Four Thousand Weeks cover art

Four Thousand Weeks

Time Management for Mortals

Preview

Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends January 21, 2025 at 11:59PM ET.
Prime logo Amazon Prime member exclusive: get any 2 titles with your free trial. Terms apply.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Four Thousand Weeks

Written by: Oliver Burkeman
Narrated by: Oliver Burkeman
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends January 21, 2025 11:59PM ET. Cancel anytime.

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $31.47

Buy Now for $31.47

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“This is the most important book ever written about time management.”
—Adam Grant, #1
New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of WorkLife

What if you stopped trying to do everything, so that you could finally get around to what counts?

Nobody needs to be told there isn’t enough time. Whether we’re starting our own business, or trying to write a novel during our lunch break, or staring down a pile of deadlines as we’re planning a vacation, we’re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and ceaseless struggle against distraction. We’re deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient and life hacks to optimize our days. Still, we rarely make the connection between our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the question of how best to use our ridiculously brief time on the planet, which amounts on average to about four thousand weeks.

Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and ultimately profound guide to time and time management. Rejecting the futile modern obsession with “getting everything done,” Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing that many of the unhelpful ways we’ve come to think about time aren’t inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we’ve made as individuals and as a society—and that we can do things differently.

Embrace your limits. Change your life. Make your four thousand weeks count.

©2021 Oliver Burkeman (P)2021 Allen Lane
Management & Leadership Mental Health Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Witty Inspiring Thought-Provoking

What the critics say

2021, Axiom Business Book Award - Personal Finance / Retirement Planning / Investing, Short-listed

“Burkeman’s work could sit comfortably on a shelf next to the books published by Alain de Botton’s School of Life, literary-flavored advice on love, friendship, work and other conundrums. . . . “Four Thousand Weeks” is [also] just good company; it addresses large, even existential, issues with a sense of humor and an even-keeled perspective. I found that reading it — Burkeman might balk at this particular way of describing it — was a good use of my time.” (The New York Times)

“We all know our time is limited. What we don’t know—but what Oliver Burkeman is here to teach us—is that our control over that time is also limited. This profound (and often hilarious) book will prompt you to rethink your worship of efficiency, reject the cult of busyness, and reconfigure your life around what truly matters.” (Daniel H. Pink, author of When, Drive, and To Sell is Human)

What listeners say about Four Thousand Weeks

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    519
  • 4 Stars
    92
  • 3 Stars
    22
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    8
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    447
  • 4 Stars
    67
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    5
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    398
  • 4 Stars
    91
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

about the follies of typical time management

this is a really good book in that it explains the problem with most systems of time management and people's conception of the topic. the problem being that we do not have enough time to do everything and until we accept this we will be filled with anxiety about what we are doing and what we are not. presents some challenging ideas and offers ways to evaluate what we should spend our limited time on. definitely worth a read! especially for those that are interested in more philosophical arguments

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

This was written in a brief and to the point manner. It gave enough examples or story to bring understanding without wasting a bunch of time. I re-listened to the end "10 tools" and took notes that are proving extremely useful in deciding how to use my time the way I want. Excellent reading by author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal book - very helpful and unique ideas

The author explains his ideas in a very straightforward way and he provides novel insights which have helped me prioritize my life and curb my workaholism. He also does a great job narrating the book (British accent). Already half way through my second-listen of the audiobook. A must have.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Refreshing

I love how this book was written with current issues in mind. gave lots of practical tips and tricks to increasing your ability to enjoy the moment. not necessarily the book that will coach you to get more things crammed in to your day. this is a great read for a chronic over doer overly busy type person.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding, thought provoking

I listened to this book twice because it was so good that I needed to go back to it again. I added countless bookmarks. There are so many interesting concepts and things that make you ponder your viewpoints. There are also some useful time management strategies too at the end but this isn’t a time management book…it’s a book about living.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Do the Next Right Thing

The essence of the book is to do the next right thing.
Do as little tasks a day, focusing on what matters to you most.
You will always be off when planning something with too much details and anticipation, so it’s much better to start small, plan with less expectations, treat everything as a learning/testing opportunity, be a mad scientist that doesn’t care much about results but is more focused on the journey and running more tests, you will be able to learn more and be happier along the way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

This was one of the best books I’ve read or listened to in years. Fascinating and insightful from beginning to end. It also doesn’t hurt that the narration by the author is superb.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An all time classic

One of my favourite audiobooks ever. Will be listening to it over and over again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

42

Excellent book. The Total Perspective Vortex come to Earth. Finally.
four more words remaining.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This book is way more than a book on time management.

This book is now in my top 10 of all time, and I have thousands of books on my bookshelf. I was so surprised by this book. I had heard a number of people recommend it but kind of casually, and not merely with the gravitas that this book deserves. I can’t recommend this enough.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!