Customer Reviews

Free Gulliver: Six Swift Lessons in Life Planning

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I searched for "Free Gulliver" after meeting the author. The book was a pleasant afternoon read that can help a person become more comfortable with their life choices and retirement goals. After reading this book, you may decide to simplify your own personal "rat race" into a "cake walk". After reading Tripp Friedler's book, I discovered that I've actually been able to accomplish in my retirement what he writes about.

Great advice on how to chose between buying the yacht or starting a new Fortune 500 company. The advice in the book is targetted more to fat cats and established business people than to people who are just starting to grope for their life's direction.

Even the title to this book gives you a preview into the creative abilities of the author. Free Gulliver: Six Swift Lessons in Life Planning plays on Jonathan Swift's book Gulliver's Travels and his experience with the residents of Lilliput. Although small in size and Gulliver is huge in comparison the Lilliputians succeed in keeping him under control. They do it by using thousands of small strings, each of which are small enough for him to break easily but when combined they hold him fast to the ground. This is the premise of this book and its whole purpose. We tend to let so many small things tie us down that in total we become incapacitated. This book is about freeing Gulliver - freeing yourself from all those little things that hold you back. Although he details the process in this book the basic premise it to figure out your vision of where you want to go and then cut the strings that hold you. Free Gulliver: Six Swift Lessons in Life Planning is highly recommended to people who feel overwhelmed to the point of being almost unable to cope with life or unable to move forward toward their goals.

Having recently taken the plunge to start my own business after years of thinking about, but avoiding due to the risk, I only wish that Free Gulliver had been printed earlier. This little book would have provided me with a map of where I was and where I wanted to be. After reading it now, it does offer clarity that I have made the right choice. Free Gulliver has helped me set my goals and plan my next steps. I would highly recommend this book to anyone thinking of, or already making big changes in their business or personal lives.

FREE GULLIVER by Tripp Friedler is an excellent little guide to Life Planning. The author is highly qualified to write the six lessons, as he is a former insurance agent, a lawyer, a counselor, and an entrepreneur. He has helped hundreds of people creat a successful plan for achieving their dreams, both financially and personally. In this little book, which has far more good information and help than its small size would indicate, he tells how to figure out your vision of success, assess where you are in your life today, rekindle your passion about your vision you might have lost, live (not just leave) your legacy, and retire early and be happy and successful. We highly recommend this book!

This is a very user-friendly book, small in size but with big print and even bigger ideas. Eight years ago I left a high-paying job in management to become a morning, drive-time, host in a public radio station.
I've never looked back, but it did irk me sometimes when people said "Oh you are retired now," and quickly switched their attenwtion to someone who was "really" working.

Now Friedler puts it all into perspective. He makes it clear that we never really have to "retire," just focus on tasks we really enjoy, which stir our passions.

Doing that may take us through a number of job-like situations, and Friedler has been there ---from lawyer to financial planner and lots of stops along the way.

He does his writing in New Orleans, and maybe post-Katrina it is normal to focus on what is really of value in our lives.
Then we can be healthier, and often do better financially than we thought. Opportunities open up for people who are energetic and creative about what they do.

Don't get stuck way out of your comfort zone--focus on pleasurable activities. Friedler says"I once heard a great line that sums up this philosophy:Frank Sinatra does not move pianos."

That made me laugh and remain determined to enjoy each day of my life, for as long as I keep breathing. Well maybe the only painful thing left will be my hopes and dreams for the Chicago Cubs. Can you give me a hand on that Tripp?

Enjoy the book!

Here's a book everyone should read. If you are floundering in life it poses simple questions that can get you started on the right track. If you feel like you are where you want to be it will help you fine tune your situation. It's the type of book I will refer back to when I need inspiration, motivation, or insight at various stages in my life. Although it took me only a couple of hours to read, it left me thinking and planning for days to come. I find myself going back to it and taking what I read to different levels. I love a book that makes me think and FREE GULLIVER accomplished that.

Don't let it's size fool you. Free Gulliver is packed with questions to put you on course and answers that help you direct your life in a meaningful way.

Profound while compact.

Very much like this book.

Kevin Hogan
Author of The Psychology of Persuasion

Working in a library, I see a number of self-help books that really are not helpful. Many are written by people who do not have the credentials to give advice--some with fancy titles that either don't apply, others with bad advice or even o.k. advice badly written.
Tripp Friedler's book, on the other hand, is useful and encouraging. He poses some good questions, clearly worded and thought-provoking. Reading his book is equivalent to having a long interview with an experienced, wise, and clever financial and career counselor--which describes exactly what Mr. Friedler is.