy" sort of reference book, written for a younger audience for sure, and so much more "alternative". Think of The Whole Earth Catalog, but then, if you know what that was, I guess you're not so young after all, so you'll know exactly what I mean by "alternative".
Not to say that this book doesn't have useful, even essential information- it surely does! Who wouldn't like to know how to best lose fat, build muscle, and eliminate prior injuries? It's just that, in addition to those instructions, which are extensive, and actually quite perceptive and ahead of the curve by a mile!, he also has chapters about Holding your breath for 5 minutes! and Adventures in Tripling Sperm Count. Although I'm sure there is an avid target audience for those chapters, and some even more esoteric ones; I'll let you discover those when you read the book, since I really think you should!
This book has TONS of really useful, really accurate advice! And, it all comes "pre-tested" by Tim, as he is a "human guinea pig"! (He so attests himself!) He really puts himself through all of these "quests", and walks the walk of really doing what he is talking about in his book! Very unusual, in this day of "armchair pundits"...
The Kettlebell Swing in his chapter "Building the perfect Posterior" has to be a classic version of cutting to the chase- letting you know the one exercise that will give you the very most in terms of results! (I've started doing it on a regular basis- that alone was worth the cost of the book!)
But then, I know a lot of what he is talking about from first hand experience. And, from that, I know that what he is talking about overall is right on the money! Paleo Diet (He calls it "slow burn", and adds in beans). In fact, as an AVID Paleo fan, I heard him on the podcast "The Paleolithic Solution" with Robb Wolf- that's how an old dude like me even heard about the book!
He knows about Arthur Jones and Nautilus, Ken Hutchins and Superslow training, the Casey Viator experiment that packed 63 pounds of muscle onto an already advanced bodybuilder in 28 days!, and lots more that occurred at a time when he was too young to have known about it directly.
And he replicated the same protocol onto himself, with similar (and even more visually striking) results!
Not your usual how-to book.
I recommend this book to all! Although I believe mainly (young) men will buy it, due to it's provocative book jacket and marketing, I think women, and especially older women and men would have the very most
to gain from what information he offers.
Go thee and read! (But not the whole thing at once)
Jay
