Tiger of the Week: Timothy Ferriss '00

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(Courtesy Random House/© Mike Delfin)

Looking to lose weight and get in shape? Timothy Ferriss ’00 has some unorthodox tips for you – taking weekly ice baths, for example, or drinking a glass of grapefruit juice before you binge on unhealthy foods. His ideas may sound far-out, but Ferriss has received endorsements from some influential voices in the health and fitness world, including TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz. And in the New Year’s resolution months of January and February, Ferriss is finding a large audience: Last week, his latest book, The 4-Hour Body, topped the New York Times Bestsellers for hardcover advice books; as of Feb. 8, it also ranked No. 1 overall on Amazon.com. (Another alumni author, Donald Rumsfeld ’54, took over the top spot Feb. 9.)  

Ferriss has an unusual résumé that includes majoring in East Asian studies at Princeton, creating a nutritional supplement company after graduation, and, with partner Alicia Monti, setting the world record for consecutive tango spins on live TV as Regis Philbin watched in amazement. Ferriss first made his mark in publishing with The 4-Hour Workweek, a business and management guide released in 2007. The following year, Wired dubbed him “the greatest self-promoter in the world.”

The new exercise and diet guide has a hearty dose of self – Ferriss said he’s personally tested the book’s body-sculpting strategies over the course of a decade – but in an interview with The Huffington Post, the author credited expert consultants with guiding his plan. “It was well over a hundred experts in total,” he said, “and the objective was to be the explorer and the guide and the guinea pig, not the source of all knowledge, because that’s ridiculous.”

Do you have a nominee for Tiger of the Week? Let us know. All alumni qualify. PAW’s Tiger of the Week is selected by our staff, with help from readers like you.