Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers

I like the D’Agostino profile, the chapters on psychedelics, few other profiles and tidbits, and some of Ferriss’ sleep hacks and routines. But it’s largely an homage to workaholism, perfectionism, hyper-ambition, aggressive careerism, wealth chasing, and incessant striving. Lot of n=1 advice being dispensed as universal truth, just because the dispenser is “successful”. And not sure you want advice from people who stay up till 1am looking at a computer, or go to the gym late at night, or compulsively start companies, or make exercise into some monstrous project. The breadth of info is a feature of the book, but also a detriment… it’s info overload and exhausting even thinking about trying to assimilate so much. What happened to living simply? It also seems to be a major vanity project for Ferriss. It is enjoyable to browse though, and i like the lists at the end, and the book feels good in the hand and is an appealing object.

The idea was a good one. Tim has spent thousands of hours interviewing top performers in every category and industry. So sit down and distill the collective wisdom into a book — seems like a great idea, right?

But all in all, it’s too superficial — it’s divided up by person, not by topic, so you get 2 pages of distilled wisdom from each performer, but without the full context, the advice loses almost all its power.

I imagine this was AMAZING for Tim to write — he said he took a month off and spent all his time going through all his interview notes and condensing the most important parts from each interview. But Tim met the people, knows their accomplishments, and spent time talking to them. How much of that power is supposed to convey in 2 pages if I don’t even know who the expert is?

For Tim, this book is probably the ultimate summary and reminder of all the powerful stuff his interviewees have told him. But for readers, it’s little more than a disparate mishmash of “I did this for X result and that for Y result” over and over again.

This is the first Tim Ferriss book I’ve actually read, after listening to Tim Tim Talk Talk for about a year now. As I sit down to write this, I’m finding it quite difficult to express exactly how I feel about the book, and what Ferriss ultimately represents. I found his podcast at a very difficult time in my life, where I was searching for a way out of a seemingly hopeless situation. At about 3 am, I stumbled upon Tim Ferriss. Since then, my life has changed dramatically. The content in this book is incredibly helpful not only in terms of the actual information, but what the information represents. It proves to the reader that those Billionaires, Icons, and legends are just people. They all had difficult child hoods, periods of massive failure, and times where they felt hopeless. They made it from there to the top simply by doing what works, and ignoring what doesn’t, day after day after day. If I could, I’d distribute this book to every person on earth. Not because each person needs a chillipad, or exogenous ketones or whatever, but because each person needs to realize that the future is malleable, and daily habits are the paint by which we create our destiny. There are no secrets, or hacks, or tactics reserved for the special elite. It’s all right here, in this book. Its simply a matter of applying what will help you, ignoring what won’t, and taking advice only from those who have a life you’d like to emulate.

So thanks Tim. Please continue with what you’re doing. I have a suspicion that in twenty years, there will be a lot of people who will cite this book and podcast as the thing that turned their life around. Be happy about that. It all really does make a difference.

Tim, if you’re reading this, I have a great idea for you at the end of this review. No sarcasm, no snark.

DISCLAIMER: I am a Tim Ferriss apologist. I’ve listened to almost every episode of his podcast. Own his books. Have been following him since 4 Hour Work Week came out.

Tim’s podcast has rewired my brain. My life is measurably better because of what I’ve learned. Literally. I have hereditary cholesterol problems and my forays into a ketogenic lifestyle dropped my particle count from ~1950 to ~1225. There are many other great things that have come as a result of my exposure to Tim’s podcast, too many to list here.

When he announced TOOLS OF TITANS, I was ecstatic. I pre-ordered this book in September.

I’m sad to say that I’m non-plussed, borderline disappointed.

On one hand, I love having a “totem” of something that has changed my life so profoundly. To that end, I am happy to own the book.

On the other hand, it does not deliver on its promise. This is supposedly a “recipe book” (according to page xvi in the Foreword).

It is no such thing.

If I want to bake an apple pie, I go to the Table of Contents, I look up apple pie, I turn to that page.

You cannot do that in this book.

Tim has amazing things to say about meditation. A few guests on his podcast have amazing things to say about meditation (Sam Harris, Naval Ravikant, Kevin Rose, etc.).

But there is no central place to which you can turn to find out the collected wisdom of the many guests who have delved into this topic.

The same goes for investing. The same goes for particular health hacks.

In fact, there’s not even one central place in the book that gives a list of the commonalities between the guests. That’s a HUGE missed opportunity.

THE ADVICE:

Make a second edition. Soon. It doesn’t even have to add new content. Just tighten this up and make it so that you can read about certain topics in a centralized place. If there are parts that don’t fit, maybe have an author section at the back… but, dang.

FINAL THOUGHT:
Millionaires become millionaires (in part) because they’ve learned to say “no.” They have the discipline to turn down the good, so that they can pursue (and achieve) the great.

This book is just too too too much good. It doesn’t tell you what is great. It will leave you chasing dozens upon dozens of random tactics and thoughts in a dozen different fields.

It might teach the tactics and routines and habits of world-class performers, but there’s FAR TOO MUCH here to make it valuable in showing YOU how to achieve those heights. And, if there is ONE person that you could model to become like them in their field… there is FAR TOO LITTLE here to actually help you on your way.

Folks, I’m an admirer of Tim Ferriss and listen to his podcast with interest and really admire his style of conducting his conversations with his guests. However while a podcast a radio program or perhaps even tv/video program is good format for the kind of content that Tim Ferriss and his guests cover, that certainly is not content worthy of a book – particularly if at the back of it the author does not hesitate to call himself a published author. I have lot of respect for Tim Ferriss as a result of his podcasts and content he’s covered there, but just to take transcripts of those chats and publish as a book doesn’t suit this otherwise worthy/intelligent man.

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