The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Success by Achieving More with Less
by Richard Koch

Mar 2001

An intriguing concept

Sometimes a single idea or reflection is worth the price of the book, especially if it leads to new pathways of thinking.

In an ironic twist, this book is a self reinforcing example of the principle Mr. Koch highlights. 80% of the value in the book comes from 20% of the content, with the other four fifths meant only to increase the number of pages to publishable length.

This book is valuable not because it has any specific advice or instruction for the reader (do this, do that etcetera),but because it can help you reassess your own life, or your own business, in potentially groundbreaking ways.

Koch's idea that the average "busy" individual has a surplus of time, rather than a sharp scarcity of it, is intriguing and worth pondering.

As an individual who often feels that there are too few hours in the day to get everything done, I was both fascinated and horrified to see how much of my time I use ineffectively… even though I fancy myself something of a productivity nut.

p.s. Would it be superfluous to point out the 80 / 20 like efficiency of this short review?