bunch of BS thrown together. There's no new thinking or approach, and most of this - is common sense

This is one of those books you have to really take in and think about what you are reading. We spend so much time on totally useless, meaningless, or trivial things in life, but we should concentrate on the things that matter, the 20%. These are things we ought to think about. Why do we spend so much time on things that do not make us happy, or do not take us anywhere in life? The book gives good insights to these matters, and in fact gives insights regarding what matters. A great read that gets your mind thinking about what is worthy of my time and life.

There is a lot of information in this book, and lots of examples of people who have applied the 80/20 in their personal or working lives.

The chapters are short, the sections and their paragraphs and lots of bullet points make it easy to read.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

If you are into self-improvement, this is a good book for you. It's not going to give you amazing/new things but it puts your mind in the right wavelength.

First of all, as a passionate reader of non-fiction titles, thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this free arc. This will be an honest review with the hopes of providing constructive feedback to the publisher ahead of publication. As a prelude, I must mention I really struggled with this title, I rarely DNF books but in this instance, I was only able to persevere until page 164, therefore my review will only be reflective of the book up until this point. As I did not enjoy the book and had to DNF, I will not be posting this review publicly and will only be submitting via NetGalley for the eyes of the publisher. Please take what is useful and feel free to ignore what is not.

I think the premise of the book is really intriguing and the concept of applying the 80/20 rule to everyday life has so much promise and appeal, however, I think it was poorly executed in this instance. This book would have benefitted from more thorough editorial scrutiny and guidance -- not in terms of grammar and spelling mistakes (on this front, what I read was flawless), but rather the content itself. Up until around Chapter 8, the book was doing really well. I was hooked in, I was sold on the 80/20 concept, my mind was stimulated and I wanted to find out more. However, from Chapter 8 onwards, it all starts going downhill. Here are the main problems that I encountered with this book, in no particular order:

1. Toxic Positivity
From Chapter 8 onwards, the author is quite clearly a big champion of optimism. This in itself is not a problem, but the way the text is written, there are lots of passages where it is implied that one can magically make everything okay by just being happy, and why would you want to bother other people with your bad moods? This is a very harmful narrative to be putting out there, particularly for readers who may be struggling with physical, psychological, social or financial conditions that might make life an uphill battle.

“Happiness and unhappiness are infectious. Happiness, therefore, is your most vital duty. Will you choose to do so?”

“Bad moods are incredibly selfish. Do you want to harm your friends and anyone you meet in the next few minutes or hours? If the answer is no, have a rueful smile to yourself and drop your bad mood. At the very least, it is bad manners. Will you do that for me please, the next time you are in a bad mood? Thank you very much!”

Passages like these are very damaging and should not have been signed off. I strongly suggest a rewrite that does not make vulnerable people feel worse about themselves or imply that there must be something wrong with them that they cannot simply fulfil their “duty” to “be happy”. The tone in the second quote comes across as patronising.

1. Reductionist Conclusions

Perhaps it is due to the short and snappy structure of this book but some points and arguments seem poorly supported and stand very weak on their own. Despite always rounding off on a confident tone, I have found myself questioning the logic of the author’s points on several occasions. For example, the passages about the careers of geniuses like Einstein and that only 20% of their working lives were actually stand-out, and ‘wouldn’t it be nice if you can cut out the useless 80% and just focus on the 20% that’s important and career-elevating’? (Paraphrased.) This is obviously a retrospective argument that can only be afforded to those looking back at someone’s full career history. It’s *because* of the 80%, the years of sheer learning and grafting and failed experimentation that paved the foundation for the successful 20%, surely? And how can one just get to the good parts and skip the dead-end work without foresight of the future anyhow? The author doesn’t address this but encourages us to do the impossible.

Another example I can think of: “if stress is making you unhappy, remove the cause of the stress. Not ‘remove it if you possibly can’, because for some reason we often allow stress to ruin our lives. No. Remove the cause of the stress. Period”. This is obviously much easier said then done. If I am a young single mother and my source of stress are my children and financial situation, can I just remove them from my life, period?

Another point that I wasn’t entirely convinced by is the promotion of outsourcing work. Whilst the concept itself is sound and logical, I think the author’s approach could have been more sensitive. Promoting the idea that in order to succeed one must take advantage of people willing to do the work we’re lazy to do ourselves is ethically dubious. Can the world run on only lazy and intelligent people with nobody to do the heavy lifting? Making idols of CEOs or people known to be ruthless, predatory, money-motivated, or inconsiderate of other people is ethically dubious too.

2. Bizarre Segments that should be Subtracted

‘94 - Winners and Their Sex Lives’ should be subtracted or rewritten. There is a reason the author felt the need to add a disclaimer that the analogy is completely metaphorical. It’s an awfully distasteful analogy and should just be removed altogether. “Winners who don’t have sex will die out. Winners who have a normal sex life will horribly underperform their potential. Winners have an evolutionary duty to have a superabundant sex life, growing exponentially and spawning a large number of well-equipped offspring.” This is the same rhetoric that’s used by religious polygamist cults.

Also, the step-by-step instructions on how to reprogramme our unconscious is a hard sell without any research backed by science or psychology.

3. Irrelevant Tangents

It felt to me that the author exhausted all he had to say about the 80/20 concept in the first 100 pages and struggled to fill pages 100-164 with relevant points. There were quite a few segments that had nothing to do with the 80/20 concept or where the author really tried to force a conclusion that related back to the 80/20 concept but in reality the relation is unclear. The history lesson on optimism for example was rather odd. Of the segments that didn’t relate back to the 80/20 concept and didn’t contain any research to back the points made, there were segments that came across as general life advice that just felt superficial, as though the author is just airing his own personal musings and philosophy.

I hope the above feedback is helpful and constructive and I do apologise if I have caused any offence (this is not my intention) as I know a lot of hard work has gone into the production of this title. I also regret that I am unable to finish this book but I have given it my best shot. Overall, I think the more “business theory” parts of the book were excellent, well-written, and offered a truly unique perspective on approaching everyday life. However, anything that strayed away from the 80/20 theory was very scattered and superfluous. I think one of the main causes of the issues I detailed above is the fact that the book’s structure (being split into many short and concise sub-chapters), as well as the author’s ambition to cover a huge amount of ground, has made the book lose focus overall. The author spread himself too thinly and did not allow himself the ability to go into depth on subject matters of interest as he was too committed to an ambitious scope of breadth. Sometimes less is more, and I think the author would have excelled if he chose to focus on specific subject areas rather than to cover as much ground as possible.

The book did have some high notes but it was a daily reader that did not introduce itself as such. It also half way read like a normal book. It seemed like the author woke up each day and wrote for 15 to 20 min and said okay that’s good enough. It never had a true through line. Failed to be convincing in any one point and never thorough enough to actually tell the reader a complete thought. In the end it seemed as if he had to fill a contract with the publisher and they felt compelled to print it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

"80/20 Daily: Your Day-by-Day Guide to Happier, Healthier, Wealthier, and More Successful Living Using the 80/20 Principle" by Richard Koch is a transformative book that distills the essence of the 80/20 principle into a practical daily guide. Koch, renowned for his bestselling book “The 80/20 Principle,” offers bite-sized, actionable insights designed to enhance one’s life with minimal effort.

The book is organized as a series of daily reflections, each focusing on an area where the 80/20 principle can be applied. From personal happiness to financial acumen, Koch covers a wide range of topics, ensuring that readers from various backgrounds can benefit from his advice. The core message is simple: a small number of causes often lead to a large percentage of effects, and by identifying and leveraging these ‘vital few,’ one can achieve more with less.

Koch’s writing is both accessible and profound, balancing practical advice with philosophical insights. His relatable examples demonstrate how the 80/20 principle can transform the mundane into the extraordinary. The book encourages readers to reflect on their lives, identify their most productive inputs, and focus their energies accordingly.

One of the book’s key strengths is its versatility. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or a student just starting out, the principles in “80/20 Daily” can be tailored to your unique circumstances. Koch’s guidance is suggestive rather than prescriptive, allowing for personal interpretation and application.

In essence, “80/20 Daily” is more than just a book; it’s a companion for life’s journey. It reminds us that we often complicate our paths to success and happiness with unnecessary detours. Koch’s work guides us back to the simplicity of the 80/20 principle, showing that the majority of our rewards can come from a minority of our efforts.

As a book reviewer who values creativity and critical analysis, I find “80/20 Daily” to be a refreshing take on self-improvement. It doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution but rather a flexible framework for meaningful change. This is a book I will not only recommend but return to time and again for its timeless wisdom and practical insights.

I didn't enjoy 80/20 Daily, having recently read The Plan by Kendra Adachi, another productivity book, which resonated far better with me and provided practical guidance that felt achievable. I felt the author of 80/20 Daily was disconnected from the reality of many readers' lives with his advice to cut working hours to 10 a week and to only work on what you enjoy. The premise of spending your time on what brings you happiness and gives you results is solid, and Pareto (80/20) is something that deserves attention. I love the idea of finding "quality shortcuts", doing more of what you are good at and using "lazy intelligence" to do more with less. But I couldn't get past the author's thoughts that in order to advance you can delegate/automate everything that doesn't serve your purpose, train others to do what you can do and find a job in a start up. The book was heavy on interesting, thought-provoking questions and light on how to actually make that work in real life. The book expects the reader to do a lot of work. Perhaps I wasn't the target audience - if you are a young, childless, male then this might speak more to you. Fans of Koch's other books on 80/20 might find something new here, but it wasn't for me.
If you're a 40+, perimenopausal/menopausal woman with caring responsibilities, then read The Plan.

I received an ARC from Netgalley - thank you!

I had high hopes for this book –and maybe that’s why I was disappointed! Maybe the “daily” or “day-by-day guide” in the title mislead me: I was expecting the nitty gritty application of Pareto Principle, with objective, specific and very concrete examples. Instead, the book tries to talk about all areas of life and is much more vague. One could argue that the many, many areas the author addresses make for a broad scope, but that, along with the fact that there is no table of content (at least my Kindle copy did not have one), makes for a disorganized reading. Also, the excessive numbered divisions of the book mixed with the chapter divisions do not help: e.g., topic 111 is in chapter 17.
A couple of quotes to illustrate the vagueness I mentioned: “If you want something to happen in the future, you have to present it to your subconscious, as if it has already happened.” “Moods produce results. And moods pass. Therefore, always strive to be in a god mood.” Obviously, I picked what for me are the worst kind just for showing what I mean.
But still, there are some good ideas and questions to make you think. It’s a very easy read.

I recently read *80/20 Daily* and found it quite challenging. Without any background knowledge on the 80/20 principle, I hoped this book would explain the concept and offer practical tips to master it. Unfortunately, the first 5-10% of the book felt repetitive, reiterating the same points without adding any new insights.

I didn’t learn anything new and felt that completing the book would take months due to its lack of helpful content. The information could have easily been condensed into a news article. Additionally, it seems the author has a previous book on a similar topic. In hindsight, reading that one first might have been more beneficial.

This feels like a bathroom book, something you read while sitting on the toilet. A statement about how the 80/20 Principle is amazing, and then a few paragraphs, and then moving on.

This is almost no actionable advice in this entire book. There is the 80/20 Principle, repeated for a hundred pages, and then some random crap. Like a page on Fibonacci's Sequence and how Koch had similar growth in three business, OMG it's so amazing you just HAVE to try 60% growth.

The 80/20 Principle is great, but how do you stretch "focus on the important stuff" for an entire book, after several other books on literally the same topic. Don't work as much, 80% of your output is from 20% of your time, so work less... that's literally the advice on one page, just work less, start at 40 hours, then 35, then 30, until you're working 20%. This only works if you have certain jobs, and while I appreciate Koch can't plan for every exemption for readers of a mass-marketed book, overlooking 80% of the working population seems like using 20% of his plan.

Read the first book, then imagine how you'd apply that to your friend group, decluttering your house, etc., and you've already read this book.

This was a very informative book! I will implement all these things in my life!
I never heard of the 80/20 method before but everything was explained very well so I could understand everything.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“80/20 Daily: Your Day-by-Day Guide to Happier, Healthier, Wealthier, and More Successful Living Using the 80/20 Principle” by Richard Koch is a transformative work that encapsulates the essence of the 80/20 principle in a digestible daily format. Koch, renowned for his bestselling book “The 80/20 Principle,” distills the core tenets of this powerful concept into bite-sized, actionable insights that promise to enhance one’s life with minimal effort.

The book is structured as a series of daily meditations, each focusing on a specific aspect of life where the 80/20 principle can be applied. From personal happiness to financial acumen, Koch covers a broad spectrum, ensuring that readers from all walks of life can find value in his words. The underlying message is clear: a small number of causes often lead to a large percentage of effects, and by identifying and leveraging these ‘vital few,’ one can achieve more with less.

Koch’s writing is accessible and profound, striking a balance between practical advice and philosophical musings. His examples are relatable, often drawing from everyday experiences to illustrate how the 80/20 principle can turn the mundane into the extraordinary. The book encourages readers to reflect on their own lives, identify their most productive inputs, and focus their energies accordingly.

One of the book’s strengths is its versatility. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or a student just starting out, the principles laid out in “80/20 Daily” can be tailored to your individual circumstances. Koch’s guidance is not prescriptive but rather suggestive, allowing for personal interpretation and application.

In essence, “80/20 Daily” is not just a book; it’s a companion for life’s journey. It’s a reminder that we often complicate our paths to success and happiness with unnecessary detours. Koch’s work is a beacon, guiding us back to the simplicity of the 80/20 principle, where the majority of our rewards can come from a minority of our efforts.

As a book reviewer who values creativity and critical analysis, I find “80/20 Daily” to be a refreshing take on self-improvement. It doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution but rather a framework for thinking that can be adapted and adopted by anyone looking to make meaningful changes in their life. It’s a book that I will not only recommend but return to time and again for its timeless wisdom and practical insights.

Arghhhh! I want to tape these pages around my office and desk! Outstanding advice is found within and the writing style makes it feel like it would be easily applicable.
Rabbit holes can eat up time for us all and the encourages us that if we use discipline and focus on our personal 20% our quality of life will greatly improve. I am purchasing copies for each of my grown kids!

This right here is a compilation of nuggets of wisdom to inspire you and some spur you into action to be better, do better.
It's quite interesting that chapter six on 'creativity' was most relatable to me.
And the bottom line is that most of the time, you give 80% effort towards the success.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

This is my first reviewing of an ARC so I may not be the most helpful feedback.

Overall this book does offer many helpful points with some excellent insights. While much of the material is covered in other books there is enough to set 80/20 Daily as its own thing.

While I thought the book was good it might struggle to compete in a rather competitive market. The overarching thesis of 80/20 is applied through both application and examples.

While 80/20 is the main emphasis the general gist becomes more a consideration of productivity and living a life that is happy and free from duty and unneccessary stress. This is where many people will be unable to fully implement the systems suggested as work responsibilities will thwart the freedoms wanted.

I'm not fully convinced by the argument to push back against the protestant work ethic but I can understand the want to work a more fulfilling occupation.

There are a couple of minor points of criticism due to this being an ARC:

1. The book is too long and much of the latter parts feel either regurgitation of a similar point already established or something that feels more like an appendices rather than a chapter to be included in the main book.
2. The sequential number is fairly unwieldy especially when you realise there are 366 points. A way round this is to include a "cheat sheet" with all points in one page.

A great look at how to use the 80-20 rule to reduce stress, be more productive, and achieve more happiness, with loads of helpful examples. Recommended!

This is a brilliant guide to how to hack your life on a daily basis, how to use the 20% of things you do that work best for you to influence the other 80% of your life, It’s full of practical ideas and motivation for living your best, most satisfying life. I loved it and am brimming with enthusiasm to put the ideas into action.

The universe works in mysterious ways! Results and causes can be unpredictable, but there is a pattern to them, known as the 80/20 principle. This principle states that 80 percent of results come from 20 percent of causes, and sometimes even from a smaller, more powerful portion. When you recognize these imbalances in your life, you can harness them to achieve greater results with less effort, stress, time, or money

By identifying activities with a high ratio of results to resources, such as effort or time, you can tap into the essence of the 80/20 principle. It's not just about achieving success; it's also about finding happiness and reducing stress for yourself and others. Opportunities to apply the 80/20 principle are everywhere in life, waiting to be discovered.

Traditionally, the 80/20 principle has been associated with business and economics. However, the author's mission is to expand its application to all areas of your life. By embracing the 80/20 principle, you can greatly enhance your peace of mind, joy, achievements, and positive impact on the people around you.

To make the most of the 80/20 principle, it's crucial to constantly ask yourself: What are the vital few things in my life that contribute to the majority of my success? What actions or experiences have a significant positive impact, and how can I incorporate more of them into my life? Don't assume you already have the answers; take the time to think creatively and explore the possibilities.

Whether you're in business, entertainment, media, or any other field, you can achieve success while enjoying a more relaxed approach. The true essence of the 80/20 principle lies in the pursuit of finding better ways of doing things or discovering activities that bring greater fulfillment. Embrace the mindset of doing more with less, and know that countless opportunities await you on this journey.

This book is not only informative but also an enjoyable read. It offers valuable insights and success tips that can bring about positive changes in your life. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking personal growth and a better understanding of the 80/20 principle.

"The 80/20" by Richard Koch offers daily advice to help readers live better lives with less effort. Drawing on the principles of the bestselling book "The 80/20 Principle," Koch explores how identifying and leveraging asymmetries in various aspects of life can lead to greater success and fulfillment.

Koch demonstrates how the 80/20 principle applies to everyday situations, showing readers how a small proportion of their efforts often yields the majority of results. Through insightful daily reflections, readers are encouraged to identify the 20% of activities that bring the most value and focus on them, while minimizing time and energy spent on less productive endeavors.

What sets this book apart is its practical approach to enhancing life by focusing on what truly matters. Koch emphasizes the importance of making fewer but more impactful decisions, and highlights key factors that influence happiness. By embracing the concept of intelligent laziness, readers can achieve success on their own terms, with as little or as much effort as they choose to invest.

Overall, "The 80/20" offers a valuable roadmap for optimizing productivity and satisfaction in daily life. With its accessible format and actionable insights, it's a must-read for anyone seeking to maximize their potential and live more intentionally.

I rate it 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you Richard Koch, Crown Currency & Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy

Tags: Productivity, Self-Help, Personal Development, Efficiency, Happiness.