The Poetic Genius of “Four Hour Work Week”

Tim Ferris’s first book succeeded for many reasons. The timing was great. The topic was new. The tips were clear.

Then, there’s the title.

“The Four Hour Work Week.”

Forget the meaning behind these words and consider the linguistic tools. No word uses more than four letters, so it’s easy to say. The visual rhyme of “four hour” is immediately followed by the juicy alliteration of “work week.” On top of that, the stressed syllables are symmetrical.

The Four Hour Work Week

(ba-DUM-DUM-DUM-ba)

That’s not marketing.

It’s poetry.

Poetry lasts.