Four Thousand Weeks
Library · Purpose, time and philosophy
- Author: Oliver Burkeman
- FinSimLab editorial rating: 4/5
- Reading difficulty: Easy
- Finance level: Beginner
- Topics: Philosophy and purpose, Habits and personal growth
- Published: 2021
- Length: Medium length
FinSimLab's own rating, based on usefulness, clarity, rigour, how current it is and what it adds to your learning. It is not a reader review score.
A book on time management that starts by accepting there will never be time for everything.
What is it about?
An average life lasts about four thousand weeks. Burkeman, a journalist who wrote about productivity for years, argues that the problem is not getting better organised but accepting that limit: choosing what to leave undone, tolerating uncertainty and no longer living for a future in which everything will finally be in order. It is a deliberate counterweight to productivity books.
What does it give you?
- Why trying to do everything means not doing what matters.
- How to choose what to give up without feeling you are failing.
- Why putting life off until you "have time" is usually a mistake.
Is it for you?
People saving for a distant future or chasing efficiency who feel the present slipping away.
When to read it: Become a better investor. You already invest and want to decide better.
Where does it apply?
Universal. Its ideas do not depend on the laws, taxes or products of a particular country.
Concepts it covers
Use of time, What money is for, Prioritising and not putting things off
What does it not give you?
- Anything about money: you make the link to saving and wealth.
- A productivity system: it questions exactly those systems.
How does it explain it?
A reflective essay drawing on philosophy and psychology, with everyday examples. (Essay)
What does it add?
It is not a finance book, but it is here because it asks the question that gives the plan its point: what the time and money you are building up are for.
Already read something similar?
- It shares the idea that time is limited and putting life off has a cost with Die With Zero. If you have read Die With Zero, this one mainly adds how to choose what to spend your time on and accept what stays undone. Die With Zero
What can you read next?
Related Academy guides
- FIRE: financial independence explained
- How much to invest monthly to retire early or supplement your pension
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Descriptions written by FinSimLab for educational purposes. They do not summarise the books and are not investment advice.