20 November 2012

The Four-Hour Tiny Violin Symphony

Movement 1: Allegretto, "Help! My book isn't doing as well as it should because the stores that compete with my publisher are acting competitively and refusing to sell it!"
Movement 2: Andante to Scherzo, "Sure, people could special-order the book, or buy it and return it. But I should get more attention that I'm not getting! Me! I have a new book!"
Movement 3: Waltz, "It's not fair, I am being banned just like TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and ANIMAL FARM. Also, I have never used hyperbole before and we have always been at war with Eastasia. See, that's a reference you won't get if you refuse to sell my book!"
Movement 4: Allegro, "It's going to be totally awesome anyway and I'm going to sell a ton of books! I will not be ignored! Wait till you get my rabbit stew recipe, which is only in my book! Did I mention I have a book out?"

2 comments:

Marjorie said...

Hee.

Incidentally, I think "four-hour" is the worst, least transferrable brand I've ever seen used in the way this guy uses it. A four-hour work week sounds good! A four-hour body...doesn't mean anything. Four-hour chef? That is a long time to be in the kitchen.

Ellen said...

Heh, some people on Twitter have highlighted the same thing by pointing to the plethora of 15- and 30-minute-meal cookbooks on the market.

I think the explanation for THE FOUR-HOUR BODY was that the exercises would maximize your results in minimal gym time. But it was such a confusing morass of half-researched routines (this is the ULTIMATE exercise! no, this!) that that aspect wasn't really made clear.

Also, THE FOUR-HOUR WEEK is, at its heart, a short and zippy business book that you can pick up in an airport and read on your flight. This book is over 600 pages long and not exactly actionable if you're not in your kitchen.