There are few self help/achievement books covering only a single topic that provide as in depth an analysis as the 80/20 Principal. Koch does an admirable job explaining the principle from many perspectives, providing convincing rational regarding the impact of the 80/20 principle and its ensuing significance.

The 80/20 principle is not overly complicated; however, it has profound affects substantiated by numerous samples and situations. Knowing that the majority of results come from the minority of causes is merely the beginning; identifying those causes in every area of your life and making adjustments to take advantage of this principle is the genuine message offered in the book.

Koch also provides as a bonus a chapter on negotiation describing in detail the implications of the 80/20 principal. True to his message, 80% of the value in this book is found among 20% of its pages...happy hunting.

There are few self help/achievement books covering only a single topic that provide as in depth an analysis given in the 80.20 Principal. Koch does an admirable job explaining the principle from many perspectives providing convincing rational regarding the impact of the 80/20 principle and its ensuing significance.

The 80/20 principle is not overly complicated, however it has profound affects substantiated by numerous samples and situations. Knowing that the majority of results come from the minority of causes is merely the beginning; identifying those causes in every area of your life and making adjustments to take advantage of this is the genuine message offered in this book. Kock also provides as a bonus a chapter on negotiation describing in detail the implications of the 80/20 principal . True to his message, 80% of the value in this book is found among 20% of its pages...happy hunting.

Hello. My name is Gary Shane McGill and I have an MBA from Wilmington University in Delaware (I also sell patented ice cream and milkshake dispensers internationally), so I have heard of The 80/20 Principal both academically and professionally, which is why I bought the book. It is something mentioned, but not really elaborated in any great depth at graduate school, so the ideas are so simple that we sometimes overlook the obvious.

I cannot say that I personally like Richard Koch's writing style though, since there appears to be some repetition with examples overly used in several areas, plus it was not an easy transitional flow through the first couple of chapters to the main body of the text. I would have given up on the book at the early stages if it were not for the simple fact that I wanted to examine the main points that he makes.

Putting his writing style to one side for one moment, I personally felt that the ideas that he put forward are in some respects were very good guides, but for a book called The 80/20 Principal I suspect that it could have been more direct and to the point. I personally had to rummage (like some overly wordy university level technical book) through the chapters to find the essential points that really appeared to matter.

The idea of pruning down business lines are pretty standard graduate school recommended business practices, since we are so often enamoured by our marketing mix that we tend to lose sight of our margins, although be quite careful about what you read because there are undoubtedly some loss leaders that you do have to maintain (something that I did not notice illustrated with any great emphasis).

You must also ponder his ideas about relationships with the few good friends that you can make in life (and how you can leverage them). Life is unfortunately a great deal about who you know, since knowledge unfortunately does not always carry the day, but if you can leverage what you know with your networking attributes that becomes an entirely different proposition altogether. Maybe a future updated edition should discuss the addition of personal branding for plugging into marketing a company's product.

His idea about the stock market is also quite interesting with the obvious concept of riding on long-term higher returns from the market (buy low and sell high philosophy). It is really a question of what level of risk you are prepared to stomach because in this current credit crunch the markets are not necessarily for the faint of hearted. The thing about the markets is caution because even the best financial advisors (or media news articles) may not necessarily give you the best advice (careful consideration is always required).

At the end of the day the arguments presented in this book are perhaps overly simplistic to create overall happiness (and in some areas possibly naïve). That is not to say that you should not read this book, since I might not necessarily agree with everything that Richard Koch has to say, but I do at least highly respect him as a business professional and this is a philosophy that has worked well for him. I would certainly like to meet Richard Koch in person one of these days to discuss in greater detail his perspective on The 80/20 Principal.

After reading hundreds of business books.....80/20 is one of the five I recommend. The book is based on the Pareto principle also know as the 80-20 rule. While telling the tale of success in big and small business the reader begins to understand it isn't just a concept....it is a lifestyle. If you are sick of things being the same....chasing your tail in life and business....this is the book for you. In keeping with the principle, after the first few chapters, there isn't much use in finishing the book....but that doesn't denigrate the inherent value of the message. The sequel books are more of the same (don't waste your money)......once you get the concept.....put the book down and apply to your life and business.

There are a lot of great reviews on this book but none of them state this fact: 80 percent of the real content in this book can be found in twenty percent of its pages. While I certainly appreciate context, the use of examples, illustrations, and hypothetical diagrams, most of the information could have been condensed to make it much shorter; in particular, the end of the book that deals with relatiohships and happiness? Aside from that, it's a must have book - even for MBAs who may be familiar with many of its concepts.

There are a lot of great reviews on this book but none of them state this fact: 80 percent of the real content in this book can be found in twenty percent of its pages. While I certainly appreciate context, the use of examples, illustrations, and hypothetical diagrams, most of the information could have been condensed; making this book much shorter. Most surprisingly, or perhaps most fittingly, the author (Richard Koch) even talks about the seven habits of happiness which can be achieved through 80/20 thinking. Either way, it's a must have book - even for MBAs who have should be familiar with many of its concepts.

This is a great book. Totally changed how I see my business.

It seems that I have always known of the 80/20 rule, but now I can see how to really use it in my life and business.

I've only read "Part One" of the book, but already I am forever changed and so is my business.

I'm so impressed that I am planning to buy the $80 audio program from Nightingale Conant because I really want to cement these great ideas into my thinking.

To sum up the book's main point in a few words would be, Spend 80% of your life and time on the "vital few" and forget or let someone else deal with the unimportant bulk or junk.

I know that that is really an over simplification. And is what I have always heard about the 80/20 rule, but the book is really an exponent to your thinking and understanding about the rule.

I know it changed how I see things and I fore see it having a good impact on my life and business.

This is a great book. Totally changed how I see my business.

It seems that I have always known of the 80/20 rule, but now I can see how to really use it in my life and business.

I've only read "Part One" of the book, but already I am forever changed and so is my business.

I'm so impressed that I am planning to buy the $80 audio program from Nightingale Conant because I really want to cement these great ideas into my thinking.

To sum up the book's main point in a few words would be, Spend 80% of your life and time on the "vital few" and forget or let someone else deal with the unimportant bulk or junk.

I know that that is really an over simplification. And is what I have always heard about the 80/20 rule, but the book is really an exponent to your thinking and understanding about the rule.

I know it changed how I see things and I fore see it having a good impact on my life and business.

The book has some thought worth thinking about; the writing style is not good, not easy to understand.

I am already a successful young businessman. I have achieved financial freedom at a relatively short time. However, after reading this book, I am convinced that I can improve my effectiveness much more by applying the 80/20 principle. 80% of my achievements are achieved in only 20% of the time of the year ( two and half months). 80% of my works are achieved in only 20% of time in almost everyday. There is a waste of my resources, by reallocating the wasted 80% of time everyday, I am getting much more done now and less frustrating time wasting.

The 80/20 principle is perhaps the greatest discovery in the business world. I am glad that I read this book.

Thank you, the author. I will use this principle for the rest of my life.

My expectations were high about this book but I was quickly disappointed from the first chapter on. The author thinks that he can apply a statistical rule dealing with imbalances in mass phenomena to individual and personal situations. He cannot provide practical examples, other than referring to mass phenomena such as quality control of production, and the book turns out to be a loose philosophical treatment. The author continuously refers to identifying the 20% of causes or inputs or actions, etc., that contribute to the 80% of the output and concentrating on them while he fails to see that this type of action may further contribute to imbalances. Percentage of influence in the final outcome does not directly translate to contributed value or importance. It may be the case, for example, that 20% of the parts of a plane contribute to 80% of its flying ability but one should pay great attention to some in the 80% that do not, like, for instance, to the landing gear, which does not contribute to flying. Furthermore, does the author understand why airlines keep on adding gadgets to the planes to entertain customers while those do not contribute directly to flying performance and are mostly part of the 80% imbalance? The author seems to underestimate the concept of "external benefits" and the fact that people and businesses often do things that do not directly contribute to output but do them because important external benefits are derived from them, like for instance when doing recreational activities or charity events. Overall, the author deals with a very complicated subject and tries to apply macrocosmic type statistical rules like the 80/20 rule to situations in microcosm, like the life of an individual or the performance of a small business. He fails to do so and his claims are largely unfounded but the book stimulates thinking and 20% of it worths reading.

This is a reasonably good book on the Pareto (or 80/20) Principle that 20% of the customers, products, etc. produce 80% of the value in a given enterprise.

Interestingly, this book seems to follow that pattern. One can read the first chapter or two and the last one and glean virtually everything that is worthwhile in this book. In fact, the author even makes a case for that. He tells about how a tutor he had at Oxford told him to 'never read a book from cover to cover, except for pleasure'. That advice is very good for this book.

This principle has been demonstrated to have quite a bit of validity in business. The author tries to generalize this to virtually everything without really backing it up with data or even anecdotal evidence.

It is an okay book, but it is less than I had hoped it would be.

This is one of the few books I have borrowed from the library and then gone to a bookstore to buy a copy for my bookshelf. I love this book for its mind-expanding qualities - it is inspirational and provides food for the imagination. Written in an easy to read style, Richard Koch is both edifying and entertaining. I especially like what he has to say about time. In particular:

* Time is not the enemy. If we make good use of only 20% of our time, there is no shortage of it.
* Time gone is not time lost.
* We should aim to collaborate with time: `Insight and value are likely to come from placing ourselves in a comfortable, relaxed and collaborative position towards time'. [p163]
* Action drives out thought. It is because we have so much time we squander it.
* Be eccentric and unconventional with time - you can not conform to everyone's wishes.
* Under no circumstances give everyone a fair share of your time ...

... You may need to read the book to see how he came to some of these conclusions!

Whenever I find myself busy beyond belief it is good to be reminded that most of what I am doing is of low importance. However - when faced with one of those moments (or decisions) that are much more valuable than all the rest - it is helpful to be reminded, and encouraged, to `do something radical and stop tinkering around the edges'. I bought this book so I could refer to it whenever I feel I have lost direction or focus and need some sage advice. This book does not contain all the answers, and the theory only works to a point, but nonetheless it is a terrific 'thought jump starter' and I highly recommend it.

This one of the few books I have borrowed from the library and then gone to a bookstore to purchase a copy for my bookshelf. I love this book for its mind-expanding qualities - it is inspirational and provides food for the imagination. Written in an easy style, Richard Koch is both edifying and entertaining. I especially like what he has to say about time. In particular:

* Time is not the enemy. If we make good use of only 20% of our time, there is no shortage of it.
* Time gone is not time lost.
* We should aim to collaborate with time: `Insight and value are likely to come from placing ourselves in a comfortable, relaxed and collaborative position towards time'. [p163]
* Action drives out thought. It is because we have so much time we squander it.
* Be eccentric and unconventional with time - you can not conform to everyone's wishes.
* Under no circumstances give everyone a fair share of your time ...

... You may need to read the book to see how he came to some of these conclusions!

Whenever I find myself busy beyond belief it is good to be reminded that most of what I am doing is low value. However - when faced with one of those moments (or decisions) that are much more valuable than all the rest - it is helpful to be reminded, and encouraged, to `do something radical and stop tinkering around the edges'. I bought this book so I could refer to it whenever I feel I have lost direction or focus and need some sage advice. This book does not contain all the answers, and the theory only works to a point, but nonetheless it is a terrific 'thought jump starter' and I highly recommend it.

While The Weston Review commends Koch for writing the first "book" on the 80/20 Principle, we find the document short on structured content. Regardless we give this Dali-esque masterwork of the 80/20 Principle 5 stars. One must find filler content to create a book on such a simple principle and Koch did this quite well between the introduction and the crescendo.

The introduction and "Crescendo" bookend a beautiful collage of well-written prose on ad-hoc instances and specific implementations of the 80/20 Principle; however Mr. Koch provides no comprehensive taxonomy to consistently assess and apply the 80/20 Principle. Perhaps this is because assessing framing and then assessing situations again properly is an art and this book falls short on addressing this skill. Mr. Koch simply frames the nature of 80/20 thinking and analysis as "counterintuitive".

If you are seeking a short read, heed the advice Koch's Oxford tutor - read the end of a book, the introduction and the end of the book again, then pick and chose interesting bits of information out of the body of the book you would like to absorb quickly.

The Weston Review questions Mr. Koch's motivation for releasing such valuable information in a paperback book. The book is worth many times its value. We believe this is a way for Koch to make a name for himself and this he does. He impresses us with being the first the write the first "book" on the 80/20 Principle despite its few shortcomings.

While The Weston Review commends Koch for writing the first "book" on the 80/20 Principle, we find the document short on structured content. Regardless we give this Dali-esque masterwork of the 80/20 Principle 5 stars. One must find filler content to create a book on such a simple principle and Koch did this quite well between the introduction and the crescendo.

The introduction and "Crescendo" do bookend a beautiful collage of well-written prose on instances of implementation of the 80/20 Principle, however; there is no comprehensive taxonomy how to consistently assess and apply the 80/20 Principle. Perhaps this is because assessing framing and assessing situations properly which is an art on which teaching this art is what on what this book falls short.

If you are seeking a short read, heed the advice Koch's Oxford tutor told him - read the end of the book, the introduction and the end of the book agaub pick and chose interesting information out of the body of the book to get the gist of any book you like to absorb quickly.

We also question Koch's motivation for releasing such valuable information in a paperback book. The book is worth many times its value in price if one can apply extract the meaning properly from the books and apply it to ones life in any area of his or her business. Consultanting firms make a living for many people applying this principle for businesses. We believe this is a way for Koch to make a name for himself and this he does. He impresses us with being the first the write the first "book" on the 80/20 Principle despite its few short comings.

Please look for a shorter yet more comprehensive document on the "The 80/20 Rule" from "The Weston Review".

Most people are familiar with the 80/20 principle (Pareto Principle) - that is 80% of your outcome comes from 20% of your input (it's not always this, sometimes 70/30 or 85/15, etc. this is just a useful yardstick), but few will have seen or considered any where near as many useful applications as are outlined in this book, nor how it can be used every day to enhance the effectiveness and enjoyment of life.

This book is just a goldmine for the 80/20 thinker. Using it will lead you to see many more opportunities for its successful application (and leverage) in your life. For example, at university, a friend of mine worked for a large company as a marketing product manager and his role was to create product displays in stores, he told me that he could create a great marketing display for maybe $100,000, however, with a bit of thought and legwork, calling the right people, sponsorship, promotion etc., he could create something almost as good, for nearly no cost at all. This is one such application of the rule.

The introduction to the book outlines the idea and a few of the basics - generally, 80% of the input leads to 80% of the outputs, 20% causes --> 80% of the consequences, 20% of the effort --> 80% of the result. He then discusses how it can be used in terms of 80/20 Analysis or 80/20 Thinking and the difference between the two. The other sections apply this to business and then to personal life e.g time management, money, success habits - for example, 80% of your happiness in life is achieved from 20% of your time input, reverse that (through strategic thinking and several other suggestions he offers), and you've got some MAJOR leverage in your life. It has definate application to strategic thinking because that's where the leverage is and he discusses this extensively in the book. Koch also relates 80/20 to chaos theory and uses many examples throughout the book to support this.

There are DOZENS of GEMS in this book that you will not have considered so it's literally impossible to get nothing out of this book and chances are you'll gain some really great insights and applications. Not to mention it's also a fascinating read, even if you think you know the principle.

This book should be essential reading for college students, those in business, although anyone will gain great benefit if they apply the principles and ideas herein.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This book has to be one of the top 15 business books of all time. If you are starting a business or trying to revamp an exisiting one this has to be the first book you pick up. Not only will it help you put things into prespective, create new systems to get more from less in your business but also help you get more from youself during the redevelopment and startup stages.

Pete Williams
Author 'How To Turn Your Million Dollar Idea Into a Reality'

I first heard of the book in an article by Perry Marshall. Using 80/20 analysis on some recently released SE data has given me new insight into what people are looking for on the Internet, and has dramatically increased the effectiveness of my advertising. And that's only the tip of the iceburg ... assuming 80% of what we do in life is largely irrelevent to happiness, and creating techniques to focus on the important 20% is an eye-opening experience.

One of the best books on leadership I have had the privilege of reading for quite some time is The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Success By Achieving More With Less. Author, Richard Koch eloquently and convincingly describes one of the best methods for tipping the scales towards a "strengths-based orientation" and for setting our goals based on that knowledge. Basically what Koch is telling us is that we need to be doing more of what we're good at and less of what we're bad at. To apply an old cliché, this book describes how to achieve more by working smarter; not harder. As one who holds the position of CEO for a school district in Canada, I believe Koch's ideas have tremendous implications for how teachers teach, administrators administer and kids learn.

Koch's work is based on the nearly century old Pareto Principle (sometimes called the 80/20 principle). Applied in the context of education, this principle is all about trying to ensure that teachers, students and administrators spend 80 percent of their time on the top 20 percent of things that they do best as opposed to spending that same amount of time on the 20 percent that they do least best. Koch cautions us of the inherent danger of trying to tap into talents or strengths where none exist. Attempting to be what one is not, only serves to zap one's resources, energy and creativity. Koch has based his entire career on making the point that successful people and organizations tend concentrate on the 20 percent they do really well which is where they get 80 percent of their positive outcomes. It's not difficult to see how this applies to education where we are all about using and celebrating our God-given gifts for the service of others. I highly recommend this book and encourage others in educational leadership to advocate the 80/20 principle with students, teachers, administrators, and parents. We have become a remedial society in thinking that education is primarily about fixing areas of weakness. While there is always merit in getting better in areas where one is weak, it should never happen at the expense of ignoring or wasting our strengths. Koch reminds us that any real success in our lives and careers is dependent on how well we apply the 80/20 principle.

The 80/20 principle describes a motivating theory that can be applied to virtually anything that has to do with the efficient allocation of resources. Whether the resource is money, management, time, labor, mind-share or especially happiness, the 80/20 principle provides a universal focus. The book is broken up into 4 parts. The first part is somewhat analytical but interesting. It suggests that with all things being equal, they aren't even close. It is an eye opener.

The next parts, which make up the bulk of the book, apply the theory in a number of ways. Right when you think you "get it", another application or perspective of the principle is revealed. It doesn't attempt list all the applications, but it will put you on the path.

The last part explains the success and failure of various approaches in social, government and economic issues with the 80/20 principle as an ever present thread. The author seems to defend the theory as neither a right-wing or left-wing ideal, rather as a natural law that should be acknowledged and exploited by everyone.

The book was educational and easy to read. It is not one of those little bulleted brochure style books with large type and lots of white space that make the new executives comfortable. It is also not the 12 steps to success. As the cover suggests, it is a single but useful principle.

I have read a fair number of what people would consider to be the best business books of all time, tons of Drucker, etc.
I would put this book in my top 5. It pounds home a concept that really throws people off, but is critical to master. Some things/people/ways of spending time/products/customers (on and on) count for much, much more than others. It isn't the most politically correct view of the world, but understanding it can save you so much time and wasted effort. So many critical implications come out of this book that aren't acted upon in the real world, to everyone's detriment and suffering. A person of a particular mix of talents can be useless in one environment and vital in another. Pay should be dramatically more skewed than it is in the average business. People could work less than half the time they do now and have more overall output if they thought harder about cost/benefit relationships before making their to do lists. There should be many more people fired from their jobs each year. A really original book, I loved it.

I really liked this principal of the 80/20 theory, but found it hard to listen to his voice on CD. A very mundane voice that lacks motivation for me at least.

You can't avoid hearing about the 80/20 Principle in life, but this book is the first thing that really forced me to sit down and think criticially about how to apply it. I'd highly recommend this book - particularly the first few chapters - to folks working within a business context. In particular, his examples about how to analyze your current product units were insightful and non-trivial. He doesn't just recommend the obvious thing (cut 80% of your work), but integrates 80/20 with future value and market potential analyses.

Similar to the other reviewers, I found the example set rather limited, his statistics and tables motivating but unconvincing, and his prose less than compelling. Even given that, though, this book deserves a read and some serious contemplation.

The 20% you need to know: This book is poorly written, and the author would do well to use the 80/20 principle in his writing.

The 80% that will make up the rest of the review: I have never read such boring prose. I've had the concept fully explained to me. I fully understand what the principle is. I have heard it about 80 times now when 20 would have been enough (actually, once would have been enough). Now, what do I do with it? How do I implement it into my life? I am now on page 53 and he still hasn't gotten around to that part. It seems to me he should have used the theory when writing this book. Cut to the chase! Give me the top 20% of useful information so I can go ahead and use it to increase my productivity and effectiveness by 80%. Instead I get the feeling I'm wandering around aimlessly in the bottom part of his bar charts among the 80% of fluff to fill up his book quota. How many stories about economists and computer software do we really need? I don't know about you, but I wanted to increase my productivity by using my time better, and reading this book so far has been a complete waste of it.

In the 80/20 Principle, Richard Koch has captured one of the most important secrets to success in business and individually. He takes an age-old principle and applies it in very practical ways. In my management consulting practice I use this principle more than any other concept. In my work with Chief Executives and Presidents I find that putting this principle in practice has been revolutionary in their business success.

The basic principles of 80/20 thinking are:
* A few things are always much more important than most things, so spend your valuable time and effort on the vital few.
* Progress means moving resources from low-value to high-value uses.
* The best people - meaning the people best fitted to what they are doing and doing the things that make the most money - generate enormous disproportionate value.
* Margins - between value and cost, between effort and reward - are always highly variable.
* Resources are always misallocated by giving too many resources to low-margin activities and too few to high-margin activities.
* Success is under recognized, under celebrated, underrated, undervalued, and under exploited.
* Equilibrium is illusory. Nothing is ever in equilibrium. Innovation is the only constant.
* The biggest wins all start from something which is small.

Along with Koch's second book, The 80/20 Individual, he has given every business executive a gift that can be used over and over again. Probably 20% of the books you read give you 80% of the benefit, so make this one of them.

In 1906, Vilfredo Pareto made the observation that 20% of the population owned 80% of the wealth in Italy. It turned out not to be an aberration. The phenomenon is repeated, not only with regards to wealth distribution, but across many economic and social areas of life.

In The 80/20 Principle, Richard Koch explores this idea further, pointing out the pervasiveness of "imbalance", and offering ways to put the 80/20 principle to practical use. It starts with an assumption: 20% of the causes (of anything) produce 80% of the results. For example, 20% of your customers (or products) generate 80% of your revenue. If this is tested with data and proven to be true, the obvious action is to study the traits of those customers and see what can be done to get more just like them. The other 80% of your customers produce only 20% of your revenue. You therefore devote less time and energy to them.

He cites a number of other occurrences of such imbalance:

"In society, 20 percent of criminals account for 80 percent of the value of all crime. Twenty percent of motorists cause eighty percent of accidents....In the home, 20 percent of your carpets are likely to get 80 percent of the wear. Twenty percent of your clothes will be worn eighty percent of the time."

The relationship isn't always precisely 80/20, of course. And the numbers don't have to add to 100. You could have 10 percent of the factors causing 60 percent of the results. The key is the idea of imbalance. The universe is not linear. Koch also ties the 80/20 principle to elements of chaos theory, feedback loops, and tipping points.

But the book is not merely an interesting list of trivial occurrences of imbalance. It helps you think about many aspects of your life, and how they might be improved. Does 20% of your work produce 80% of the results? Do more of the 20%, and less of the rest. Don't succumb to the trap of always trying to manage your time better, cramming ever more activities into your already busy day. Instead, eliminate activities that do not produce significant results (measured in money, output, or just happiness).

Koch also applies this philosophy to investing, with surprisingly good results. When I look back at my own investments, it is certainly true that a minority are responsible for a majority of my returns. The trick, of course, is identifying these "crucial few" ahead of time. While I didn't necessarily agree with all of his investment advice, Koch and I share much common ground. For example, he favors a value approach, and advises readers to "run your gains" and "cull your loss-makers", certainly familiar words to my readers.

Doe the book itself follow the 80/20 rule? Do you get most of the benefit from only 20% of the pages? I'm happy to say "no". Most of the book is helpful and insightful. The only exception in my mind is the end (last 10%), where Koch attempts to apply the 80/20 principle to problems of government and society. This section is a bit of hit-and-miss: some excellent ideas, and some that miss the mark. For example, Koch says it would make sense for the state to create programs (and devote "truly massive energies") in healthy eating, education, and exercise. This, in Koch's mind, would help curtail the minority of habits that create the majority of health problems and thus health care expenditures. He seems to overlook 1) the likely ineffectiveness of such programs, and 2) the resources they drain from other endeavors. But I musn't be too harsh. Koch is generally quite favorable to free markets, and for that he gets high marks from me.

Overall, this is an excellent book, not just because it is an enjoyable read, but because it gets you thinking about real ways you can improve your wealth, health, and happiness. Highly recommended.

Jim Waddell
The Watchful Investor
http://watchfulinvestor.blogspot.com/

This book introduces you to the Pareto Principle more commonly known as the 80/20 Rule. That is that 20% of your effort leads to 80% of your results. This is true in all endeavors. 20% of a companies employees are responsible for 80% of the companies results. Its amazing. This book will change your life. Apply its principles and you'll find time you didn't know existed.
A really great book and I highly reccomend it.

I highly recommend this book as one of the most insightful and practical guides to managing time and energy on the market today. I first read it two years ago, and I keep it on my cradenza so I can refer to it for reminders. It is so good, in fact, that I've purchased it for numerous friends and business colleagues.

So what is so great about it? Perhaps the chapter "Simple is Beautiful" is a good place to start. As explained by the author, when we make things complex we wear ourselves out and experience huge costs that could be avoided if we just keep things simple and focus on the few things we need to focus on. If you will practice what you can learn from this book, you will find you feel happier, more relaxed, and more fulfilled as you get more significant things done in far less time and with much less expenditure of energy. We attain 80 percent of our results from just 20 percent of our inputs. The other 80 percent of our time and inputs is better spent doing other things. Others have written about this principle but no other author has presented it so well and so persuasively.

This is an idea that can change your life for the better. Richard has written 3 books on it, this one is the first, then the 80/20 Individuals, and 80/20 Way, all are good and should be on every "Intelligent Lazy" ones....

I like it very much and i am transforming the materials for my own seminar "Getting More by Doing Less". Adding my own stories and opinions.

Yes, almost everyone know somehow about the 80/20, but how can we exploit the idea and use it for our own guiding principles of life? that it what you can learn from here.

I personally have done the 80/20 concept my whole life without realizing it. I have started and still own several businesses, among them: Computer Retailer business, GiftShops business, Real Estate, Education Centers, Furniture, Web and Graphic Design companies.... I have earned my MBA from University of Chicago while at the same time running my companies. I wrote articles, I did public speakings, and I also do Tarot Readings.... all while still traveling the world about 5+ times a year.

yah, i have done 80/20 my whole life, and now i can explain to other people why i can dao it. This is the most easy explanation of how we can achieve more by doing less.

The basic concept is Focus. Choice is important, we only have to do the most imporatant thing in life.

And if you can also learn "riding horses" (the good old book Horse Sense by Al Ries and Jack Trout) than you have a lethal good combinations.

Read it, AND DO IT, i belive this will change your life a lot, for the better!!!

In today's knowledge-based economy, people are everything. The 80/20 Individual holds within it the potential to unleash the power within yourself and others within your organization.

For me, this book literally changed my life in that it finally sold me on the concept of intensely focusing on my core strengths, rather than vainly attempt to be good at everything. Being good at everything is simply an impossibility and Koch says that energy should be redirected into 20-percent activities.

According to Koch, To become an 80/20 individual, you will need to
take the following nine steps:

1. Use the most creative 20 percent of your imagination and intellect.
2. Spawn and mutate great ideas in creative ways.
3. Find the vital few profit sources in your current or prospective business.
4. "Enlist Einstein" by recognizing the centrality of time in every activity.
5. Hire great individuals - that is, other 80/20 wealth creators.
6. Use your current company's profit potential to your advantage.
7. Exploit creative practices and ideas from other firms.
8. Secure enough capital to succeed.
9. Make zigzag progress - by recognizing that various stages of growth require different approaches.

I'll leave you with this question (which is the question that most changed my life):

---> "What thing are you better at than nearly anyone else?" <---

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Michael Davis - Editor, Byvation

If you own a business, or are having some sort of trouble in your life then please give this a read. You'll be doing yourself a favor well beyond your current comprehension. I loved this book so much I used it as the basis of my consulting/coaching practice! There is so much truth in the 80/20 Principle that if you just applied this one thing throughout your life and analyze your results, you'll achieve greatness before you know it.

Great book. Everyone should read this book. You won't regret it. And, everyone already read it -- so if you want to know what others are talking about when they say 80/20 principle, you have to read this book.

This is the only review I ever wrote for a book, but this is such an important book, that I had to do it. On the face of it the book is self evident in many ways, as the entire book is summarized in its title, the 80/20 Rule: 80% of the results comes from doing the 20% of the work that truly mattered. Yet this book helped me become successful far more than my 2 years MBA. I read about 30 books a year, and in the past 5 years I feel this has been the book that helped me the most in my work and in my life, as it opened my eyes: Do only the 20% that matters the most, and you will have achieved 80% of the results. He also gives other good advice, do what comes easy to you, and become a top expert in it, outsource everthing else. etc..I feel everybody should read this book, it will help them achieve so much more and at the same time, save so much time and effort. It is Priceless advice.

This book can be a life-altering book if the concepts are properly applied. Among other things, the book covers the "winner-takes-all" phenomenon. I also think Richard Koch gives some of the best written advice that I have ever seen for career success. He calls them the "10 Golden Rules for Career Success." One, specialize in a very small niche. Two,choose a niche that you enjoy, where you can excel and stand a chance of becoming an acknowledged leader. Three, realize that knowledge is power. Four, identify your core market and your core customers and serve them well. Five, identify where 80 percent of effort gives 80 percent of returns. Six, learn from the best. Seven, become self-employed early in your career. Eight, employ as many net value creators as possible. Nine, use outside contractors for everything but you core skill. And ten, exploit capital leverage
Over the last year, I have applied most of the above Rules for Career Success and I have accomplished more in the last year than I accomplished in the last 5 years. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that there seemed to be a lot of "filler" or coverage of topics that seemed inapplicable.

I heard of the "Pareto Principle" a long time ago -- the 80/20 rule which basically states that 80% of the results come from the efforts of 20% of the people.

Koch has some ideas at the beginning of the book which show the value of the idea, and when he speaks about working "smart" as opposed to working "hard," I agree totally. His advice about zeroing in on the important "20%" is valuable -- provided, of course, that you know what that 20% is.

However, when he tells us how we are to apply this to our personal lives, he has "left off preachin' and has started meddling." True, we are all social beings and we need each other in our interdependent culture. Family togetherness is wonderful, but having big family dinners each night and encouraging the warm, moist extended family suport is, in my opinion, overrated. I agree that the American family is often fragmented, but each family must work out its own way, finding the 20% that applies to that particular family, and not in one die-cut, predetermined way. "Nonconformity" is not my style, but I've made personal choices (such as waiting until late in life to marry) that don't always fit these predetermined ways to live, and my 20% may be different from the 20% of someone who has gone the "traditional family" route. (A "traditional family" can be as abusive and stifling as it can be supporting and loving.)

I agree with the reviewer who said to read this book to look for the 20% that applies to you, and then ignore the other 80%.

I read this book out of curiosity, having heard about the principle many times but never actually analysing it. After reading the book, I am now rethinking all my activities, professionals and personal, and finding oasis of value that I can easily harvest leveraging the Pareto ideas.

Excellent book

Has good concepts when it comes to business, time management but has ideas that brainwashes you to believe in concepts that limit your possibility for happiness and success. Has contradicting ideas in the book.

It is an okay book, just gotta pick out the bones from the fishmeat.

Well-written, this book efficiently spells out how to be successful in today's very challenging business environment. Well worth re-reading every 18-24 months. Helps one to think "outside the box." This book can be very valuable to individuals as they review their life and seek success in everything they do.

One of the most influential books I have read. Worthy read for any manager wrestling with multiple products and market segments. Book has a tendency to repeat itself but the examples and strategies are powerful.

The principle is simple, but counter-intuitive: Nature creates imbalances. This is true for money (20% of people have 80% of the wealth), crime (20% of criminals commit 80% of crimes), energy usage (15% of population uses 85% of energy), competition (20% of suppliers have 80% of market share)and even carpet (20% gets 80% wear and tear). . .

In a non-linear world:

1) Celebrate exceptional productivity . . .look for the short cut. . .be selective. . . only do what you do best. (pg 38)

2) Keep it simple. Size often creates complexity - which in turn creates inefficiency. Pour your effort into the 20% that makes a difference. Sometimes it is better to lose unprofitable customers to competitors (pg 93)

3) Hold on to your good customers and employees forever!

4) The key to 80/20 is not time-mangement. Don't try to do more. Just do more of the right things.

5) Do what you enjoy because enthusiasm and success is a complementary cycle.

6) Three great lists:
The top 10 low-value uses of time (pg 161)
The top 10 highest value uses of time (pg 161)
The ten golden rules for career success (pg 194)

In The 80/20 Principle, Koch proffers that 20 percent of what companies and individuals do generates over 80 percent of their positive results (a theory that he attributes to Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist around the turn of the 20th century). Koch proposes that by identifying the 20 percent of the activities that generate 80 percent of the results and increasing the effort put into those 20-percent activities you can dramatically improve results. To this end he provides an astute evaluation of the economic and social realities of business.

Koch goes further, though, and tries to extrapolate the 80/20 theory to success, happiness and life in general. While some of what he suggests makes sense, his examples seem to get progressively weaker as he moves away from the world of business.

The book's other main flaw results from its severe organizational problems. Koch seems to have a very limited number of examples - and because of their repeated re-use (and in many cases their limited pertinence to the topic at hand) the book seems to weave in and out of topics, making it somewhat difficult to follow for anything else than a linear read.

The principal, itself, is almost a truism, which as Koch points out, is not thought about nearly enough. The books main strength is that he explains the concept quite well. Unfortunately, the extrapolation to life in general and the organizational difficulties make 80 percent of the book just not worth reading. Read the first two chapters - they explain the principal - and the last chapter (which basically explains all of the extrapolation theories) then put the book down - you will have read the 20% of the book that contains over 80% of the value!

This book mentions that the 80/20 principle can be applied anywhere. When applied to extracting important information from books, it means that about 20% of a book say it all. With this book, I had a constant feeling that it said it all in the first several pages. And seeing "80/20" mark several times on each page was disconcerting. Another book (Time tactics of very successful people by Griessman) that had arrived stopped my reading of 80/20. I find this new book more insightful and informative already. It also gives credit to the 80/20 principle.

Simply put, I love this book. Richard Koch has written a gem and it's a book that should remain on your bookshelf for repeated review and reference.

The Pareto Principle states that, in fairly accurate estimation, 20% of your attentions/energies will generate 80% of your results (no matter what scenario you apply it to). This principle, the genesis of an acute Italian philosopher's mind, is a profound revelation and one that has borne true over and over.

While the theory has been around for multi-decades, it is only now getting the attention it deserves, particularly by the corporate set. I highly recommend it to my fellow professionals, particularly those who're juggling multiple projects or managing people groups. Applying the principle to your own job function and expectations will greatly benefit you and your realm of responsibility - you'll see results, even with less of your personal time invested.

I read the book in a day - and will read it again several times more, I'm sure! Get the book, read it and find yourself generating a more balanced work/personal life, saving time on the job and getting the results you (and your boss!) are looking for!

I read this book when when first published and found it understated. I just began to reread it again. It is an old comfortable friend revisited, after years of life and testing that have proven themselves. The author's examples, illustrations, and ideas are relevant and thought provoking. I used the concept as a position statement in business policy that changed the business from the inside out. Thank you Mr. Koch.

Keep an open mind in reading this book. I found it applicable to most everything. Think.

This book had depth and insight. I've read enough about his recommendations having worked where they've been applied, including companies run with a skeletal administrative staff being more effective and Warren Buffet's investments (Buffet said, "I think all investors should be only allowed to invest in 20 stocks during their lifetime. Then they'd choose carefully and hold on to them, and be better off." More with less.)

I've only just finished the book, so I'll have to let it soak in and see if what I read can be applied to my actual life! A lot of it was perhaps to general. How is one to know what is the 80% and which is the 20% in many areas of life?

But this book is definitely an eye-opener.

This book reminds me of a movie you just saw, that you keep thinking about for the next few weeks. I thought the was book was succinct, interesting, entertaining, and brilliant!

...because they apply it to their work with clients. I was an internal consultant dealing with consultants from one of the most prestigious strategy firms. They applied the 80/20 rule to their work... and missed the boat. When applied to business strategy and contracts with consultants, make sure you get the full 100%, or even 80%, rather than the 20% they want to give you. Caveat emptor with strategy consultants, folks!

I read this book almost 2 years ago.
Applied its theories to the 4 companies I was working for.
Managed to cut my working hours by 25% and still maintained my original salary. Opened my own business in the meantime.
With all the extra time I've created I get to think of new ways to make my life more fun and easier on the bank balance.
A simple approach to calculating where you are wasting time, money & effort and where to move the effort to create more time and money. I'm about to review 20% of the book again now and apply the formula to my Japanese language studies, exercise regime and anything else I can think of. If you've read all these messages here about this book, you're wasting time. Stop here. Buy the book. Express delivery. With the extra money you spend on getting the book delivered quickly the quicker you can put that time saved to work on the book. Also, I've increased spending on everything however I find that I'm not getting into debt whereas before I read the book, I would fret over shopping and still have the same kind of bank balance that I do now. It's not the best book I've ever read but it sure has created extra time for me to read more good books.

I WILL RARLY TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE ABOUT A BOOK,
BUT DID FOR THIS ONE, ITS IMPLICATIONS & TRUE USEFULLNESS IN EVERY DAY LIFE IS HARD TO DISPUTE, A VERY POWERFUL BOOK. ONE OF THE TOP 5 BOOKS I'VE EVER OWNED, NOT A BOOK YOU WILL LOOK FORWARD TO ENDING BUT WILL SAVOR WHAT THE AUTHOR HAS TO OFFER YOU AND SAY IN HIS WORDS.
BETTER USE A HIGHLITER FOR THIS BOOK IN ORDER TO GO BACK AND REVEIW THE MANY USEFUL POINTS! IF I COULD IMPROVE ON THE BOOK I CAME UP WITH THE 80-20-20 RULE OR 4-5% OF A SAMPLE ARE THE REAL GEMS! LOOK FOR THEM!