Defying Expectations
Ferriss's book is all about dispelling myths about wealth and career-building. He argues that today's culture mistakenly values hard work over clever effectiveness, giving examples and demonstrating that working a small number of hours on the parts that really matter (the 20% that yields 80% of results) is far wiser and more sustainable than working a large number of hours for a slightly higher yield. Ferriss encourages people to ignore social expectations to become well-rounded and focus on multiplying their strengths instead of fixing their weaknesses. In short, Ferriss gives some pretty unorthodox advice, and it's most effective because of its unorthodox nature.
Achieving Dreams
Achieving one's dreams is a major theme in this manual for self-improvement. The final goal, for most people, is a lax and lavish lifestyle, along with eventual retirement. Ferriss lays out several steps to allow readers to engage in this lifestyle without first becoming millionaires (playing into his idea of the New Rich). The advice given in this book is, unsurprisingly, intended to help people achieve their dreams instead of seeing them as far-off and unattainable. The end goal of Ferriss's four-step plan is precisely this.
Discipline
It's nearly impossible to make a lot of money without a healthy amount of discipline, and Ferriss doesn't shy away from this truth. He does, however, redefine discipline: instead of doggedly working long hours every week, his type of discipline involves knowing when to work and when to stop working, as well as training oneself into doing only those things which will make a significant impact on one's productivity. It takes discipline to force yourself to stop working when you could be making more money, and it also takes discipline to work in the first place. This balance, according to Ferriss, is the real test of discipline.
