Post: #26

(11-21-2012 05:39 PM)mharris717 Wrote:  

(11-21-2012 12:55 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  In this video he's dropping a lot of knowledge that he picked up, things that might take the average person years to accumulate. My problem with this is he's basing this knowledge on information he picked up elsewhere, not on his own experience. I can see through this shit a mile away, why? BECAUSE HIS KNOWLEDGE IS BUNK.

Evaporating moisture from the steak is not important.
Baking a steak is bogus.
That nonsense about not using cast iron is ridiculous.
That nonsense about salt pulling water out of the steak, and then it "goes back into the steak" is horseshit. I'd be happy to go into a breakdown of salt's effect on de-naturing proteins and the osmotic process of salt.
Those one handed pepper mills suck. All of them.
That nonsense about butter burning in the pan...

Got the link to this post from D&P, and I'm very interested in this. I've been cooking meat very similar to this video's method for years with what I thought were great results. I use cast-iron, though, and I don't finish in the oven because I enjoy my steak more black and blue-ish than rare, so I can sear an inch to inch and a half steak without overdoing the crust and be perfectly happy with a quasi-raw center. I also usually salt it right before the pan, so that's different as well, I guess.

I also have the same pepper and salt grinders, and my reasoning is that any kind of freshly ground pepper is leagues ahead of pre-ground, so you're 80% there. I'm assuming this steak video is the pareto of steaks, so for most people this is a huge improvement, but classically trained chefs would shudder that this guy is treated as an expert.

I guess that my main questions to you are about getting rid of the moisture from the exterior of the steak (I pat my steaks dry before throwing them in the pan), baking (for thicker cuts, do you just keep it in a pan or do you throw it in a broiler or something?), and butter burning, because he said it would burn but it's not a big deal, so that confused me when paired with your post.

Thanks in advance if you reply

Funny you should ask...

/thread-17690.html

Moisture beading up on the surface of your steak makes no difference as long as your pan is hot enough and stays hot.

Post: #27

(11-21-2012 04:44 PM)the_conductor Wrote:  

(11-21-2012 02:02 PM)RichieP Wrote:  Language learning is the perfect example - it's always gonna take years to get to native fluency (if you ever do), but getting conversational can be done in 3-6 months with modern techniques and hacks, as opposed to 1-3 years as per conventional wisdom.

Quote:I've applied what I could glean of his language stuff prior to the book, and it's helped a shitload.

Hey RichieP, can you give a link to his language learning techniques and how youve used them? Thanks.

Yep sure:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/200...-language/
http://fourhourworkweek.com/bonus/pdf/ho...lang-A.pdf
http://fourhourworkweek.com/bonus/pdf/ho...-part1.pdf
http://fourhourworkweek.com/bonus/pdf/re...n-lang.pdf
http://fourhourworkweek.com/bonus/pdf/wh...t-work.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hd_qmlWxxg

Summary: Language classes are generally non-optimal for getting it quickly. You want:

-Quick-and-dirty internalizing the basic grammar (e.g. a short Michel Thomas course)
-Memorize 30-40 survival phrases to fall back on
-priority acquisition of first 1000-1200 words.
- shortcuts that help you bypass verb conjugation if necessary(like w/ spanish)
-Record a paragraph of self-introduction, send to a native for feedback on your pronunciation weak points. Practice, rinse and repeat (realtime feedback not as good, they will often miss things and/or not be critical enough). Also, the practice at self-introduction gives you practice in the things you'll be saying most frequently when you meet people.

-Then get speaking + immersed ASAP.

worked decently for me for German (used MT & then Assimil course for the first 1200+ words), am currently doing it again for Spanish (MT + Duolingo.com for first 1000 words - abit slower than Assimil but less effort/more fun).

Total time = 50-75 hours "study". Gets you to the point where you know the grammar and you've got enough vocab in your head for conversation. Then it takes a couple of weeks on the ground stuttering and getting the words out to actually get some fluidity in your speech but it comes pretty quick. You obviously need more words... but with this base you absorb them by immersion. When people say immersion is the best way to learn, it's only true if you've got that grammar +1000 word base.

Comprehension comes steadily, there's always shit you wont know. You can do the "Listening-Reading" method (listen to audiobook + read that same book simultaneously, in the target language) to speed it up.

Harder languages might take longer.. German and Spanish are quite close to English. I think FSI say the hardest languages take about double the time of the easiest.

I cant wait to have a crack at Mandarin though. TF claims he got to a good level in 6 months, albeit also with classes.

Post: #28

(11-21-2012 01:23 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  

(11-21-2012 01:21 PM)bars Wrote:  I don't know if this is the right place but, the dude, what do you think about 15 minute meals by Jamie Oliver?

Jamie Oliver gets a lot of hate but the guy has a very solid understanding of how to marry flavors and make shit taste good. His on screen persona might be annoying to some but I wholeheartedly endorse.

I think that's the trap a lot of "celebrity cooks" get themselves in they build up these complexes and branch out into so much other crap you forget they can actually cook (or they use it as a smoke screen to hide thier Shit skills. Example: Rachel Ray, 80% of the Food Network Chefs).

I've always been a fan of Oliver cuz he cuts out the crap and just makes legit meals. I've always been a fan of Gordon Ramsey for this same reason but with Ramsey he is stuck on a lot of dated shit while Oliver is a lot more modern.

Just my views as a general observer of foodie culture.

** The oven has helped me a few times with Stakes to get the middle going and tenderize it prior to hitting the hot pan. I lived in a tight space with little venting so I can across a recipe that mimicked 'dry aging' by warming the steak on low heat in the oven for about 20min, then after searing it and buttering it all the same. Knocked out some good steaks that way, doing it prior was the key... I would not do it after the pan tho as a means of 'finishing' it off though. That seems risky and not the point of a proper stove method.

Post: #29

....

Post: #30

Not to thread hi-jack, but here is a link to a Tim Ferriss interview with Joe Rogan on the Joe Rogan Experience:

http://vimeo.com/53846115

Post: #31

Ideas for Tim Ferris threads

Tim Ferris looks in the mirror...
Tim Ferris takes a poop....
Tim Ferris writes an email....
Tim pees on an electric fence....

Post: #32

Sous vide cooking is the future! Its pretty cheap investment, compered to it will make your meat to perfect steak!

Post: #33

That video is LOL funny. What a dog's breakfast Ferriss makes of something so easy!

The fact is cooking steaks is simple, I do it all the time. The main thing you need, above all else is good quality well-hung beef. It should be dry and going on purple, which it will be if your butcher has hung it properly.

Everything else is secondary.

A heavy-bottomed frying pan (cast iron works well). The problem with light aluminium pans is that you get hot spots and what you are cooking cooks unevenly.

Throw some butter and oil in the pan (the oil helps the butter not to burn). Make sure the pan is hot; when you put the steak in you should get a noisy sizzle.

DON'T do what Ferriss does and shake the pan that's dumb. Leave the steak to cook, because you want those nice crispy caramelised bits. (WTF is crust?).

After about 3 minutes, turn it over and cook the other side.

Don't put it in the oven and don't use an effing themometer, I mean WTF??

Press the steak with your fingers to test how well done you like it. The softer it is the rarer it is.

Then take it out and eat it.

Don't bother with rosemary - I, for one, don't like rosemary with steak.

If you want to get fancy do this:

Put the steak on a plate to rest. Turn the heat of the pan up. When it's really hot, pour in some red wine to cover the bottom of the pan (less than 1/2 an inch). At this stage it will bubble and spit. It might catch fire (called flambee in the jargon), in fact if you are brave and have a gas hob you can make sure it flambees which is great because it scares the shit out of any women in the house. The flame won't last long. Scrape the bottom of the pan so all the yummy sticky bits go into your wine sauce. When the sauce has become thicker and a bit gooey, pour it over the steak. Then eat. Yum.

Post: #34

I'm still laughing at that fuking thermometer.

Post: #35

(11-21-2012 02:38 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  what has Tim Ferriss really accomplished? What is he really good at?

Getting money!

That's all this is about. He is an ambitious business man. And, a damn good one.

Multi-millionaire who pursues his own interests, hobbies, and passions full time with plenty of time, freedom, and $$$ to live however he wants.

I have to respect that lifestyle. Thats genius! I wonder if he is a playboy?

Post: #36

Tim ferris is the smartest con-man living today.

After reading his 4 hour work week book, luckily it was read in a day so it could be returned for a full refund.

He sells you a dream that is unattainable for most and then has the audacity to have other successful people write in as proof. The only thing the book is good for is making lazy people get to work, the rest is not applicable.

Outsourcing is the stupidest concept for average people. He operates under the assumption of a successful person already. Eg. Outsource your emails. Okay... In order to really filter out emails you need to receive 1.000+ LEGIT emails a day. If you can't sort out an auto filter for spam emails, sorry you're not going to succeed at life.

The only thing he really did was this... Got good at his job... Then created his own enterprise... I don't see anything at all special in here. The best thing he did was create the TITLEof the book! The "four hour ____" caters to the LAZY. The title alone as he mentions in his book is really the exponential success factor.

You want to succeed at life? Get to a point where you' re FORCED to outsource! That already means you arer successful, hopefully people understand the catch of that statement.

Start side hustles, if it ever gets big enough that you don't have time to respond... Guess what you have a new livable income and now you can "outsource".

Tim Ferris is a hustler, helpful to men? No.

Post: #37

He looks like hes got mad Yellow fever.

I just get this kinda vibe from him:

Post: #38

(11-22-2012 06:07 PM)kosko Wrote:  He looks like hes got mad Yellow fever.

I just get this kinda vibe from him:

I agree.... there's one thing to have yellow fever....can he at least get the hot ones...I think he gets mostly 5's only.....thats the vibe I'm getting...

hot girls in general don't like tech dudes, because they are know it all and no fun.....i.e. his new useless cook book.

Post: #39

(11-22-2012 05:23 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  

(11-21-2012 02:38 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  what has Tim Ferriss really accomplished? What is he really good at?

Getting money!

That's all this is about. He is an ambitious business man. And, a damn good one.

Multi-millionaire who pursues his own interests, hobbies, and passions full time with plenty of time, freedom, and $$$ to live however he wants.

I have to respect that lifestyle. Thats genius! I wonder if he is a playboy?

I know that lifestyle appeals to many on these boards and in the Red Pill manosphere; the one of reaping maximum benefits from minimal effort. While I certainly hold that concept close to my heart when it comes to gaming bitches, I don't feel that way at all when it comes to my professional career.

If you never found a career that "stuck" to you; that you felt really passionate about and gave you an immense sense of satisfaction and self-worth, that's fine, but there are many of us out there that have. Life for us is not about working less and making more. While I certainly have my days of depression and loathing towards work and wish I could be outside chasing seagulls in the sun, there really is nothing I'd rather be doing. I don't lament all the pussy I'm missing (that much) or exotic vacations I'm unable to take (that much). This might sound crazy to some, but I LOVE what I do. Every time I pick up a sautee pan or teach a cook something new, I'm fucking PSYCHED, this after 12-13 years doing this shit. It's fulfilling in a way that nothing else is.

Could I do other things that would earn more money that involve less work? Hell yes. I could be a private chef for a family and make $125k a year and travel for 6 months out of the year, have weekends off, and get my own living quarters and car. And one day I might just do that. But if I did that now, I'd miss the restaurant kitchen. This shit keeps me young and pissed off and passionate. Chefs that do that, in this industry, are considered "over the hill" or they got "shipped off to the glue factory". I'm still in the major leagues, why would I do something that involves less work?

Gio, I can respect multi-millionaire playboys too, but I'm not passionate about pursuing that lifestyle. Otherwise I'd do it.

At the end of the day, every man must pursue his own passion, and not prescribe to any notion of happiness that any other man preaches about or has sought out.

Post: #40

Quote:He sells you a dream that is unattainable for most and then has the audacity to have other successful people write in as proof.

I have motivational books from authors who talk about acquiring riches by building multi million dollar businesses, or investing, etc.

I also have the 4 Hour Work Week. It talks about building a business and automating/outsourcing any tasks that can be automated.

I have achieved what Tim talks about - having a business that doesn't require me to constantly run it. But I have not acquired millions of dollars (although I can't say I've made a push to do it).

I would say that what Tim talks about is very attainable for the average man - much more so than becoming rich like other authors write about.

Quote:The best thing he did was create the TITLE of the book! The "four hour ____" caters to the LAZY.

I was already working toward a "4 hour work week" type lifestyle before Tim wrote his book. I wouldn't call it lazy to want to reach a point where you can work as many hours as you choose - whether that's 4 hours a week or 40.

Me personally... I've worked 40, 50+ hours a week before. Now I work much less because I can.

I like my lifestyle better now. But that's just me. Different strokes, right?

Post: #41

Quote:At the end of the day, every man must pursue his own passion, and not prescribe to any notion of happiness that any other man preaches about or has sought out.

Man, you hit it right on the head.

I have a friend who is a Special Ed teacher. Monday is her favorite day of the week because she gets to return to work after a weekend off. She loves what she does.

I worked in various professions before, but nothing called me. Now, I love being self employed and working when I choose. That's my calling.

There is no right or wrong way to live. Like you said, every man must pursue his own passion and try to live on his terms.

Post: #42

To me, TF's stuff is about effectiveness, not laziness. I think the haters seem to have an emotional issue with the idea of shortcuts. Shortcut does not equal laziness. Most people I know living the 4HWW (and yes, I know several) are seriously productive - speaking multiple languages, generating great incomes with largely automated biz processes, and a few of them are turning their focus to contributing and making a real difference in some area. What they have in common is effectiveness, not laziness. Generally people who get shit done... real producers.

Guys need to get over the "if you're not taking the long road at something you're lazy" mentality. It's pretty limited.

Post: #43

Agree 100%. Since I dumped my day job, I exercise more and spend a lot of time being physically active when I travel.

Next year, I plan to start finding opportunities to volunteer my time to good causes.

Now if a person wanted to cut their work hours so they can sit on the couch and watch tv, well - yes I would call that lazy.

(11-23-2012 08:58 AM)RichieP Wrote:  To me, TF's stuff is about effectiveness, not laziness. I think the haters seem to have an emotional issue with the idea of shortcuts. Shortcut does not equal laziness. Most people I know living the 4HWW (and yes, I know several) are seriously productive - speaking multiple languages, generating great incomes with largely automated biz processes, and a few of them are turning their focus to contributing and making a real difference in some area. What they have in common is effectiveness, not laziness. Generally people who get shit done... real producers.

Guys need to get over the "if you're not taking the long road at something you're lazy" mentality. It's pretty limited.

Post: #44

(11-22-2012 11:43 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  I know that lifestyle appeals to many on these boards and in the Red Pill manosphere; the one of reaping maximum benefits from minimal effort. While I certainly hold that concept close to my heart when it comes to gaming bitches, I don't feel that way at all when it comes to my professional career.

If you never found a career that "stuck" to you; that you felt really passionate about and gave you an immense sense of satisfaction and self-worth, that's fine, but there are many of us out there that have. Life for us is not about working less and making more. While I certainly have my days of depression and loathing towards work and wish I could be outside chasing seagulls in the sun, there really is nothing I'd rather be doing. I don't lament all the pussy I'm missing (that much) or exotic vacations I'm unable to take (that much). This might sound crazy to some, but I LOVE what I do. Every time I pick up a sautee pan or teach a cook something new, I'm fucking PSYCHED, this after 12-13 years doing this shit. It's fulfilling in a way that nothing else is.

Could I do other things that would earn more money that involve less work? Hell yes. I could be a private chef for a family and make $125k a year and travel for 6 months out of the year, have weekends off, and get my own living quarters and car. And one day I might just do that. But if I did that now, I'd miss the restaurant kitchen. This shit keeps me young and pissed off and passionate. Chefs that do that, in this industry, are considered "over the hill" or they got "shipped off to the glue factory". I'm still in the major leagues, why would I do something that involves less work?

Gio, I can respect multi-millionaire playboys too, but I'm not passionate about pursuing that lifestyle. Otherwise I'd do it.

At the end of the day, every man must pursue his own passion, and not prescribe to any notion of happiness that any other man preaches about or has sought out.

Great post about becoming a master at your craft! I think Tim Ferris is a master at marketing and publishing.

What specifically do you not like about him?

Post: #45

i'm not so sure about the concept of tim ferris' "meta learning".

could somebody explain how someone would one go about applying "meta learning" to understanding conceptually tough academic subjects like physics? organic chemistry? calculus?

Post: #46

(11-24-2012 02:57 AM)the chef Wrote:  i'm not so sure about the concept of tim ferris' "meta learning".

could somebody explain how someone would one go about applying "meta learning" to understanding conceptually tough academic subjects like physics? organic chemistry? calculus?

Yeah it's a good question.

I'm guessing it'd be about finding ways to:

-absorb volumes of information quickly and efficiently
-"get" the abstract concepts as quickly as possible
-take the simplest path to reach the point you can problem-solve and produce correct answers consistently

For example, it might turn out that passive input like lectures are pretty inefficient, and what's most effective is just pounding out a certain type of problem sheet until the concepts click in your brain. Or perhaps traditional problem sheets turn out to be useless and you're better off putting together your own custom ones that are more smoothly graduated so the concepts click more quickly and permanently, etc. Like how Duolingo/spaced repetition optimizes vocabuluary acquisition for languages. Perhaps "getting" complex, abstract concepts ends up being more about finding great analogies, as opposed to raw brainpower applied to dry material, etc etc. Just speculating.

Now, how would you actually do the meta-learning and come up with the specific learning hacks for your subject? Presumably that's what he talks about in the book (I hope, lol)

Post: #47

(11-22-2012 05:23 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  

(11-21-2012 02:38 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  what has Tim Ferriss really accomplished? What is he really good at?

I wonder if he is a playboy?

Absolutely is, in my opinion. In fact, I think he shares something in common with a lot of guys who've done well in the internet marketing space in that he was a part of the original online pua movement.

I've seen multiple references in his work. In his book, some of the exercises he uses for coming out of your shell, etc, directly correspond with exercises early pua'ers used to eliminate approach anxiety. One even involved approaching women to get their phone numbers, using completely direct game, and doing so even if you had a gf because it was really about the exercise.

The part about outsourcing his online dating also reeked of a pua experiment - shit, his whole mentality seems a byproduct of it.

Then he had an interview with Neil Strauss, and it was clear they knew each other well.

I remember someone called him out on the possibility (in a good buddy buddy kind of way) on his forum once, and the lady moderating shut down the issue quick in a pretty confrontational manner, as if she was afraid of the cat getting out of the bag.

(11-22-2012 11:43 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  I know that lifestyle appeals to many on these boards and in the Red Pill manosphere; the one of reaping maximum benefits from minimal effort. While I certainly hold that concept close to my heart when it comes to gaming bitches, I don't feel that way at all when it comes to my professional career.

If you never found a career that "stuck" to you; that you felt really passionate about and gave you an immense sense of satisfaction and self-worth, that's fine, but there are many of us out there that have. Life for us is not about working less and making more. While I certainly have my days of depression and loathing towards work and wish I could be outside chasing seagulls in the sun, there really is nothing I'd rather be doing. I don't lament all the pussy I'm missing (that much) or exotic vacations I'm unable to take (that much). This might sound crazy to some, but I LOVE what I do. Every time I pick up a sautee pan or teach a cook something new, I'm fucking PSYCHED, this after 12-13 years doing this shit. It's fulfilling in a way that nothing else is.

Could I do other things that would earn more money that involve less work? Hell yes. I could be a private chef for a family and make $125k a year and travel for 6 months out of the year, have weekends off, and get my own living quarters and car. And one day I might just do that. But if I did that now, I'd miss the restaurant kitchen. This shit keeps me young and pissed off and passionate. Chefs that do that, in this industry, are considered "over the hill" or they got "shipped off to the glue factory". I'm still in the major leagues, why would I do something that involves less work?

Gio, I can respect multi-millionaire playboys too, but I'm not passionate about pursuing that lifestyle. Otherwise I'd do it.

At the end of the day, every man must pursue his own passion, and not prescribe to any notion of happiness that any other man preaches about or has sought out.

I like this post and its really relevant to me because I just got done scouring online sites about solid culinary schools - damn, they're expensive.

Even though my freelancing biz has a lot of potential, I must admit that sometimes I pine on being involved with something I'm more passionate about. The hospitality industry is one I think about a lot. I used to wait tables and bartend, I love to cook for myself and others, and the whole culture, history, and appreciate of good food and drink appeals to me so much.

Don't know if I could ever give up the location independence now that I've had it, and 31 seems to old to get into the culinary game and be successful at it financially, but it's a path I think of a lot. I seem to be analyzing a lot of different life paths lately; it's likely just a need for restoring some passion and purpose in my life.

When I get back overseas, I'm planning to get started on my second book, and that certainly lights my fire - so maybe that'll get it out of me.

Anyways, that's killer you've found your passion, Man. We talk a lot on here about banging lots of women and making lots of money and traveling a lot. Seems like the rewards of being involved in a great cultural scene are often overlooked. Definitely a priority for me to have some type of involvement in that lifestyle if I ever do settle in for the long-term - at the very least, solid restaurants, bars, music, and good wine will need to be in my neighborhood.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #48

Has anyone actually cracked his new book open?

I was most interested in it for the meta learning part of it, which I read through. It was one chapter out of 5, apparently the other 4 are about cooking, which was disappointing to me. His overview of his approach to skill learning was way too brief in my opinion.

I highlighted a few lines but most of it was very high level -- heavy on analogies but light on concrete examples or case studies. The examples he gave were mostly of language learning and cooking. I have a hard time translating that to something like learning to sing or play guitar, which are the skills I'm trying to improve right now.

The claim at the beginning of the chapter: "It is possible to become world class [top 5%] in just about anything in six months or less". So according to him, I should be able to become top 5% at singing and playing guitar in 6 months or less. Of course that's not reasonable to expect and the very idea is insulting to dedicated musicians, but I didn't come away with many new ideas about how to improve the skills I'm focusing on. The biggest take away I got was to try to find a teacher who started out sucking and found a methodical and efficient path to mastery of the skill, rather than seeking out the top practitioners of the skill.

The overview of meta learning is summarized in an acronym: DiSSS

Di: Deconstruction
What are the minimal learnable units, the Lego blocks, I should be starting with?

S: Selection
Which 20% of the blocks should I focus on for 80% or more of the outcomes I want?

S: Sequencing
In what order should I learn the blocks?

S: Stakes
How do I set up stakes, reate real conseuqnces, and guarantee I follow the program?

Unfortunately, the chapter break downs of each of these doesn't get much more instructional than those brief descriptions. Except for Stakes, which was basically just make a bet with friends and put money on the line.

A few quotes I thought were interesting or motivational:

Being the Best vs. Becoming the Best
"The top 1% often succeed despite how they train, not because of it. Superior genetics, or a luxurious full time schedule, make up for a lot".

"Career specialists can't externalize what they've internalized. Second nature is hard to teach."

"The rare anomalies who've gone from zero to the global top 5% in record time, despite mediocre raw materials -- are worth their weight in gold."

Asking the naturally gifted how they do what they do is often unhelpful or misleading -- they often don't know themselves. It's like asking a natural player for advice and he just shrugs and can only provide "just go talk to her man!!" It's usually more instructive to find someone who started without any natural talent and became proficient through methodical practice. (e.g. Roosh).

Materiel Beats Method
"It brought to light the most important lesson of language learning: what you study is more important than how you study."

"Students are subordinate to materials, much like novice cooks are subordinate to recipes. If you select the wrong materiel, the wrong textbook, the wrong group of words, it doesn't matter how much (or how well) you study. It doesn't matter how good your teacher is. One must find the highest-frequency material."

Basically highlighting the importance of the 80/20 rule as applies to selecting learning materiel. Select the highest potency materiel, and your learning methodology, system, discipline, teacher, etc matters much less. Spending a lot of time or effort on learning without regard to what materiel you're focusing on isn't enough to become top 5%.

Post: #49

(11-25-2012 06:12 AM)Rah Wrote:  The claim at the beginning of the chapter: "It is possible to become world class [top 5%] in just about anything in six months or less". So according to him, I should be able to become top 5% at singing and playing guitar in 6 months or less. Of course that's not reasonable to expect and the very idea is insulting to dedicated musicians, but I didn't come away with many new ideas about how to improve the skills I'm focusing on. The biggest take away I got was to try to find a teacher who started out sucking and found a methodical and efficient path to mastery of the skill, rather than seeking out the top practitioners of the skill.

This claim seems true, but also inaccurate. Being in the top 5% certainly makes you competent, but it doesn't make you world class. I just did a quick google search and found a statistic citing 16 million guitar players in the United States. That means that 800,000 people are in the top 5% of guitar players.

Post: #50

Here's where I agree and disagree with Tim Ferriss:

Agree: Yes, the content of your study is crucially important. But this concept was around well before Tim Ferriss was even born. Any good music teacher knows that the effectiveness of your study is far more important than the amount of time you study. Similarly, I would NOT encourage anyone to go to cooking school. I was actually thinking the other day, I could make a DVD that shows people how to cook on a restaurant level that is devoid of much of the bullshit that I learned in cooking school, yet is much more effective. The majority of cooking school grads that walk into my kitchen (or most other professional kitchens) are utterly useless. I absolutely see the value in recognizing the 80/20 principle when it comes to learning skills.

Disagree: You cannot become world class at anything in 6 months, and it's those types of sensational claims that really piss me off. I was a professional musician before cooking called. I've been playing since I was 11 and the reason I got good was a natural disposition towards learning the "right" skills, a great teacher that presented the right material to me, and A WHOLE FUCKING HELL OF A LOT OF HARD WORK. I used to play 6 hours a day, and we're talking 6 hours of the good stuff. Pujol left hand exercises, Guliani right hands, Segovia Scales. I got good, fast. After 2 years of playing I was tackling Villa Lobos, Bach, Barrios, and guitar repertoire that most musicians attempt after 4-5 years. Absolutely NOTHING on that level happens after 6 months, I don't care if you're fucking Rain Man.

Similarly, you will not be a great cook in less than 2 years. Most decent cooks take 4-5 years. You might learn the techniques, you might learn the tricks, you might have more "real world" knowledge that sets you apart, but you simply CANNOT develop the muscle memory to make the right movements and excel at cooking in 6 months. Tim Ferriss might have picked up some great cooking skills, but that is ENTIRELY DIFFERENT than being a line cook (I'd love to see him last a month in any decent restaurant). See the difference? I see a huge benefit in his methods if you want to get to an intermediate level, quickly, in damn near any skill set on earth. Congrats to the guy for that. But he should stop batting around "World class this or that".

I'm confident that I could walk into any professional kitchen on earth and do pretty well for myself. Much like playing music, after cooking for 10+ you start to see patterns, form connections in your head, and what I would call "Turbocharging your muscle memory". Maybe I already utilize some of the techniques Tim Ferriss preaches about, I'm not sure. But I would NEVER make any lofty claims that anyone can do this shit after 6 months.

Again, my issue is not with what Tim Ferriss does. If he's helping people learn how to learn, fantastic. But his ridiculous claims and sensational tone with which he presents information triggers every alarm in my head that just screams, "Bullshit".