June 2025 – Four thousand weeks

This is what Michal Šrajer, a member of the Red Button network, says about the book.

At a time when we try to optimize every minute of our time and improve productivity systems, Oliver Burkeman comes with the book "4000 Weeks," which radically changes our perspective on time. Instead of more hacks and tricks for efficiency, the author confronts us with an uncomfortable but liberating truth – we have only about 4000 weeks of life, and the sooner we realize this, the more meaningfully we can live.

Burkeman, a former "productivity geek," exposes the illusion of infinite time that makes us believe we can do everything if only we are efficient enough. He explains why traditional time management often distances us from what truly matters and how recognizing our finiteness paradoxically leads to a deeper experience of every moment. He teaches us that limited time gives things meaning – because in infinite time, we wouldn’t have to choose.

The book offers a practical philosophy for accepting the fact that starting something means sacrificing everything else. It shows that "no" only becomes interesting when we have to refuse things that are appealing to us. Burkeman guides us to focus on the here and now and to realize that life is full of activities we do for the very last time.

"4000 Weeks" is not another productivity book but a philosophical reflection on the meaning of life in the context of our finiteness. It’s a book you might be better off reading at 40 than at 20, when you still feel immortal. It will teach you to enjoy and live every moment as if it were your last and help you understand that true happiness doesn’t come from mastering time but from accepting its limits.

Who is Michal Šrajer?

Michal Šrajer is the first Czech CHO (Chief Happiness Officer). He co-founded and sold the first studio for developing smartphone applications in the country. He is behind the international conference Happiness@Work, which has been held for 10 years. As co-owner of Red Button EDU, he helps leaders build great companies with a positive impact.