"The 4 Hour Workweek" was recommended to me by my friend Mark. The book discusses how the standard plan of working until you are old and decrepit then retiring is fundamentally flawed. I agree that the standard plan tends to leave one with lots of free time just when they are physically unable to do much. He talked about schemes involving mini-retirements where you can keep your businesses on the rails while still living far away. In particular targeting businesses involving order fulfillment, where you can outsource work and create a set of procedures where people can solve problems without needing to contact you. I once spent 18-months not working. At the time I thought I would write a book, but the great american novel did not flow the way I imagined. During that time I was never happier or in better physical condition. [In 2006 I bicycled 6,000 miles]. The bliss lasted until I had burned off enough cash that I no longer felt secure.
There are some things I am uncomfortable with about Mr Ferriss. His first claim to fame involved cage fighting where he won by exploiting weigh-in rules to fight much smaller opponents. Not cheating, but not winning by having better fighting skills. Then his businesses involved selling exercise vitamins, which have always been products of dubious value. There is a feel reminiscent of motivational speakers that start out talking about how much stuff and fun they have, then say it could be yours if you just buy my book/program.
That said, reading the book made me contemplate work/life balance in a healthy way. I would say the book is worth reading, but find your own answers, don't try to mimic Mr. Ferriss.