Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 125

Have you ever gone on safari in Africa?

Been trained by world champions?

Crossed the Atlantic on a 119-foot schooner?

Taken a private tour of an Indian archipelago, complete with tigers, crocodiles, and… Miss India?

Now you can. Or… if you simply want thousands of dollars of cutting-edge gadgets, you can have those, too.

Welcome to "The Land Rush," intended to be the largest book promotion in history.

The goal of this post is to offer the prizes of a lifetime, and to help The 4-Hour Body beat The Guinness Book of World Records on The New York Times bestseller list. Every package is worth at least twice the cost of the books, often up to 10x. More than $4,000,000 in prizes are up for grabs.

Every year, Guinness owns the NY Times list the week of 12/14. This year, I want that to change.

This is THE promotion for the book, and it will not be repeated. Pub day will not offer anything better. My World Series starts now.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

- All bonuses will be delivered the week of 12/14 (digital) or the week of 12/21 (physical goods).

- Exact book price varies depending on your shipping address, but it usually averages out to approx. $16.

- The Barnes and Noble signed copies are limited to 2,000 copies, and it says "Signed Edition" on the "Overview" tab of the page.

This giveaway lasts exactly 72 hours, and it's strictly first come, first served. "Limited to 5 spots" means the sixth person doesn't get it.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Grab what you can!

Ready? Set? Go.

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Bonus Packages for 1 to 300 books

Click the links below to jump to their full description:

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Bonus Packages for 1,000 books

Though it depends on schedule, I will try to join as many of these as possible — I'll obviously be at the first! Every package is amazing, and they will go quickly.

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If you can't afford the Superman Showcases listed above, here's your chance to win whatever isn't bought: promote The 4-Hour Body like your life depends on selling 50,000 copies (without spamming), and describe what you did in the comments. The same 72-hour deadline applies. Try and measure the impact (clicks, sales, etc.) whenever possible, and put "CONTEST" at the top of your comment.

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Bonus Packages for 5,000 to 10,000 books

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Spots: Unlimited spots available

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- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

- "Find Your First Profitable Idea" with Ramit Sethi ($100 for full course)

Total value: $140 (for a $16 book)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Buy one copy at either Barnes and Noble (2,000 signed copies available!) or Amazon.
Fill out this form.

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Spots: Limited to 4,000 people

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- 1 bottle of Super Cissus RX ($45)

- 3-month Daily Burn Pro membership ($30)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- 3 months Evernote Premium (first 1,000 only!) ($15)

- The 4-Hour Body thong from American Apparel (first 250 buyers get this!) (Priceless)

- "Find Your First Profitable Idea" with Ramit Sethi ($100 for full course)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: $590 (for $48 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Buy three copies at either Barnes and Noble (2,000 signed copies available!) or Amazon.
Fill out this form.

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Spots: Limited to 1,000 people

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- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year Evernote Premium ($45)

- 1 bottle of BodyQuick ($50)

- 1 bottle of Super Cissus RX ($45)

- 3-month Daily Burn Pro membership ($30)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- "Find Your First Profitable Idea" with Ramit Sethi ($100 for full course)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: $670 (for $80 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Book your spot on EventBrite.

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Spots: Limited to 500 people

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- AppSumo bundle (see Slideshare above for details), courtesy of Matt Smith and Noah Kagan ($160)

- 1-month virtual assistant with RentASmile.com ($55)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- "Find Your First Profitable Idea" with Ramit Sethi ($100 for full course)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' (first 48 hours of promotion only!) ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: $715 (for $160 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Book your spot on EventBrite.

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Spots: Limited to 100 people

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- My Zeo sleep device ($300)

- Dragon Door Kettlebell ($110)

- Premium vibrator from Jimmyjane ($145)

- 2-Total Immersion swimming DVDs ($80)

- FatGripz ($50)

- StumbleUpon ad credit ($100)

- Online B.J.J. & grappling training with Marcelo Garcia ($75)

- 1-year of 'Power Magazine' by Mark Bell ($30)

- THE MUSE SUITE:

+++ – Ra Vision Gear sunglasses ($290)

+++ – Southern Thread jeans ($80)

+++ – WiseCovers Kindle case ($50)

+++ – Edible green tea leaves ($25)

+++ – Physicool ice pack ($20)

+++ – Antoine Amrani chocolates ($20)

+++ – Kankuamo coffee ($15)

+++ – EarPeace ear plugs ($13)

+++ – Sir Richard's condoms ($13)

+++ – Solar F/X sport spray ($12)

+++ – SlantShack beef jerky ($10)

+++ – Steve's Original PaleoKit ($7)

+++ – Salazon chocolate ($4)

+++ – Venus Dream lip balm ($4)

More:

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- "Find Your First Profitable Idea" with Ramit Sethi ($100 for full course)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: $1,953 (for $480 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Book your spot on EventBrite. This offer is only available to those with shipping addresses in the United States.

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Spots: Limited to 10 people

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FIRST, CHOOSE ONE OF TWO:

- Site or blog review from Tim Ferriss and Hiten Shah, CEO of KissMetrics (Priceless)

OR

- 1-hour Skype call with Tim Ferriss (Priceless)

Then, more bonus gifts:

- One bottle of limited edition Fledgling wine, signed by founders of Twitter, with 4 Hour Body laser-engraved case (Priceless)

- Sous Vide Supreme or Demi (Up to $450)

- DNA imprint self-portrait ($300)

- Limited edition 4-Hour Body Macbook Pro case ($130)

- Custom tango shoes ($160)

- Airbak backpack ($150)

- 4-Hour Body Youbars ($33)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $4,800 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Book your spot on EventBrite.

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1,000 books ($16,000)

Spots: Limited to 5 people

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- An evening in San Francisco with Tim to discuss anything you want. This could be a two hour dinner at one of Tim's favorite restaurants, followed by two hours of talking over wine, or something as wild as enjoying a trampoline park after overdosing on green tea. You're welcome to invite one friend or colleague to join in on the fun. Tim's most recent 60-minute speaking engagements range from $60,000 – $80,000, and he rarely does consulting. This is an exclusive offer. Included FOR 1-PERSON: Hotel, food, drink, and roundtrip economy airfare from anywhere in the U.S. (Priceless)

- Limited edition wine, signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $16,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to book 4 Hours in S.F. with Tim Ferriss.

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1,000 books ($16,000)

Spots: Limited to 1 person

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- 8-day guided ski-snowboard adventure in Patagonia, Argentina. Your guides will introduce you to the best skiing, local culture, outstanding meals and red wines. Visit charming villages, situated on glacier cut lakes and national parks. Roundtrip economy airfare included. (Priceless)

- Limited edition wine, signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $16,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to book the Argentina Snow Adventure.

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1,000 books ($16,000)

Spots: Limited to 1 person

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- Ultrarunning trip with world-class ultrarunner, Marshall Ulrich. Marsh is offering two possible trips for any runner that wants to improve their skills. First option is a day cruise to the Galapagos in January, 2011 or dates of the winner's choosing. Second option is The Dreams in Action Running Camp in Death Valley in October, 2011. Roundtrip economy airfare included. See above Slideshare for more details. (Priceless)

- Limited edition wine, signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $16,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to book the Ultrarunning Trip with Marshall Ulrich.

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1,000 books ($16,000)

Spots: Limited to 1 person

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- Two week wellness and writing retreat in Italy. A unique experience to live and work (both creatively and personally) in one of the most beautiful, expansive natural locations in the world. From June 12-25, 2011. Roundtrip economy airfare included. (Priceless)

- Limited edition wine (1 bottle), signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $16,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to book the Italian Wellness and Writing Retreat.

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1,000 books ($16,000)

Spots: Limited to 3 people

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- Ticket to the Indy 500 with VIP access to the race team pit area, hospitality suite, lap around the track in pace car, driver autographs, signed hats and shirts, etc. Roundtrip economy airfare included. (Priceless)

- Limited edition wine (1 bottle), signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $16,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to book one of three Indy 500 VIP tickets.

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1,000 books ($16,000)

Spots: Limited to 1 person

Having trouble reading the slides? Just click the Menu button and select "View Fullscreen."

- Spend an afternoon in NYC learning Brazilian Ju-Jitsu and grappling from Marcelo Garcia, the 4-time world champion who is widely considered to be one of the best pound-for-pound submission grapplers in the world. This will include private lessons. Afterwards, enjoy lunch or dinner with Josh Waitzkin, world chess master, subject of the film Searching for Bobby Fischer, 5-time national champion & 1-time world champion in Tai Chi Chaun, and author of The Art of Learning. (Priceless)

- Limited edition wine (1 bottle), signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $16,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to book Training with Marcelo Garcia & Dining with Josh Waitzkin.

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1,000 books ($16,000)

Spots: Limited to 2 people

Having trouble reading the slides? Just click the Menu button and select "View Fullscreen."

- 10-day "SamaSundarbans" trip to West Bengal with Tim Ferriss and two companions, where you will meet some of Samasource's Service Partners and experience the beauty of India. After two days visiting Samasource's Service Partners in Kolkata, enjoy a five-day tour across the Sundarbans. Bengali for "beautiful forests," the Sundarbans are an "alluvial archipelago" of 102 islands settled between the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers and accessible only by boat. Take a river cruise and observe the region's diverse wildlife including saltwater crocodiles, bullsharks, and the Royal Bengal Tiger. After enjoying your eco-friendly expedition and luxury lodging in the Sundarbans, journey back to Kolkata and let our field associates and former Miss India Sandhya Chib give you an authentic taste of India! Long known as the cultural capital of India, Kolkata is the main business, commercial, and financial hub of eastern India and burgeoning urban metropolis. After exploring the city's historical and popular landmarks, enjoy a special South Asian dinner in your honor, hosted by Miss India and special guests. Includes (for three): Accommodations and internal transportation for entire trip in West Bengal, meals during Sundarbans tour, dinner for three with Miss India, Tim Ferriss, and special guests. Does not include: Airfare to and from India. (Priceless)

- Limited edition wine (1 bottle), signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $16,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to book the 10-Day India Tour.

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1,000 books ($16,000)

Spots: Limited to 2 people

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- Explore the beauty of Kenya, home of the Masai Mara National Reserve, and Mount Kenya. Leila Janah, founder and CEO of Samasource, will accompany you, Tim, and two friends on this ten day "Samasafari," which includes two days meeting Samasource's Service Partners in Nairobi and eight days exploring Kenya's wild side! Take your sense of adventure to new heights on a trekking tour of Mount Kenya, Kenya's tallest peak at over 17,000 feet, and surrounding national parks. Don't miss the chance to see Mount Kenya's magnificent glaciers in their last years, before they disappear forever. After your trek around Mount Kenya, relax and experience the breathtaking wildlife of Kenya during a safari through the Masai Mara, home to a diversity of wildlife including large prides of lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, and more. With its rolling grasslands and wide-open savannah, the Masai Mara promises a picturesque African safari experience. Accommodations and meals during the safari will be provided by your Masai Mara safari lodge. Finish your trip in Kenya on the beautiful beaches of Lamu, Kenya's oldest living town and a UN World Heritage Site. Includes: Accommodations and internal transportation for four in Kenya for trip to Service Partners, Mt. Kenya trek, Masai Mara tour and Lamu trip; meals for Masai Mara tour; park entrance fees; English speaking guide. Not included: Airfare to and from Africa. (Priceless)

- Limited edition wine (1 bottle), signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $16,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to book the 10-Day African Safari.

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The Big Kahunas: 5,000 and 10,000
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Spots: Limited to 2 people

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- Two full days in San Francisco with Tim Ferriss. "Experience San Francisco with me as I like to enjoy it. My favorite activities, my friends, my favorite hidden spots — all expenses paid, everything taken care of. You will have a full 48 hours to ask me anything you like, and it's up to you how much work and how much play you want to enjoy. This will be a San Francisco experience you will never forget!"

- Warriors game with Peter Guber and Tim Ferriss. The first person to purchase the 5,000-book package will have the option, if they wish, of joining Tim Ferriss for an evening at a Golden State Warriors game at Oracle Arena with the new co-owner, Hollywood icon, Peter Guber. Saturday, February 5th is the most likely Saturday home game, and you & Tim would join Peter in the owner's suite: Golden State Warriors vs. the Chicago Bulls. PETER GUBER has produced or executive produced a long list of award-winning films, including "Rain Man," "Batman," "Midnight Express," "The Color Purple," and "Gorillas in the Mist." He has had an extraordinarily varied and successful career, serving as Studio Chief at Columbia Pictures; Co-Chairman of Casablanca Records and Filmworks; CEO of Polygram Entertainment; Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures; and Chairman and CEO of his current venture, Mandalay Entertainment Group. Guber is now the owner and co-executive chairman of the NBA's Golden State Warriors and oversees one of the largest combinations of professional baseball teams and venues nationwide. He is also a longtime professor at UCLA and a Harvard Business Review contributor. Learn more about Peter here.

- Private sailing lesson in San Francisco. OCSC Sailing, a school that's trained thousands of sailors around the world, is offering 1-day private lessons in the San Francisco Bay. ($1,150)

- VIP access to Tim's next party. Tim is known for throwing great parties and successful events, from Australia to South Africa, with a "who's who" guest list. You can expect a great time and a high-profile crowd for his next party. Date TBD.

- Elliptigo 8S. The Elliptigo is the world's first elliptical bicycle.  It combines the handling and maneuverability of a road bike with the cardiovascular intensity of running outside.  Used by top marathoners, including Dean Karnazes, with a similar training effect as running without injuries. ($2,200)

- Limited edition wine (1 bottle), signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $80,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to apply for one of two "Inflection Point" spots.

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Spots: Limited to 1 person.

Having trouble reading the slides? Just click the Menu button and select "View Fullscreen."

- The Uberman: Full body testing. This is the big one. Super-exclusive and all-inclusive body testing — genetics, nutrients, hormones — with a top secret start-up. Nothing like this has ever existed before. This offer is not only completely inaccessible to the general public, it's also unavailable for purchase ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

- Transatlantic Crossing. Sail across the Atlantic with Tim aboard the 119 ft. schooner Argo. Passage starts in Antigua and finishes in Nice, with stops in the Azores and Gibraltar. This is a hands-on experience, taking turns at the helm, holding watches, and being a part of the crew. Participant must be in good health with no serious illness, disability, or previous serious medical history. Includes roundtrip economy airfare from the US to Antigua and back from Nice to the US.

- Personal portrait painting. Be immortalized with your very own personal watercolor portrait, featuring you and one of your obsessions/hobbies. Kelly Eddington (the artist) has had her paintings displayed in galleries throughout the United States, and her work is often noted by Roger Ebert on his blog. ($3,200)

- VIP access to Tim's next party. Tim is known for throwing great parties and successful events, from Australia to South Africa, with a "who's who" guest list. You can expect a great time and a high-profile crowd for his next party.

- Elliptigo 8S. The Elliptigo is the world's first elliptical bicycle.  It combines the handling and maneuverability of a road bike with the cardiovascular intensity of running outside.  Used by top marathoners, including Dean Karnazes, with a similar training effect as running without injuries. ($2,200)

- Limited edition wine (1 bottle), signed by founders of Twitter (Priceless)

- 1-hour group Q&A conference call with Tim (Priceless)

- 1-year of 'Performance Menu Journal' Magazine ($360)

- Digital copy of 'The 4-Hour Workweek' ($20)

- Slow-Carb Cookbook ($20)

Total value: Priceless (for $160,000 of books)

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here to apply for UBERMAN.

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A taste of things to come… (Photo: Blackbox Cases)

I'm excited to present the full table of contents from The 4-Hour Body, as well as the first chapter. Enjoy! …

Sample Chapter

Start Here

Thinner, Bigger, Faster, Stronger? How to Use This Book

Fundamentals – First and Foremost

The Minimum Effective Dose: From Microwaves to Fat-loss

Rules That Change the Rules: Everything Popular Is Wrong

Ground Zero-Getting Started and Swaraj

The Harajuku Moment: The Decision to Become a Complete Human

Elusive Bodyfat: Where Are You Really?

From Photos to Fear: Making Failure Impossible

Subtracting Fat: Basics

The Slow- Carb Diet I: How to Lose 20 Pounds in 30 Days Without Exercise

The Slow-Carb Diet II: The Finer Points and Common Questions

Damage Control: Preventing Fat Gain When You Binge

The Four Horsemen of Fat-Loss

Subtracting Fat: Advanced

Ice Age: Mastering Temperature to Manipulate Weight

The Glucose Switch: Beautiful Number 100

The Last Mile: Losing the Final 5-10 Pounds

Adding Muscle

Building the Perfect Posterior (or Losing 100+ Pounds)

Six-Minute Abs: Two Exercises That Actually Work

From Geek to Freak: How to Gain 34 Pounds in 28 Days

Occam's Protocol I: A Minimalist Approach to Mass

Occam's Protocol II: The Finer Points

Improving Sex

The 15-Minute Female Orgasm-Part Un

The 15-Minute Female Orgasm-Part Deux

Sex Machine I: Adventures in Tripling Testosterone

Happy Endings and Doubling Sperm Count

Perfecting Sleep

Engineering the Perfect Night's Sleep

Becoming Uberman: Sleeping Less with Polyphasic Sleep

Reversing Injuries

Reversing "Permanent" Injuries

How to Pay for a Beach Vacation with One Hospital Visit

Pre-Hab: Injury-Proofing the Body

Running Faster and Farther

Hacking the NFL Combine I: Preliminaries—Jumping Higher

Hacking the NFL Combine II: Running Faster

Ultraendurance I: Going from 5K to 50K in 12 Weeks—Phase I

Ultraendurance II: Going from 5K to 50K in 12 Weeks—Phase II

Getting Stronger

Effortless Superhuman: Breaking World Records with Barry Ross

Eating the Elephant: How to Add 100 Pounds to Your Bench Press

From Swimming to Swinging

How I Learned to Swim Effortlessly in 10 Days

The Architecture of Babe Ruth

How to Hold Your Breath Longer Than Houdini

On Longer and Better Life

Living Forever: Vaccines, Bleeding, and Other Fun

Closing Thoughts

Closing Thoughts: The Trojan Horse

Appendices and Extras

Helpful Measurements and Conversions

Getting Tested—From Nutrients to Muscle Fibers

Muscles of the Body

The Value of Self-Experimentation

Spotting Bad Science 101: How Not to Trick Yourself

Spotting Bad Science 102: So You Have a Pill . . .

The Slow-Carb Diet—194 People

Sex Machine II: Details and Dangers

The Meatless Machine I: Reasons to Try a Plant-Based Diet for Two Weeks

The Meatless Machine II: A 28-Day Experiment

Bonus Material

Spot Reduction Revisited: Removing Stubborn Thigh Fat

Becoming Brad Pitt: Uses and Abuses of DNA

The China Study: A Well-Intentioned Critique

Heavy Metal: Your Personal Toxin Map

The Top 10 Reasons Why BMI Is Bogus

Hyperclocking and Related Mischief: How to Increase Strength 10% in One Workout

Creativity on Demand: The Promises and Dangers of Smart Drugs

An Alternative to Dieting: The Bodyfat Set Point and Tricking the Hypothalamus

Get The 4-Hour Body for less than $15 by clicking here

Get The 4-Hour Body, plus $113 in total bonuses, for $19 by clicking here.

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How to Use This Book

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, 10 P.M., FRIDAY

Shoreline Amphitheater was rocking. More than 20,000 people had turned out at northern California's largest music venue to hear Nine Inch Nails, loud and in charge, on what was expected to be their last tour.

Backstage, there was more unusual entertainment.

"Dude, I go into the stall to take care of business, and I look over and see the top of Tim's head popping above the divider. He was doing f*cking air squats in the men's room in complete silence."

Glenn, a videographer and friend, burst out laughing as he reenacted my technique. To be honest, he needed to get his thighs closer to parallel.

"Forty air squats, to be exact," I offered.

Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, one of the top-500 most popular websites in the world, joined in the laughter and raised a beer to toast the incident. I, on the other hand, was eager to move on to the main event.

In the next 45 minutes, I consumed almost two full-size barbecue chicken pizzas and three handfuls of mixed nuts, for a cumulative total of about 4,400 calories. It was my fourth meal of the day, breakfast having consisted of two glasses of grapefruit juice, a large cup of coffee with cinnamon, two chocolate croissants, and two bear claws.

The more interesting portion of the story started well after Trent Reznor left the stage.

Roughly 72 hours later, I tested my bodyfat percentage with an ultrasound analyzer designed by a physicist out of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Charting the progress on my latest experiment, I'd dropped from 11.9% to 10.2% bodyfat, a 14% reduction of the total fat on my body, in 14 days.

How? Timed doses of garlic, sugar cane, and tea extracts, among other things.

The process wasn't punishing. It wasn't hard. Tiny changes were all it took. Tiny changes that, while small in isolation, produced enormous changes when used in combination.

Want to extend the fat-burning half-life of caffeine? Naringenin, a useful little molecule in grapefruit juice, does just the trick.

Need to increase insulin sensitivity before bingeing once per week? Just add some cinnamon to your pastries on Saturday morning, and you can get the job done.

Want to blunt your blood glucose for 60 minutes while you eat a high-carb meal guilt-free? There are a half-dozen options.

But 2% bodyfat in two weeks? How can that be possible if many general practitioners claim that it's impossible to lose more than two pounds of fat per week? Here's the sad truth: most of the one-size-fits-all rules, this being one example, haven't been field-tested for exceptions.

You can't change your muscle fiber type? Sure you can. Genetics be damned.

Calories in and calories out? It's incomplete at best. I've lost fat while grossly overfeeding. Cheesecake be praised.

The list goes on and on.

It's obvious that the rules require some rewriting.

That's what this book is for.

Diary of a Madman

The spring of 2007 was an exciting time for me.

My first book, after being turned down by 26 out of 27 publishers, had just hit the New York Times bestseller list and seemed headed for #1 on the business list, where it landed several months later. No one was more dumbfounded than me.

One particularly beautiful morning in San Jose, I had my first major media phone interview with Clive Thompson of Wired magazine. During our pre-interview small chat, I apologized if I sounded buzzed. I was. I had just finished a 10-minute workout following a double espresso on an empty stomach. It was a new experiment that would take me to single-digit body-fat with two such sessions per week.

Clive wanted to talk to me about e-mail and websites like Twitter. Before we got started, and as a segue from the workout comment, I joked that the major fears of modern man could be boiled down to two things: too much e-mail and getting fat. Clive laughed and agreed. Then we moved on.

The interview went well, but it was this offhand joke that stuck with me. I retold it to dozens of people over the subsequent month, and the response was always the same: agreement and nodding.

This book, it seemed, had to be written.

The wider world thinks I'm obsessed with time management, but they haven't seen the other—much more legitimate, much more ridiculous—obsession.

I've recorded almost every workout I've done since age 18. I've had more than 1,000 blood tests performed since 2004, sometimes as often as every two weeks, tracking everything from complete lipid panels, insulin, and hemoglobin A1c, to IGF-1 and free testosterone. I've had stem cell growth factors imported from Israel to reverse "permanent" injuries, and I've flown to rural tea farmers in China to discuss Pu-Erh tea's effects on fat-loss. All said and done, I've spent more than $250,000 on testing and tweaking over the last decade.

Just as some people have avant-garde furniture or artwork to decorate their homes, I have pulse oximeters, ultrasound machines, and medical devices for measuring everything from galvanic skin response to REM sleep.

The kitchen and bathroom look like an ER.

If you think that's craziness, you're right. Fortunately, you don't need to be a guinea pig to benefit from one.

Hundreds of men and women have tested the techniques in

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform."

- Mark Twain, 1904 notebook

For The 4-Hour Body, I wanted to do things a little differently. The above video trailer is one of those things.

It was directed, edited, and animated by the incredible Adam Patch. Detailed bios of the athletes featured are coming in a more in-depth "behind the scenes" post on how the video was made.

The music is a new track — Splinter — from one of my all-time favorite bands, Sevendust. How did I finally connect with them? Through Twitter with your help, of course :) Sincere thanks to the uber-consigliere Aaron Ray at The Collective in LA for making the permissions happen.

I wrote at least 50% of the new book to Sevendust's music, depending heavily on the latest Cold Day Memory album and their virtuosic live acoustic album, Southside Double-Wide.

So, what do you think of the trailer? I was even considering doing some Ninja Scroll-style animated shorts.

Should I do more video or animation? For a rare change, I ask that you don't tell me here…

Please let me know in the video comments on YouTube! (There are even some amusing haters you can chat with) For a host of reasons, I only have 24 hours left to make the video "pop" on YouTube, and comments are extremely helpful for this, as is traffic and views.

Please take 30 seconds to share your thoughts and help a brother out!

But for the readers: need a winter escape, trip across the world, or 48 hours with me? Quite a lot coming in the next few posts…

This post has been in the works for a while.

One common challenge for readers of The 4-Hour Workweek is the creation of a "muse": a low-maintenance business that generates significant income. Such a muse is leveraged to finance your ideal lifestyle, which we calculate precisely based on Target Monthly Income (TMI).

In the last four years, I've received hundreds of successful case studies via e-mail, and more than 1,000 new businesses were created during a recent Shopify competition, but I've presented only a handful of a case studies. Here are a few dozen we've covered:

How to Sell 10,000 iPad Cases at $60 Each (and Other Lessons Learned)

18 Real-World Lifestyle Design Case Studies [VIDEOS]

In this post, I'll showcase four successful muses inspired by The 4-Hour Workweek, including lessons learned, what worked, and what didn't…

In the comments, please let me know: Is this helpful, and would you like more of these posts? What's missing? If you'd like to submit your own muse for being highlighted, please see the end of this post.

All suggestions are welcome, and I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

"EarPeace" by Jay Clark

Describe your muse in 1-3 sentences.

EarPeace improves any loud live music or nightlife experience. EarPeace is high fidelity hearing protection that turns down the volume without distorting the sound, it's virtually invisible, comfortable, reusable, and comes in fantastic packaging.

What is the website for your muse?

http://www.earpeace.com

How much revenue is your muse currently generating per month (on average)?

$5,000 – $10,000 per month

How did you decide on this muse?

My muse solved my problem. I spent carnival in Port of Spain with my beautiful Trinidadian girlfriend and danced for days in costume next to tractor trailers converted to giant rolling speaker stacks. We recovered in Tobago and the ringing in my ears was louder than the waves. I turned to her and asked if she had ever seen 'stylish' hearing protection. She hadn't. Right then I found my muse.

After all the research, I was confident I could inexpensively design a better product, deliver superior marketing, and construct an infrastructure that would run itself. EarPeace solved the three major problems that people have with hearing protection – it destroys sound quality, looks stupid, and isn't comfortable. When you use EarPeace, live music is crystal clear (you can even hear your friends), people can't see you wear it (color of your skin and very low profile), and they are very comfortable (and reusable – high value!). I could also wrap it in beautiful packaging and keep a reasonable margin. And, it's small, inexpensive to ship, and easy to maintain inventory. EarPeace has proven itself a winner.

What ideas did you consider but reject, and why?

I was on the verge of opening a yoga studio in Amsterdam. In January 2008, I flew to Amsterdam to do the final walk-throughs, meetings with business attorneys, real estate agents, real estate attorneys, pay roll processors, personnel managers, accountants, special accountants, other people to help me stay in code for the byzantine list of regulations around hiring people and paying them, and the list goes on… TO OPEN A YOGA STUDIO (insert total exasperation). I read half of "The 4-Hour Workweek" on the way out, and the other half on the way home. I knew right then that the yoga studio (especially in Amsterdam) was not the way. I spent the first two weeks of October 2008 in southern China doing factory tours for EarPeace.

What were some of the main tipping points (if any) or "A-ha!" moments? How did they come about?

The main A-ha moment was the realization that I couldn't be tied down to a space. A yoga studio (as much as I love my practice) makes you immobile. I grew up overseas and the wanderlust is still strong. I have to run my business from anywhere. EarPeace allowed me to do that.

The other tipping points were making the right decisions about staying tethered to the corporate mother ship. Overdoing it on vacation and taking as much unpaid leave as possible were critical.

What were your biggest mistakes, or biggest wastes of time/money?

Over-ordering inventory. This was the biggest mistake. As soon as you get your first run of product, you are already tweaking it and making it better. Bargain and promise the moon on future sales, and keep the inventory low. On the second order (blister packed EarPeace for venues), I over did it. Thank BUDDHA the initial run of boxed EarPeace for internet sales are still almost perfect.

What have been your key marketing and/or manufacturing lessons learned?

Ask as many smart people for their opinion as you can. The forest quickly gets lost for the trees when you are in the thick of operational, distribution, creative, and financial decision-making. Give 5% of the company to a couple of clutch advisers that will give you 1-2 hours per week to review strategy, make introductions, and help drive sales. You CAN NOT do it all by yourself. There are so many marketing communications decisions that make it impossible to do everything alone. And, as quickly as possible, hire someone part-time to do continuous PR.

Any key PR wins? Media, well-known users, or company partnerships, etc.? How did they happen?

- "A Ringing Endorsement for Earplugs" on Mashable

- Patrick Dierson on the Jay-Z tour

- The Bowery Presents venues in NYC carry EarPeace

- Thievery Corporation has custom EarPeace

- I am making custom EarPeace for SXSW

These all happened through adviser introductions, lots of blind phone calls, and PR. And, being out there. EarPeace had a presence at every major music festival in the late summer. That is a phenomenal work lifestyle.

If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would have brought on advisers sooner, ordered less inventory to enable faster product innovation, and spent more money on PR.

What's next?!

EarPeace is a great product. I am very proud of it. It really works and it's designed uniquely enough that competing 'high-fidelity' products just can't touch it for normal lifespan. We're going to transition EarPeace into a consumer, mass-market product. Right now it's still relatively niche, but EVERYONE needs this. Foam earplugs are great for sleeping, for instance, but you need hearing protection when you are out and about all the time. Whether it's the movies, the basketball stadium, a loud bar, a restaurant, or the subway. We still need to hear, we just need to turn down the volume. EarPeace does that, discretely, and in a high value way. I want EarPeace at CVS, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart by the end of next year.

Then, I'm taking a break. I'm going back to my favorite Vipassana retreat in Thailand. When I come out after 10 days of no speaking, 10 hours of meditation and 2 hours of yoga per day, and fabulous vegetarian food… the next muse will have manifested itself.

"Summer Jasmines" by Alissa Kraisosky

Describe your muse in 1-3 sentences.

My muse is a foldable, compactable evening and pedicure sandal. It is patent pending, is launched in the US and currently launching in Japan.

What is the website for your muse?

http://www.summerjasmines.com

How much revenue is your muse currently generating per month (on average)?

$1,000 – $2,500 per month

How did you decide on this muse?

I had read Tim's book on a flight back from a Paris vacation in 2007. I was stuck in a job that was getting more toxic, and Tim's book got me excited again – kind of like when I was in college and felt like anything was possible. About a year later, necessity became the mother of invention. My feet were hurting walking back to my hotel at a Las Vegas convention center. I wished there was a stylish shoe I could just pull out of an evening bag and wear for comfort. I also wanted something that would easily separate the toes during a pedicure. I pulled out Tim's book and re-read the chapters on starting a muse, and voilà!

I also used PRLeads and HARO to gain exposure for the product (as mentioned in the book). The idea was put into motion, and Summer Jasmines has since appeared in the Style Network website, attracted the attention of celebrity stylists, and is in the hands of Paris Hilton.

What ideas did you consider but reject, and why?

I thought about doing something in the medical field (my day job is as a physician-psychiatrist) but read Tim's experiences with BrainQuicken and decided against it. I didn't want to do something that was too similar to my day job.

What were some of the main tipping points (if any) or "A-ha!" moments? How did they come about?

I was walking back to my hotel from a convention in Las Vegas and my feet were killing me – that was my "A-ha!" moment. I did not want to walk back barefoot, so I limped back to the hotel with my uncomfortable shoes on. I did some searching online and found nothing similar to what I developed. I wanted a shoe that could be worn in emergencies, but also daily or to pedicures.

What were your biggest mistakes, or biggest wastes of time/money?

I hired a PR agency, but found they needed micromanaging and it was not helpful at all. I did much better with Tim's recommendations in the book, such as HARO and PRLeads.

What have been your key marketing and/or manufacturing lessons learned?

My product needs to really be demonstrated or else it just seems like another shoe that's joining the masses.

Any key PR wins? Media, well-known users, or company partnerships, etc.?

Joe Robinson at "Entrepreneur" magazine recently interviewed me on surviving multitasking and setting boundaries. Again, it happened via PRLeads, recommended by Tim.

If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would have not hired the PR firm.

What's next?!

I want to keep designing more shoes, and figuring out how to integrate this into medicine to increase wellness. I know it will happen somehow!

"Hewley L-Carnitine Shampoo" by Daniel Bradley

Describe your muse in 1-3 sentences.

Hewley products (L-Carnitine Shampoo and Saw Palmetto Conditioner) help men and women combat thin, lifeless and limp hair with a daily 2-step regimen for thicker, healthier hair, as well as new hair growth.

What is the website for your muse?

http://www.hewley.com

How much revenue is your muse currently generating per month (on average)?

$2,500 – $5,000 per month

How did you decide on this muse?

We did research on scientific journals and studies with respect to stimulating blood flow to the scalp. We discovered some exciting results and found that there was a viable niche, and that the pricing of the products allowed for necessary margins.

What ideas did you consider but reject, and why?

Our first muse concept was fish oil. We found a great Icelandic company that has a terrific product that they would sell to us in bulk. We tested the concept using 4HWW tools, but found there was too much competition and not enough differentiation.

What were some of the main tipping points (if any) or "A-ha!" moments? How did they come about?

The main tipping point was finding that we could 'name' our product with an exciting and key ingredient and also own the domain (e.g., L-Carnitine Shampoo – the domain lcarnintineshampoo.com was available). Tying together the domain and the product name seemed like a great way to 'own' a niche. We then realized that having a 'brand" (in our case Hewley) would add the flexibility of playing around with our products and product line.

What were your biggest mistakes, or biggest wastes of time/money?

The biggest trouble has been trying to outsource website design work. We outsourced our product label design to a great firm, and are super excited about the results. But in the web design world, we've not had the best luck. We've tried a few firms on eLance and a couple of Shopify designers, but we struggled with finding a designer who knew how to 'design' for maximum conversion. This has been our biggest waste of time and money.

[Note from Tim: This is where advisors can be very helpful. First, have an advising conversion expert help you put together "wireframes" or sketches of pages that should convert (using pen and paper, or something like Balsamiq). Then have a designer implement and add aesthetic flavor, after which you have a developer chop it up and create the functioning site.]

We are still struggling with the concept of a brand.  We probably would have stuck to 'L-Carnitine Shampoo' instead of 'Hewley.'  Getting people to understand what Hewley is will ultimately be a positive for us, but right now it's just a hurdle to get over.

What have been your key marketing and/or manufacturing lessons learned?

Twitter! There are firms out there that will manage your Twitter account for $1500+ per month (yikes!). We found SocialOomph and a couple other firms that troll for followers for about $50/month.  In one month, they helped us build our Twitter following from 10 to 1,400 followers, and it is now a major source of traffic to our website.

We also used a marketer on eLance to develop a brochure for us. That saved us a lot of time, and the marketer knew how to use clear, concise, and powerful language.  The brochure came out great!

Any key PR wins? Media, well-known users, or company partnerships, etc.? How did they happen?

We are going to be featured in an upcoming issue of Aspen magazine. It came about by reaching out to a rep from the magazine and showing her the brochure. We have also been approached by other sites looking to add our product, but are cautious to protect our margins (4HWW).

If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

We would have had our product manufactured faster.  We spent too much time in "test mode" by mixing and fulfilling orders on our own. Once this was automated, it was a huge weight off our backs. We could focus on selling and marketing instead of fulfilling.

What's next?!

We have learned so much since we started.  We've been working with a chemist on a much-improved product that includes a concentrated serum, and it's backed up by some pretty impressive results. We will be rolling this out early next year, and couldn't be more excited!

"Shred Soles" by Nate Musson

Describe your muse in 1-3 sentences.

Comfortable, canted, performance, snowboard boot insoles.

What is the website for your muse?

http://www.shredsoles.com

How much revenue is your muse currently generating per month (on average)?

$1,000 – $2,500 per month

How did you decide on this muse?

I had the idea for this product in the back of my mind since winter of 2005. After reading 4HWW in 2007, I started to hand-make and test different degrees of canted insoles in my snowboarding boots. I know it sounds cliché, but the idea was kind of like an itch that wouldn't go away – I just had to keep taking steps towards it, and 4HWW gave me the "road map" along the way! I also felt that this product could fit the 4HWW muse criteria, so I went with it.

What ideas did you consider but reject, and why?

I'd considered making a more versatile, non-canted, non-snowboarding specific insole with cool art printed on it. It would have been way easier to make, but I just didn't feel that it was niche enough. I really wanted to have something that was snowboarding-specific.

What were some of the main tipping points (if any) or "A-ha!" moments? How did they come about?

First, my own personal testing. I personally made and tried out hundreds of different insoles with different degrees of canting. Second, the affirmation that I was on to something by a professional boot fitter whose classes I'd attended. I kind of had to dance around the topic since I didn't have a patent at the time. Third, customer feedback! The very first online sale happened before I even had inventory or marketed the site (the site wasn't even done!).  I had to send the customer my last sample in my size. A couple months later, he emailed me with this unsolicited feedback: "After 2 foot surgeries, I didn't think my feet would be able to handle snowboarding, but thanks to the Shred Soles, I'm carving up the mountain. Thanks again."

What were your biggest mistakes, or biggest wastes of time/money?

$600 phone call to a trademark attorney just to have him tell me that "I'll never be able to trademark Shred Soles." He was wrong. I just kept pursuing it with the USPTO and it worked out. Paying for services that I didn't need yet (or ever), like shopping carts, 1-800#, and a podcasting account. Buying business cards too early, and now the info on them is outdated. Getting stuck on patents and trademarks and not moving forward with the rest of the business because I was concerned that they wouldn't work out.

What have been your key marketing and/or manufacturing lessons learned?

Manufacturing- Keep making calls/emails until you find the right fit. I made 30 or more manufacturing contacts until I found the right one! I had guys tell me that what I was trying to do was stupid, impossible, and that it's just not the way things are done!

Marketing- Facebook ads and fan page, Twitter, Email list, submitting to product reviews, posting in snowboarding forums, and a little SEO!

Any key PR wins? Media, well-known users, or company partnerships, etc.? How did they happen?

I've got some big coverage lined up with the #1 snowboarding magazine through a lucky industry connection. Shred Soles has also been covered by the #1 and #2 independent snowboarding bloggers.

If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I'd get set up with a mastermind group from the start! That alone would have made the biggest overall impact in every area of the business, IMO!

What's next?!

The new site just went up, and it has a much cleaner look! I'm going to add some new items into the mix (socks, for instance), as well as a new secret product!  I'd love to do some kind of information product in the future, and have a couple of ideas on the back burner.

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IMPORTANT AFTERWORD:

Do you have a successful muse that's generating more than $1,000 per month?

Please tell me about it! If it stands out (meaning you give specific details of lessons learned and what's worked vs. what didn't), I'm happy to promote you and help further increase your revenue. If you qualify and this sounds like fun, please fill out this form here.

Both physical and digital goods are welcome, as are services, as long as they're low-maintenance, income-generating "muses" as described in The 4-Hour Workweek.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Before hiring one of my assistants, Charlie, I asked him where he wanted to be in 6 and 12 months.

I made him define what he wanted to have and what he wanted to do in both timeframes. At the top of the list was a mini-retirement to Thailand or South America.

Done and done.

Charlie just returned three weeks ago from Buenos Aires. It was there he developed a rather keen interest in Brazilian girls, who were visiting Argentina as tourists. Two weeks ago at around 2am, while preparing the new book launch at my house, he somehow accidentally (riiiiight) got stuck in a Flickr slideshow of Brazilian models.

The photos belonged to someone named Jeremiah Thompson.

Digging a little deeper, it turned out that Jeremiah had an incredible story. Two years ago, he decided he wanted to become a professional photographer of Brazilian bikini models. That, and he wanted to get married. Despite the fact that he was from Montana and had no training, he made both happen in record time.

This is his story…

An Interview with Jeremiah Thompson

What's your background?

I was born in Missoula, Montana, a small college town in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. My Dad was a colonel in the Army so I grew up all over the place, including a couple of stints in Germany. I definitely have a strong entrepreneurial background and have been in business in one form or another all my life, starting at a very young age. The internet has helped me open up .

Did you have much experience as a photographer?

If I thought I could make it rich taking photos, I would have gone into this profession a long time ago. But really, photography has always just been a hobby.

How did you choose Brazil as your destination?

Learning how to surf was, believe it or not, a real stepping stone in my life. About four years ago, I learned how to surf behind an artificial wave put up by a wakeboarding boat. I really got into the sport and wanted to carry my surfing aspirations into the ocean. I narrowed my choices down to Australia and Brazil. A 15-minute phone call to Hans Keeling of Nexus Surf convinced me that Florianopolis, Brazil would be the perfect place for me to go.

[Editor: Some of you might recall that Hans, a recovered ex-lawyer, is a case study in The 4-Hour Workweek]

How did the calendar idea come about?

Arriving in Florianopolis in January of 2008, I was amazed by the sheer quantity of beautiful women — they were everywhere! I'd always had this dream of photographing models, so it was a perfect opportunity to make that dream come true.  I coined the calendar name "Girls of Brazil" and so the adventure began. Then I just needed to find the models.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

So, how and where did you find the models?

The first model really set everything into motion.

I was hanging out with Hans Keeling (the owner of Nexus Surf) at Praia Mole Beach, when we passed a super sexy woman working at a fresco paddle rental stand. I had already mentioned my swimsuit calendar idea to Hans, and he happens to speak perfect Portuguese. I asked him if he would help me talk to her and pitch the idea. At this point, I had no product or business cards — just a pair of board shorts, my camera, and some photos of wildlife I had taken in Montana. But that was all I needed. It worked. She agreed to meet me the next day! She was even going to hitchhike to my house at 5:00 AM! I convinced her to let me pick her up, and we shot the next day from 5:30 AM till 8:30 PM. It was a great start to my project.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

After that, I found most of the girls on my own, speaking to them in very basic (if not completely broken) Portuguese. I was able to find girls almost everywhere – at the beaches, clubs, supermarkets, walking down the street, and even online. It was too easy. Once I had a few great shots under my belt, I was able to show these same photos to other girls, and most wanted to participate just to get their own pictures taken.

Were they professional models?

The girls were, for the most part, your everyday gals. I did shoot one girl who was actually an international model. I found her while I was driving down the street. I jumped out of my car, chased after her, and asked if she wanted to participate. You would think someone like that would laugh at me, but she ended up making the photos:

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Quite a few of the models had experience as event girls. I had the best luck finding those girls online.

But my best photos came from the girls with no professional experience. They always came to the shoots with the most energy. Their openness allowed me more freedom to infuse my own ideas into the photo shoot. This definitely made things more fun, and the results were always great.

Did you pay them for the shoots?

During the first year, I never paid any of the models. By the second year, I started paying a little. I had been dating one of the models and she helped me realize that many of the girls were actually using their own money just to prepare for the photos. They were paying to get their hair done, manicures/pedicures, new bikinis, etc. It was expensive. I started paying them 500 Brazilian reais, which amounted to approximately $250 US dollars. And because I shot many of the girls multiple times, it was a very small price to pay. However, I'm convinced that even if I didn't pay anything, I would have just as much success or possibly even more. The girls, especially in the first year, really got excited about the opportunity, even though there was no money involved.

Critics might say you were taking advantage of them. What would you say to that?

One of the cool things about this project is the success they've had using my photos afterward.

Four of the girls went on to pose for Playboy Brasil. One of the girls got hired on as a dancer for the top television show in Brazil on Sunday afternoons. Many got modeling jobs. And they've all appreciated the opportunity, so that's one of the best things about doing this.

Furthermore, it is not as if I was making money myself. The first few years of this project were big losses. Frankly I couldn't afford to pay the girls to participate. This was a project I started more out of my desire to be a swimsuit photographer than to make another dollar. The girls loved the project and the photos. Many participated in multiple years. There weren't any victims here.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

For those who've dreamed about being a swimsuit photographer but have never had the chance, can you describe the atmosphere of a shoot?

The atmosphere is definitely one of the best things. It starts when the girls come to my house. I need to see them in their bikinis before we head out so I can prepare for the shoot. In the first year, all of the girls used their own bikinis and that worked great 90% of the time. But I started buying bikinis for the girls in year two. So the first step was always to pick out the best bikinis. We would usually find 2-4 bikinis that we would take to the shoot. After that, we either walked to a nearby local beach or took my car to a more private beach.

Usually, we would arrive before sunrise. This meant the girls had been up since 2:30 AM preparing! I typically rolled out of bed around 5:00 AM. Not an easy thing to do, but when the moment comes and those first rays of light hit a beautiful girl in a tiny bikini, it's worth it.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Posing the girls was always the most difficult part. I wanted to bring out the best in each girl. I would put them through as many poses as possible, mentally noting how they looked best. Then when the best lighting conditions occurred, I would get the girls into what I already knew would be their best pose. This system worked great.

After the shoots, the first question from the girls was always: "When will the photos be ready?"

They were thrilled to have shots for their portfolio that would otherwise have cost them at least a week's pay.

Were there any methods you used to produce better results (i.e. humor to loosen up the model, etc.)?

I enjoyed bringing out the genuine smiles of each girl.

Most model photos always have that super serious look, which is supposed to be sexy. I don't know if I'm different in this regard, but I always enjoy seeing a girl's smile more. So for half the photos, I would get the girls smiling their biggest smiles possible, and the other half I would let them revert to that serious but "sexy" look you see in all the magazines. Getting the girls to smile was easy: I would just say "mais sexo!" For two years I thought that phrase meant "sexier!" but I guess it really means "more sex!" So it usually made the girls laugh before going into an even sexier pose. That's how I discovered the girls' natural smile and how great it looked in the photos.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

What have been some of the more memorable moments from your shoots?

I've shot something like 30-40 girls now, and there are so many memories with each girl.

Fernanda was my first model and she will always be one of the best memories of this project. Actually, the first photo I took of her is, to this day, one of the best I have ever taken:

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Then there was Iris, who showed up an hour and a half late to our shoot. We jumped in my car and she changed into her bikini as I sped off. When we arrived at the beach, I quickly put her into a pose, and we made this photo [below] in about 10 minutes. It was not a minute too soon, as the sun set right after.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

When I think about how much preparation goes into a Sports Illustrated shoot and compare it to some of the photos I've taken, I'm amazed by the results I've had as a one-man operation. It really is a credit to the beauty of these girls and the environment I am working with down in Brazil.

Last but not least, there's Dayana. 

She and I ended up getting married, so how could I not mention this as one of my best memories?!  We were really connected right from the beginning. It was a goal of mine to find a woman like Dayana to marry, so having this dream come true as a result of this project was incredible, to say the least.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

What sales channels have you used for distribution of the calendar?

I've never had the opportunity of getting into the main calendar distribution channels, due to my lateness of releasing the calendars.  I learned afterward that most calendars get released almost a year before the calendar year.

That meant the calendar had been shot as early as two years before. Since I was doing this more for fun than to make money, I decided to release the calendars as close to the calendar year as possible. The models were happy with this, as they didn't have to wait two years to see their photos debut.  It wasn't smart business on my part, but again, I wasn't doing the project to make the most money.

Having said that, we've enjoyed being one of the top calendars through Amazon for a couple of years now. We're giving "Sports Illustrated" a run for their money (at least with Amazon) and I feel a great amount of pride seeing that and knowing how small my operation is compared to them.

Have you done any unique promotions to get the word out?

In 2009, we sent 20,000 calendars to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010, we sent approximately 3,000 (I was working with a bigger personal budget in 2009 than in 2010). I hope to get these numbers back up in future years if I stay involved in the project. I always get troop requests and have a list of soldiers who have already requested their copies for 2011. It feels great helping these guys out. Hopefully seeing the beautiful girls on their walls keeps them motivated to stay strong and finish out their missions safe.

What's the "Girls of Brazil" contest you mentioned to me?

The idea behind the contest is to give someone the chance to live the dream of being a swimsuit photographer. There really is no better place than Brazil for this.

I'd help the lucky winner of this contest along with each step. First, we'll recruit the girls and find the models he'll be shooting. Then I'll give him my camera equipment and teach him how to photograph the girls. The winner will be shooting the girls on his own, but I'll be around if he needs my help. And afterward, we'll celebrate the results "Brazilian style"!

The contest doesn't exist yet, but I'm hoping to get sponsored by a magazine who can feature it. It would make a great story and fill several issues of their magazine with content guys will love.

That sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If a magazine doesn't pick up the contest, perhaps we can make it happen :)

—

So, how did his calendars turn out? Take a look at Girls of Brazil website or visit Amazon.  If you want a taste of his photos on Facebook, here's your fix.

Question of the Day (QOD): If you're happily married, how did you meet your husband or wife, and do you think someone could engineer the same? Share in the comments!

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Odds and Ends: Blogging Lessons and New Stickers

This post produced a lot of strong responses. Please see my comments below in orange, as well as Jeremiah's. Related to that, here are a few guidelines I follow while blogging:

Blog Lesson 1 – Please Everyone to Interest No One



If this post put your knickers in a twist, before leaving a snarky comment, realize this: when everyone is your customer, no one is your customer. This is true in business and writing. Bloggers often make the mistake of trying to generalize every post to every person. This is slow suicide and results in plain vanilla posts that offend no one and interest roughly the same. Expect that blog to disappear within two years, whether from reader attrition or blogger boredom.

I prefer to write posts that strongly appeal to at least a portion of my readers, and simply rotate to hit different demographics/psychographics with different posts. If I perfectly hit the nail on the head by educating (or entertaining) 20% of my readership, and they share it with their friends, does it matter if I lose 2-5%? Not in my experience. From what I've seen, this is precisely how you build an uberstrong community comprised of readers who actually speak their minds and show an unusual degree of tolerance (by Internet standards, at least).

If you'd like to read the female perspective on the mating and marrying game, here's another post on this very same blog.

Blog Lesson 2- Strategic Redating of Posts

Some of you have asked, where did the last two posts go? The posts on GetGlue stickers and book promotion parties?

Here's the answer: I redated them in WordPress so they wouldn't appear on the homepage. Once time-dependent promotional posts have been up for 48-72 hours, and my core audience has seen them, I redate them, as these posts aren't valuable to new visitors. There's only one chance to make a first impression, so I always want strong stand-alone content to dominate my blog homepage. I'd used redating in this fashion for more than two years. Some bloggers go so far as to ensure one of their most popular posts is always displayed first on the homepage, followed then by their most recent.

Hope that explains things.

Eat drink and be merry. Happy Thanksgiving!

New Stickers – The 4-Hour Body

The 4-Hour Body is almost exactly three weeks away, which means a new sticker from GetGlue! This one is of reader, Nathan. To learn how to get it (and all the others) for free, read this:

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Before hiring one of my assistants, Charlie, I asked him where he wanted to be in 6 and 12 months.

I made him define what he wanted to have and what he wanted to do in both timeframes. At the top of the list was a mini-retirement to Thailand or South America.

Done and done.

Charlie just returned three weeks ago from Buenos Aires. It was there he developed a rather keen interest in Brazilian girls, who were visiting Argentina as tourists. Two weeks ago at around 2am, while preparing the new book launch at my house, he somehow accidentally (riiiiight) got stuck in a Flickr slideshow of Brazilian models.

The photos belonged to someone named Jeremiah Thompson.

Digging a little deeper, it turned out that Jeremiah had an incredible story. Two years ago, he decided he wanted to become a professional photographer of Brazilian bikini models. That, and he wanted to get married. Despite the fact that he was from Montana and had no training, he made both happen in record time.

This is his wife-hunting story…

An Interview with Jeremiah Thompson

What's your background?

I was born in Missoula, Montana, a small college town in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. My Dad was a colonel in the Army so I grew up all over the place, including a couple of stints in Germany. I definitely have a strong entrepreneurial background and have been in business in one form or another all my life, starting at a very young age. The internet has helped me open up .

Did you have much experience as a photographer?

If I thought I could make it rich taking photos, I would have gone into this profession a long time ago. But really, photography has always just been a hobby.

How did you choose Brazil as your destination?

Learning how to surf was, believe it or not, a real stepping stone in my life. About four years ago, I learned how to surf behind an artificial wave put up by a wakeboarding boat. I really got into the sport and wanted to carry my surfing aspirations into the ocean. I narrowed my choices down to Australia and Brazil. A 15-minute phone call to Hans Keeling of Nexus Surf convinced me that Florianopolis, Brazil would be the perfect place for me to go.

[Editor: Some of you might recall that Hans, a recovered ex-lawyer, is a case study in The 4-Hour Workweek]

How did the calendar idea come about?

Arriving in Florianopolis in January of 2008, I was amazed by the sheer quantity of beautiful women — they were everywhere! I'd always had this dream of photographing models, so it was a perfect opportunity to make that dream come true.  I coined the calendar name "Girls of Brazil" and so the adventure began. Then I just needed to find the models.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

So, how and where did you find the models?

The first model really set everything into motion.

I was hanging out with Hans Keeling (the owner of Nexus Surf) at Praia Mole Beach, when we passed a super sexy woman working at a fresco paddle rental stand. I had already mentioned my swimsuit calendar idea to Hans, and he happens to speak perfect Portuguese. I asked him if he would help me talk to her and pitch the idea. At this point, I had no product or business cards — just a pair of board shorts, my camera, and some photos of wildlife I had taken in Montana. But that was all I needed. It worked. She agreed to meet me the next day! She was even going to hitchhike to my house at 5:00 AM! I convinced her to let me pick her up, and we shot the next day from 5:30 AM till 8:30 PM. It was a great start to my project.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

After that, I found most of the girls on my own, speaking to them in very basic (if not completely broken) Portuguese. I was able to find girls almost everywhere – at the beaches, clubs, supermarkets, walking down the street, and even online. It was too easy. Once I had a few great shots under my belt, I was able to show these same photos to other girls, and most wanted to participate just to get their own pictures taken.

Where they professional models?

The girls were, for the most part, your everyday gals. I did shoot one girl who was actually an international model. I found her while I was driving down the street. I jumped out of my car, chased after her, and asked if she wanted to participate. You would think someone like that would laugh at me, but she ended up making the photos:

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Quite a few of the models had experience as event girls. I had the best luck finding those girls online.

But my best photos came from the girls with no professional experience. They always came to the shoots with the most energy. Their openness allowed me more freedom to infuse my own ideas into the photo shoot. This definitely made things more fun, and the results were always great.

Did you have to pay them for the shoots?

During the first year, I never paid any of the models. By the second year, I started paying a little. I had been dating one of the models and she helped me realize that many of the girls were actually using their own money just to prepare for the photos. They were paying to get their hair done, manicures/pedicures, new bikinis, etc. It was expensive. I started paying them 500 Brazilian reais, which amounted to approximately $250 US dollars. And because I shot many of the girls multiple times, it was a very small price to pay. However, I'm convinced that even if I didn't pay anything, I would have just as much success or possibly even more. The girls, especially in the first year, really got excited about the opportunity, even though there was no money involved.

Critics might say you were taking advantage of them. What would you say to that?

One of the cool things about this project is the success they've had using my photos afterward.

Four of the girls went on to pose for Playboy Brasil. One of the girls got hired on as a dancer for the top television show in Brazil on Sunday afternoons. Many got modeling jobs. And they've all appreciated the opportunity, so that's one of the best things about doing this.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

For those who've dreamed about being a swimsuit photographer but have never had the chance, can you describe the atmosphere of a shoot?

The atmosphere is definitely one of the best things. It starts when the girls come to my house. I need to see them in their bikinis before we head out so I can prepare for the shoot. In the first year, all of the girls used their own bikinis and that worked great 90% of the time. But I started buying bikinis for the girls in year two. So the first step was always to pick out the best bikinis. We would usually find 2-4 bikinis that we would take to the shoot. After that, we either walked to a nearby local beach or took my car to a more private beach.

Usually, we would arrive before sunrise. This meant the girls had been up since 2:30 AM preparing! I typically rolled out of bed around 5:00 AM. Not an easy thing to do, but when the moment comes and those first rays of light hit a beautiful girl in a tiny bikini, it's worth it.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Posing the girls was always the most difficult part. I wanted to bring out the best in each girl. I would put them through as many poses as possible, mentally noting how they looked best. Then when the best lighting conditions occurred, I would get the girls into what I already knew would be their best pose. This system worked great.

After the shoots, the first question from the girls was always: "When will the photos be ready?"

Sometimes, if I enjoyed the shoot, I would invite the girl back to my house so we could look at the photos together on my computer. Otherwise, I took a few days to do some basic edits, then we'd meet up and I'd give them the best photos.

Were there any methods you used to produce better results (i.e. humor to loosen up the model, etc.)?

I enjoyed bringing out the genuine smiles of each girl.

Most model photos always have that super serious look, which is supposed to be sexy. I don't know if I'm different in this regard, but I always enjoy seeing a girl's smile more. So for half the photos, I would get the girls smiling their biggest smiles possible, and the other half I would let them revert to that serious but "sexy" look you see in all the magazines. Getting the girls to smile was easy: I would just say "mais sexo!" For two years I thought that phrase meant "sexier!" but I guess it really means "more sex!" So it usually made the girls laugh before going into an even sexier pose. That's how I discovered the girls' natural smile and how great it looked in the photos.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

What have been some of the more memorable moments from your shoots?

I've shot something like 30-40 girls now, and there are so many memories with each girl.

Fernanda was my first model and she will always be one of the best memories of this project. Actually, the first photo I took of her is, to this day, one of the best I have ever taken:

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Then there was Iris, who showed up an hour and a half late to our shoot. We jumped in my car and she changed into her bikini as I sped off. When we arrived at the beach, I quickly put her into a pose, and we made this photo [below] in about 10 minutes. It was not a minute too soon, as the sun set right after.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

When I think about how much preparation goes into a Sports Illustrated shoot and compare it to some of the photos I've taken, I'm amazed by the results I've had as a one-man operation. It really is a credit to the beauty of these girls and the environment I am working with down in Brazil.

Last but not least, there's Dayana. 

She and I ended up getting married, so how could I not mention this as one of my best memories?!  We were really connected right from the beginning. It was a goal of mine to find a woman like Dayana to marry, so having this dream come true as a result of this project was incredible, to say the least.

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

Photo: Jeremiah Thompson

What sales channels have you used for distribution of the calendar?

I've never had the opportunity of getting into the main calendar distribution channels, due to my lateness of releasing the calendars.  I learned afterward that most calendars get released almost a year before the calendar year.

That meant the calendar had been shot as early as two years before. Since I was doing this more for fun than to make money, I decided to release the calendars as close to the calendar year as possible. The models were happy with this, as they didn't have to wait two years to see their photos debut.  It wasn't smart business on my part, but again, I wasn't doing the project to make the most money.

Having said that, we've enjoyed being one of the top calendars through Amazon for a couple of years now. We're giving "Sports Illustrated" a run for their money (at least with Amazon) and I feel a great amount of pride seeing that and knowing how small my operation is compared to them.

Have you done any unique promotions to get the word out?

In 2009, we sent 20,000 calendars to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010, we sent approximately 3,000 (I was working with a bigger personal budget in 2009 than in 2010). I hope to get these numbers back up in future years if I stay involved in the project. I always get troop requests and have a list of soldiers who have already requested their copies for 2011. It feels great helping these guys out. Hopefully seeing the beautiful girls on their walls keeps them motivated to stay strong and finish out their missions safe.

What's the "Girls of Brazil" contest you mentioned to me?

The idea behind the contest is to give someone the chance to live the dream of being a swimsuit photographer. There really is no better place than Brazil for this.

I'd help the lucky winner of this contest along with each step. First, we'll recruit the girls and find the models he'll be shooting. Then I'll give him my camera equipment and teach him how to photograph the girls. The winner will be shooting the girls on his own, but I'll be around if he needs my help. And afterward, we'll celebrate the results "Brazilian style"!

The contest doesn't exist yet, but I'm hoping to get sponsored by a magazine who can feature it. It would make a great story and fill several issues of their magazine with content guys will love.

That sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If a magazine doesn't pick up the contest, perhaps we can make it happen :)

—

So, how did his calendars turn out? Take a look at Girls of Brazil website or visit Amazon.  If you want a taste of his photos on Facebook, here's your fix.

Question of the Day (QOD): If you're happily married, how did you meet your husband or wife, and do you think someone could engineer the same? Share in the comments!

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Odds and Ends: Blogging Lessons and New Stickers



Blog Lesson 1 – Please Everyone to Interest No One



If this post put your knickers in a twist, before leaving a snarky comment, realize this: when everyone is your customer, no one is your customer. This is true in business and writing. Bloggers often make the mistake of trying to generalize every post to every person. This is slow suicide and results in plain vanilla posts that offend no one and interest roughly the same. Expect that blog to disappear within two years, whether from reader attrition or blogger boredom.

I prefer to write posts that strongly appeal to at least a portion of my readers, and simply rotate to hit different demographics/psychographics with different posts. If I perfectly hit the nail on the head by educating (or entertaining) 20% of my readership, and they share it with their friends, does it matter if I lose 2-5%? Not in my experience. From what I've seen, this is precisely how you build an uberstrong community comprised of readers who actually speak their minds and show an unusual degree of tolerance (by Internet standards, at least).

If you'd like to read the female perspective on the mating and marrying game, here's another post on this very same blog.

Blog Lesson 2- Strategic Redating of Posts

Some of you have asked, where did the last two posts go? The posts on GetGlue stickers and book promotion parties?

Here's the answer: I redated them in WordPress so they wouldn't appear on the homepage. Once time-dependent promotional posts have been up for 48-72 hours, and my core audience has seen them, I redate them, as these posts aren't valuable to new visitors. There's only one chance to make a first impression, so I always want strong stand-alone content to dominate my blog homepage. I'd used redating in this fashion for more than two years. Some bloggers go so far as to ensure one of their most popular posts is always displayed first on the homepage, followed then by their most recent.

Hope that explains things.

Eat drink and be merry. Happy Thanksgiving!

New Stickers – The 4-Hour Body

The 4-Hour Body is almost exactly three weeks away, which means a new sticker from GetGlue! This one is of reader, Nathan. To learn how to get it (and all the others) for free, read this:

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One piece of the puzzle: getting eye contact right. Not evasive, not creepy — just right. (Photo: Mr. Theklan)

This is a guest post from Michael Ellsberg, a good friend who's spent the last several years studying interpersonal persuasion and language (spoken and unspoken).

He has performed hundreds of tests in the field, as the creator of Eye Gazing Parties, which resembles speed-dating with no speaking. Elle magazine called his parties "New York's hottest dating trend," and for good reason. Having attended one party, I can attest: three minutes of staring into someone's eyes tells you more about them than ten minutes of talking.

In this post, he deconstructs Bill Clinton's so-called "reality distortion field" into elements you can practice for business or pleasure. Don't miss the play-by-play video demonstration…

Enter Michael Ellsberg

I've figured out the secret—or at least, a big secret—of Bill Clinton's legendary charm and face-to-face persuasion.

"I have a friend who has always despised Bill Clinton," a person at a cocktail party told me during the time I was writing my book about eye contact. "Yet, somehow my friend found himself at a function that Bill Clinton was attending. And, within the swirl of the crowd, he was introduced to Clinton."

"In that moment, face-to-face, all of my friend's personal animosity towards Clinton disappeared, in one instant," my new acquaintance at the party continued. "As they were shaking hands, Clinton made eye contact with my friend in a way so powerful and intimate, my friend felt as though the two of them were the only people in the room."

Steve Jobs is famous for having a "Reality Distortion Field" (RDF)—an aura of charisma, confidence, and persuasion, in which people report it almost impossible to avoid surrendering to the man and following his will when interacting face-to-face. Well—love his politics or hate them—Clinton is known for an RDF even stronger than Jobs'.  Perhaps the strongest in the world.

So, what's the secret to Clinton's RDF?

While writing my book, I heard some version of the above story about Clinton not once but three times. So, I Googled "Bill Clinton" and "eye contact." A number of references to Clinton's eye powers turned up.

A New York Times Magazine profile near the beginning of his presidency referred to his facility for "making eye contact so deep that recipients sometimes seem mesmerized. Tabloid rumors aside, Clinton embodies the parallels between the seductions of politics and the seductions of sex. As one Clinton watcher said recently: 'It's not that Clinton seduces women. It's that he seduces everyone.'"

A post on the celebrity news blog WENN said, "Actress Gillian Anderson has discovered the secret behind former U.S. President Bill Clinton's sex appeal—lingering eye contact."

Anderson (Special Agent Dana Scully on The X-Files) spoke on Late Night With David Letterman of an encounter she had with Clinton several years earlier: "We all, mostly women, lined up. And when he gets to you, he takes your hand and makes eye contact. After he leaves and he moves on to the next person, he looks back at you and seals the deal. When I got home, I expected to have a message from him, and I didn't. I bet women across America expect it too."

Is it possible to hack this skill with eye contact? Is it possible to recreate Bill Clinton's fabled RDF? (At least, the eye contact part?)

Absolutely. In my experience training myself and others, you can become a world-class master of eye contact in about 2 weeks.

How to Go From "Eye Shy" to "Eye Ballsy" In Three Easy Steps

STEP 1: Practice Brief Eye Contact With Strangers

While you walk down the sidewalk (during daylight hours!) look at the eyes of every person walking towards you long enough to see their eye color. Less than a second. Then look away. This is the best technique I know for building solid eye contact skills quickly. In my experience, if the eye contact is brief enough, no one minds at all, and you get tons of practice in.

You can also practice longer eye contact with waiters, salesclerks, cashiers, and other paid service staff, so long as you do it respectfully and in a friendly way.

In all cases, keep a neutral facial expression and soft gaze. You don't want anyone to think you're trying to stare them down, rob them, or get them into the sack. If you practice all this for a week or two as you go about your daily business, the quality of your eye contact will become better than most people's, in a short amount of time.

STEP 2: Learn the Art of Personal Space

You've probably experienced bosses or strangers "get up in your face," and it feels very unpleasant. Bill Clinton and others with RDFs are experts at getting close to you while making you feel totally safe and comfortable. This increases feelings of intimacy, trust, and affinity.

How do they do it? They have mastered the subtle art of personal space. First written about in-depth by anthropologist Edward Hall, our sense of "personal space" is the feeling we get of being "invaded" when someone steps too close.

Interestingly, our sense of personal space is not a pure function of physical proximity; many other psychological factors influence it. In general, your sense of physical proximity with someone increases when they are:

- Making direct eye contact with you

- Facing you directly (as opposed to standing side-by-side looking into the crowd)

- Touching you (i.e., rubbing elbows in a crowd, patting your back, touching your arm or shoulder)

- Raising their voice

- Talking about you (as opposed to a neutral subject)

If a stranger starts doing too many of these at once, your personal space begins to feel violated, and you start having that icky "eww get away from me!" feeling we've all experienced with unwelcome conversations at parties.

In contrast, if you learn to modulate these five different factors, and combine them in different ways, you can make your conversation partners feel safe and comfortable while at the same time feeling close and intimate with you.

When you increase eye contact, try leaning back or standing back a little to increase their comfort. When you are physically close because it's a crowded room, try lowering your voice. When you pat someone on the back or touch their arm as you talk, try standing at an angle, not facing them directly.

By playing with these different factors, cranking some of the dials up as you turn others down, you can create the feeling of being incredibly close, without triggering the "Red Alert! Get Away!" response in your conversation partner. People with RDFs are masters of this skill. And it's very seductive.

STEP 3: Practice Being Present

Have you ever felt someone was making eye contact with you, but wasn't taking in a thing you were saying? My friend Marie Forleo has referred to this phenomenon as a "pretend gaze—their eyes are on yours, but their mind is on a Hawaiian beach."

In our age of tweets and Facebook status updates and cellphone buzzes and new texts and IMs and VMs every few seconds, focusing your inner attention on the same person you're talking with can be challenging, but its worth practicing the skill. (BTW, following Tim's low-information diet helps with this.)

For one week, whenever you talk with someone, practice noticing whenever your mind drifting—to the laundry, your bills, you co-worker's snide comment today, that hottie you just spotted at the party whom you want to meet. Then, when you notice this inevitable mental drifting, bring your attention back to whomever you're talking with at the moment. They will truly appreciate it.

We are living in a world where no one, it seems, has attention for anyone or anything for more than a few moments. How rare it is when someone pays attention to us. Consider the wording of the phrase: pay attention. In industrialized nations, at least, attention is becoming almost as scarce a resource as money. Someone who "pays" it to you is giving you something of true value.

As Elizabethan poet and statesman Fulke Greville has written, "Our companions please us less from the charms we find in their conversation than from those they find in ours."

Clinton pays out his focused attention generously, making us feel he's truly interested in us and what we have to say. This is why people love talking with him face-to-face.

That feeling of "we were the only two people in the room," which Clinton is so skillful in fostering, stems from his eye contact, from his careful use of personal space, and from his unshakeable attention once he's talking with you.

Learn to combine these three factors together, and you're on your way to a rock-star Reality Distortion Field. Just be careful about what you do with all the attention!

BONUS: If you want a fantastic education in how the three factors we've been talking about–eye contact, personal space, and presence–interplay to create legendary persuasion, watch the below video clip from the second Bush-Clinton-Perot debate, on October 15, 1992.

The idea of a town-hall format was proposed to the Bush team by Clinton's team in 1992, and Bush agreed. This was the first town hall presidential debate in US television history. Little did Bush know he had just agreed to battling the master on his own territory.

To appreciate just how fully Clinton nails this debate moment, I suggest watching the 4-minute clip twice–first with audio turned off, and then with audio on. If you're at all interested in this post's topic, it'll be worth it.

I'll put several comments below the video. [Note: I am not making any endorsement one way or the other about the political views expressed in this clip. I'm only talking about body language and persuasion.]

Commentary:

First point: In the initial seconds of the video, Bush checks his watch when the voter begins asking him a question. Presence? How about "How long do I have to listen to you before I can talk?" This was widely considered a "Dukakis-in-the-tank/Dean Scream" moment during the campaign, and among the worst gaffes in presidential debate history (up there with Gore's sighs and eye rolls in 2000). And it all hinged on one moment of absent presence.

Notice Bush's eye contact as he answers the woman's question. It is sporadic, weak, drifting, and random. He hasn't decided whether he's talking to her, to the moderator, to the whole audience, or to the air in the room. In terms of personal space, he is totally unsure of how close he should stand; he walks closer to her, then backs off, visibly uncomfortable with the personal space aspect of the interchange. In all three factors of RDF we've talked about–eye contact, personal space, and presence–he's clearly not making a personal connection with the voter.

At 2:30, when Clinton begins to answer, notice how he manages to simultaneously own the space and put the woman at ease. He walks up several yards closer than Bush did, making a personal connection in her space, without making her uncomfortable. His eye contact is clear, unwavering, and calm. There's absolutely no mistaking whom he's talking with. Clinton's there in the room with two rival candidates, news media, other audience members, and a national TV audience of millions. Yet that feeling of "The only two people in the room" is palpable when he talks with the voter.

The result of this town hall debate? 58% of viewers declared Clinton the winner of the debate, 16% for Bush, and 15% for Perot. (In the previous debate, with a traditional podium format, 47% of viewers declared Perot to be the winner, with 30% for Clinton, and 16% for Bush.)

Look at the woman's response at 3:22. Clinton completely has her. (Remember actress Gillian Anderson's comment?) Bush's facial expression at 3:47 is priceless. He knows he's been beaten.

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About the author: Michael Ellsberg is the author of The Power of Eye Contact. For his forthcoming book, already purchased by Penguin/Portfolio, he's seeking to interview people who didn't finish college who are successful at what they do. Fit the bill? Go to this page.

Ellsberg is also the creator of Eye Gazing Parties, a series of social events based on eye contact which attracted feature press coverage from the New York Times, Associated Press TV, CBS News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Regis & Kelly, and more. Elle magazine called Eye Gazing Parties "New York's hottest dating trend."

On this blog, I try and strike a balance — well, it's more like a ratio — of 80% useful content and 20% fun for sh#$% and giggles.

If the blog isn't fun for me to write, it will end up boring to read, so I sometimes visit Random Land. This is such a time. I think athletic girls are fantastic (don't worry, ladies — goodies for you soon), and I like stickers. So what do you get?

The 4-Hour Body promotional stickers!

The 4-Hour Body is almost exactly 4 weeks away, and each week, I will be debuting a new countdown sticker, ending with a launch sticker. This week features my friend Taryn Southern, whose new video "Keep It In Your Pants" might just make your head explode or your boss fire you.

How do you get the stickers? Simple:

– "Check-in" via the GetGlue app or website

– If needed: click the "Reading Book" icon, search for the book by title or "Ferriss", and then click "Check-in".

– You get a digital sticker automatically, but…

– Once you get 15 check-ins for any of the books, movies, TV shows, etc. on GetGlue, you can have free 4-Hour Body physical stickers shipped to you! Put them on your dog's forehead, laptop, or iPhone.

Crazy times. Three years ago, I never could have imagined that I'd be promoting stickers, half-naked women, and erections. Just goes to show that what my parents told me is true: when you grow up, you can do ANYTHING that you want.

God bless the Internet.

(Photo: Matthew Field)

This post will be short and sweet.

The book launch for The 4-Hour Body, the follow-up to The 4-Hour Workweek (#1 NY Times, 35 languages), will be enormous. There will be big media, incredible partnerships, never-before-seen experiments, and much, much more.

Here are two things I'm looking to add to the mix:

- Giveaway products or services.

- Party location in NYC for a huge launch party the week of Dec. 13. Minimum 400-1,000 people.

Now, the details…

Giveaway products or services

OPTION A: VIP gift

I will be having VIP parties for the launch, as well as mailing copies to celebs and "influencers" (as much as I hate that word, it's accurate). Here's a sample pic from my last party, held on a warship in SF bay, featuring me, Kevin Rose, and Paula Abdul. The 4-Hour Body recipients will be a very good group to get in front of.

In both cases (parties and mailings), I'd like to include cool products that would complement the book. Might your product fit?

Click here to submit your product!

OPTION B: Promoted on the blog

I will be promoting The 4-Hour Body on this blog, which is currently about the 1,600th most popular website in the United States, according to Alexa, and tracked by media ranging from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal to Inc. Magazine and others.

I will be offering bonuses to people who buy multiple copies of The 4-Hour Body, much like Gary Vaynerchuck does here. Bonuses could include physical goods, digital services (no e-books, please), subscriptions, experiences (world travel, lodging, etc.), or just about anything.

I'll be promoting the hell out of any bonuses. This is cheap marketing when you consider alternative means of reaching 1,000,000+ qualified unique readers. Check out the advertising rate card for Men's Health, as one example. Important to also keep in mind: print doesn't allow for impulse purchases… this blog does.

It'll be a blast for everyone, especially the recipients. I'm hoping to go nuts.

Click here to submit your product or service for A, B, or both!

Party location in NYC

I am planning on having a killer party in NYC for 400-1,000 people the week of Dec. 13, probably between Wed-Sunday. From 7pm or 8pm until whenever. Tons of promo, celeb/VIP guests, invited media and journalists… the works.

Do you have the perfect location? Do you know someone who runs the perfect location? Please let me know.

I've done big parties around the world: San Francisco, London, Sydney, and Cape Town come to mind. All of them have been partnerships, ranging from the successful Merivale chain (Sydney) to Richard Branson's Virgin Group (Cape Town, just before the World Cup).

What the venue gets:

- Massive PR before, during, and after the event; hundreds of people taking pictures, Tweeting, etc.

- All bar revenue for drinks, etc.

What I'm looking for: a cool venue that's willing to host the party at little or no cost in exchange for the above.

Click here to submit your venue!

NOTE: Please don't fill out this form to suggest venues. If you know someone who owns/runs a good venue, please forward them the link. It will simply get too messy otherwise.

Thanks!

QOD

Question of the day: what type of bonuses and prizes would you like to see for multi-copy/volume purchases of The 4-Hour Body? Crazy or outlandish is fine, as long as it's something you'd actually enjoy.

Let me know in the comments!

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Odds and Ends: Footage of Zero-G with James Cameron, director of Avatar, Titanic, etc.

Some of you might recall the auction I held for a zero-gravity flight with a small group including James Cameron, Jim Gianopoulos (Fox Films Chairman/CEO), Peter Diamandis (X PRIZE Foundation Founder and Chairman), and yours truly.

There have been a number of requests for video footage, so here it is.

All of the footage was taken with a tiny water-proof GoPro HD camera (not an affiliate link), which provides an incredible bang for the buck (around $260):

(Photo: Stuck in Customs)

This is a guest post by Tim Leffel, a travel destinations expert who has dispatched articles from five continents over a period close to two decades.

Think world travel needs to be expensive? Think again…

Enter Tim Leffel

Like an annoying house guest who keeps packing but doesn't leave, this recession keeps dragging on. That downsized international vacation can still be exotic though—if you pick the right destination. Or if you really want to alter your finances for the better, move to one of these places as an expat.

The dollar is in healthier shape than it has been many times in the past in relation to the euro and pound sterling, but a trip to one of Western Europe's capitals still feels like a shopping trip to Tiffany's. Australia is not much better, and a trip to Japan could drain your whole life savings in a week.

Here's a better idea: go someplace where your travel dollars are still worth a bundle.

Below are some of the best deals on the planet right now, destinations that are relatively easy for travelers and also easy on the wallet.

1. Egypt

Photo: Jungle_Boy

Despite having some of the world's best-known monuments, Egypt struggles to fill its abundant hotels. With less-than-wealthy locals far outnumbering the tourists, it's easy to find a bargain meal or a guide or taxi driver. (They'll find you whether you need them or not.) Admission prices for the ancient pyramids and temples are reasonable, generally ranging from $3 to $14.

Sample deals: a first-class train ticket from Cairo to Luxor for $17; a Nile-view deluxe double room in Luxor for $60 with breakfast; a private room by the sea in Dahab for under $20; entrance to the Nubia Museum in Aswan for $4; a falafel sandwich at a Cairo street stall for 40 cents. There's no great independent travel site for the whole country but Egypt's official tourism site is better than most.

2. Indonesia

Photo: Erik K Veland

This Southeast Asian nation is one of the most diverse and attractive destinations in the world, with a long string of volcanic islands and a range of topography and culture. It could also be the best value on the planet, with cheap hotels going for $5 a night, often right beside great snorkeling spots. Bali is the most developed island, but even there you can find plenty of deals. On Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, however, it's easy to branch out like an intrepid explorer or get pampered on the cheap in the most popular spots.

Sample deals: a double room with pool and breakfast in Yogyakarta, Java for under $20; a five-day small ship cruise between Lombok and Flores islands via Komodo for $200 per person including meals; a first-class train seat from Jakarta to Yogyakarta for $25; an hour-long massage for $8-$15; a day's motorbike rental on Bali for $10. Indo.com has a good listing of mid-range hotels in Bali and some other areas while the official Indonesia tourism site has travel info and enticing photos of the diverse islands.

3. Mexico

Photo: Tim Leffel

In mid-2008, the peso was at 10 to the dollar. Now it's close to 13. That's a discount of more than 25 percent in a country that was already a deal. Plus Swine Flu followed by drug gang violence on the U.S. border has meant that travelers have tremendous bargaining power on hotels and tours. To find the best values, visit the historic colonial cities or beach areas where Americans don't outnumber the locals. (As in places where there's no Señor Frog's in sight.)

Sample deals: a three-course lunch at a market stand for $4; nice hotels in centuries-old colonial buildings for under $75 double with breakfast and Wi-Fi; a round of Negra Modelos for five at nearly any bar, including gratis snacks, for $10; and some of the nicest deluxe buses in the hemisphere for $6 to $8 per hour of travel. It's a big, diverse country, but here's an extensive set of links and the best books on one page: Mexico travel resources from Travelers-tool-kit.com.

4. Honduras

Photo: Tim Leffel

Few people knew anything about this country until it was all over the news last year when the president got forced out of office. You can find fabulous deals on scuba diving packages on Roatan Island. This Caribbean island sits next to the second-longest coral reef in the world, and every hotel seems to offer attractive package plans no matter the season. On the mainland you've got tropical national parks, the rugged Moskito Coast, and Copán, one of the key Mayan sites in the Americas and a great little colonial town.

Sample deals: $35 white-water rafting trips; weeklong learn-to-dive packages with room, breakfast, and transfers for under $600; a cold coconut with a straw for 40 cents; and admission to the Copán archeological park for $10. For more info, see the Honduras Tips site or Roatan Online, or see more travel prices in Honduras here.

5. Guatemala

Photo: Tim Leffel

This is only a shade farther to fly than Mexico, but it is a truly exotic destination. The descendants of the Mayans still dress in traditional clothing in the villages surrounding stunning Lake Atitlán. The Spanish colonial buildings in the city of Antigua are older than anything left standing in our historic city districts. The sprawling archeological park of Tikal is the granddaddy of Mayan ruins, and still surrounded by jungle.

Sample deals: taxis in Antigua for $4; great hotels with a view on Lake Atitlán for $60 a night; a week of private Spanish lessons including homestay starting at $180; a zipline canopy tour near Tikal for $30; three pounds of bananas or avocados for a dollar. La Ruta Maya Online is the best resource for hotels, tours, and Spanish language schools.

6. Peru

Photo: Tim Leffel

Machu Picchu alone is worth the journey, but it's just the start in this value-packed country. Inca ruins are scattered all around the Sacred Valley, and Cuzco is one of the most attractive cities in South America. There is also hiking in the Andes, admiring colonial architecture on the streets of Arequipa, trips through the Amazon, boating across the highest lake in the world, and flying over the strange Nazca lines.

Sample deals: Bus from Arequipa to Colca Canyon – $6; a big traditional lunch and a beer for $7; simple restaurant meal in the countryside $6 for two; entrance to the Inca Museum in Cuzco for $1.50; cheap single room or hostel bed $4-$10; airport taxi in Cusco $4. Andean Travel Web is an exhaustive resource site for trekking info, hotels that are a good value, and general travel info.

7. Thailand

Photo: ccdoh1

As with Honduras and Mexico, visitor numbers plunged when Bangkok was all over the news recently, so there are plenty of deals on airfare, tours, and hotels. This is a popular destination for travelers of all budget levels. Thailand continues to be one of the best bargains in the world in terms of hotel prices, and with a well-developed infrastructure, it's easy to get around and see what you want to see, be it historic ruins, Buddhist temples, or tropical beaches.

Sample deals: a standard double at a true 5-star hotel in Bangkok for $250 or less per night—or a cheap place to flop down and sleep for 1/20th of that price; admission to the main ruins in Sukothai for under $2; a first-class round-trip sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for about $40; a Skytrain ticket across Bangkok for about $1.30. The hands-down best travel resource for Thailand is Travelfish.org. They also put out some great iPhone/iPad apps on specific regions and islands.

8. Czech Republic

Photo: Tim Leffel

In much of Europe, prices in the big cities are often double what you find in the countryside. This is especially true in Eastern European countries like the Czech Republic, where vacationers on quick weekend breaks have driven up hotel and restaurant prices in Prague. In the smaller towns and cities, however, the country is one of Europe's remaining great values. Castles on hill crests, some of the world's best beer for a dollar or so in a pub, and winding cobblestone streets without crowds—Ye Olde Europe without the new Europe prices.

Sample deals: a room at the best hotel in town across Moravia for under $100 with breakfast; fully equipped hybrid bike rental for $25 a day; sommelier guided 12-bottle tasting at the Wine Salon of the Czech Republic in Valtice for $19; a train ticket from Prague to anywhere in the country for $12 or less. The official Czech Tourism site is excellent while MyCzechRepublic has good general info on different regions plus a message board. See more Czech prices outside Prague here.

To dive in deeper on any of these cheap destinations and see the current situation on the ground, check the message boards at LonelyPlanet.com and BootsnAll.com.

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Travel writer and website publisher Tim Leffel is author of "The World's Cheapest Destinations" and runs the Cheapest Destinations blog.

[This post is an updated version of an earlier article that appeared in the Boston Globe travel section.]