Customer Reviews
Great combination of the inspirational and the practical - By: Mary McNeil, 24 Sep 2007 
Already a huge fan of Richard Koch's original The 80/20 Principle, I wasn't sure how much his latest offering could add on the topic. But I'm most impressed!
The original book was reallly quite business focused, which was great if you wanted to apply the 80/20 principle to your work & your business. What this latest book covers, though, is considerably more valuable in my opinion... it explains how to put the 80/20 principle to work throughout your life in ways that will lead to greater success & happiness.
There's no need to read the original book first... Living The 80/20 Way explains the principle clearly & enthusiasticallly from the start. It then covers the topic areas of how to go about enjoying work & success, unmasking the mystery of money, 80/20 relationships & what it means to focus on the simple, good life.
The final section of the book is devoted to encouraging & supporting you to put the 80/20 principle into action in your life. It includes a step by step action plan for you to complete for yourself.
I love the combination of the inspirational & the practical that Richard Koch offers in this book.
Insightful! - By: Rolf Dobelli, 02 Sep 2005 
Agreeing with author Richard Koch, you might say 20% of the statements in this book produce 80% of its value. Koch says he wrote this book because his last one, 'The 80/20 Principle,' was too complex for some readers. As a result, Koch's writing, which is straightforward & concrete, at times borders on the simplistic. He illustrates each point with interesting stories & examples, some of which seem elementary to the point of being silly. That said, Koch's application of Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto's classic 80/20 rule is very useful. The modern interpretation of Pareto's law holds that 80% of your productivity stems from 20% of your activities - do more of these meaningful things, & less of the others, & you can actuallly become more productive while decreasing your workload. This is a valuable concept for busy people who want to be more productive while also reducing their stress. Koch's emphasis on flow, simplicity & following your passion are also useful. Some parts of the book reflect mainstream self-help literature - don't be surprised if you've heard some of it before. Koch includes worksheets to help you apply the 80/20 principle to your life. We recommend this book as a good introduction for self-help readers & those looking to do more with less.
A truly life changing book for anyone - BUY IT! - By: , 12 Apr 2005 I read this out of curiosity not realising the tremendous impact it would have. Not normallly one to write reviews I felt I had to make the exception for this book. For me it provided that moment in my life where the light bulb switched on in my head & I said "ah- I get it".
Before, I was "successful" in the traditonal sense. Good job, nice home, a very normal guy. I always strived for more, working hard & generallly putting unnecessary pressure on myself.
The book's principle is so simple yet incredibly profound & can be applied to every aspect of life, from daily tasks to life changing decisions.
As a result, I reallly do so much less, am far more relaxed & only spend time doing things that are reallly important. The results are great- I'm far more effective - lazy intelligence instead of a busy fool.
I'm not reallly a self-help type & dislike most other titles out there but this book has reallly changed every aspect of my life & perspective on it.
I walk around feeling that I know something very few people truly understand which gives me the inner peace others seem to constantly strive for.
Good stuff, best of series - By: , 02 Feb 2005 I had to look at some of koch's stuff for a class, & this is my favourite. It's simpler than some of the others, & the ideas are much more relevant to my life. I like the 80/20 principle, & it's quite clever how he uses it to sort out everyday living, not just working life.
Excellent Book - By: , 28 Jan 2005 When we honestly look at how we spend our time, most of it is put to trivial uses, but if fully implemented the 80/20 principle would create a revolution in our work & lives.
When Richard Koch put out "The 80/20 Principle" in 1998 it was classified as a business book, but it was the section which applied the principle to personal life that made it such a big hit. The book made such an impact on me that I included it in a list of the key works in the personal development literature, along with the likes of Stephen Covey, Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale & Anthony Robbins. This list became "50 Self-Help Classics". I haven't regretted it.
True to his own principle of expanding on what works, the author has elaborated on the principle in subsequent books, but I personallly do not tire of coming back to the 80/20 principle. Who COULD tire of a natural law? 'Living The 80/20 Way' is written in Koch's usual enjoyable style & is a superb place to start in understanding the principle. It won't take you long to read but may literallly change your life. Highly recommended.
