[specialbox]Note: I originally published this interview on my blog over a year ago, but because people loved it so much I brought it back to include on my new podcast. Enjoy![/specialbox]
We all want to feel more like directors and less like spectators in our lives. We want to be the boss, not the victim. What if a cookbook could help you do that?
I recently chatted with best-selling author Tim Ferris about this very idea.
In this exclusive Q&A, Tim and I talk about his new book, The 4-Hour Chef, which is about a lot more than cooking.
My interview with Tim Ferriss
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This isn't just another cookbook. It's a guide to taking control of what matters most to you, a blueprint for becoming the jefe of your own story.
Spread throughout The 4-Hour Chef (in addition to the 1500+ photos and 500+ pages of content) is the idea of meta learning and the process by which someone becomes “world-class” at anything (including cooking).
Tim is renowned for cracking the code on seemingly complex processes and breaking them down. He did it with his previous two books (both NY Times Best Sellers) by tackling issues of time management and weight loss.
And now, he's teaching us how to cook. But that's not all he's doing.
This is just another rodeo for Mr. Ferriss. Long before his success as an author, he was mastering Japanese by reading comic books, becoming a kickboxing champ in China, and going toe to toe with the world's best tango dancers in Argentina.
Interview highlights
Here's what we talked about:
- How Tim approaches learning — cooking, writing, you name it
- Why being born premature (and having other disadvantages) worked to his advantage
- What his greatest flaws are, how he's not superhuman, and why failure is no excuse to quit
- Why he doesn't write for just one genre and what he's learning from releasing a book only on Amazon
- A whole lot more
The secret to becoming world class
Like I said, this book is about a lot more than cooking. It's about how we learn to do things we've never been good at, how we overcome insecurities and succeed at endeavors that have always intimidated us.
In The 4-Hour Chef, Tim breaks down his approach to rapid skill acquisition and shows how you can replicate the process for anything you want to learn.
So… what's the secret to becoming world class at anything?
“The way that you become world-class is… by asking good questions.” —Tim Ferriss (Click here to tweet that.)
The best way to master a craft is to be insatiably curious — at least that's what works for Tim.
You can pick up a copy of the book on Amazon (affiliate link).
I hope you enjoy the interview. Feel free to download it and share with friends. And I would love for you to take a moment and leave a review on iTunes. This podcast is a work in progress, and I value your feedback.
Here's to you becoming world-class!
What's something that you'd like to be world-class at? Share in the comments.
