Amazon.com: The Natural Laws of Business: How to Harness the Power of Evolution, Physics, and Economics to Achieve Business Success (9780385501590): Richard Koch: Books

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The Natural Laws of Business: How to Harness the Power of Evolution, Physics, and Economics to Achieve Business Success [Hardcover]

Richard Koch (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)


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Book Description

August 14, 2001
Running a business–any business–is a risky proposition. It often seems that we are being buffeted by random variables in the economy and the marketplace that are not only beyond our control, but impossible to foresee with any true certainty. But in the groundbreaking The Natural Laws of Business, businessman and entrepreneur Richard Koch, author of The 80/20 Principle, reveals a unique and remarkably accurate way in which managers and executives can use fundamental principles of science to anticipate and dramatically improve their chances of success.

From Newtonian physics and Mendelian genetics to cutting-edge chaos theories, science explains how and why the world–including the business world works the way it does. Now, Richard Koch provides fascinating, completely accessible explanations of key scientific and economic theories, including their history and development. Through real-life examples and practical instructions he shows us how to successfully incorporate these natural laws into daily business decisions. For instance, drawing on four centuries of scientific progress, Koch explains how Darwin’s theory of natural selection can become the key to enhancing a company’s competitive advantage; how Einstein’s theory of relativity can hold the secrets to improving time management; how the insights of evolutionary psychology can help managers improve their relationship with their employees; and how a Plague Theory formula can help predict the impact of technology or product innovation on your business.

First published in the United Kingdom, where it has garnered praise from noted academics, critics, and business leaders, The Natural Laws of Business is a groundbreaking, highly insightful examination–for science lovers and business leaders alike--of the essential tools and techniques for analyzing and dealing successfully with the ever-changing business environment of the twenty-first century.


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Richard Koch, a London-based consultant, entrepreneur, investor, and author of 1998's well-received The 80/20 Principle, contends in his latest work that the code governing the cosmos also controls the way companies run. In The Natural Laws of Business, he convincingly supports that admittedly esoteric contention with a fascinating (and surprisingly accessible) expedition through the biological, physical, and nonlinear wisdom that has shaped our worldview from Darwin and Newton to Moore's law and the tipping point. "We have no other sources of power than those provided by the universe, our own brains and instinct included," he writes. "We need to understand the natural laws, whether these control tiny particles, huge planets, or our own behavior." With that in mind, Koch agilely takes us on a dazzling tour through scientific concepts such as natural selection, genetics, relativity, quantum mechanics, and chaos theory to provide both a specific grounding in these principles and a precise understanding of their explicit relationships to corporate life. In the chapter called "Resolving the Prisoner's Dilemma," for instance, he discusses this famous "game theory" conundrum and the way the self-interest it illuminates can be used to build successful collaborations with competitors like those found at Silicon Valley leaders Sun Microsystems and Cisco. In all, it's an enlightening and enjoyable trek with real-life business applications that can be employed on numerous levels. --Howard Rothman

From Booklist

We normally don't associate the laws of evolution, Newtonian physics, and quantum mechanics with successful business practices. Koch, management consultant and author of The 80/20 Principle (1997), reveals how the laws that govern the natural world apply equally to the world of business, and how the application of these laws can improve the bottom line. From Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, concepts about the way the world works have dramatically increased in sophistication in the last two centuries. Koch shows that a basic understanding of these elegant ideas gives the entrepreneur an advantage when applied to competition, structure, and growth of business. Even for the non-business oriented reader, the primer on the development of scientific laws keeps the material flowing. Koch lists practical applications of the laws at the end of each section, which pulls his arguments together into a very usable set of guidelines for owners and managers of large and small businesses alike. David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Doubleday Business; First Edition edition (August 14, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0385501595
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385501590
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,110,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Natural Laws of Business: Applying the Theories of Darwi, October 20, 2001
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This review is from: The Natural Laws of Business: How to Harness the Power of Evolution, Physics, and Economics to Achieve Business Success (Hardcover)
This is definitely a good book with numerous powerful laws illustrated and associated with business practice, strategy and development. Having studied this book, you will get ideas on how to survive or climb the ladder in the rat race, no matter you are an entreprenur or just an employee. And see how irrational the nowaday-rational-men are.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars If you can count, get a copy., November 13, 2001
By 
Dr. David Arelette (Yarrambat, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Natural Laws of Business: How to Harness the Power of Evolution, Physics, and Economics to Achieve Business Success (Hardcover)
For the well educated (ie from a quantitative discipline) that have studied physics, chemistry and mathematics at some time, this book is a gold mine of insights into the way that reality drives outcomes, not wishful thinking.

The Laws of the natural world exist and cannot be discounted no matter how inconvenient they are to our assumptions. Knowing how things come together allows us to better see solutions.

The best section is the Pareto Optimum - nature is not democratic and 50/50 outcomes are the exception so never expect the law of averages to help you - it does not work that way.

A very good read - those with a science background will get the most out of it but that is not critical.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A superb insight into principles.., June 13, 2006
My Profile: 42 to, sales engineer, enterpreneur to-be

I bought this book before the 80/20 since I assumed what this principle was all about ( I was so pleased I bought it afterwards).

I was very pleasantly surprised by the approach taken not only is observing similar 80/20 patterns in many fields of our natural and man-made world, but also by the pragmatical aspect of viewing evolution, quantum theory and complexity in a way to make it applicable to your own business. This has allow me to train my eyes on a wider vision than those found in traditional books.

The author is well resaerched and pragmatical and shares his wisdom generously and in a veru accesible manner.

Do not miss this book, I find it incredible that is not availaible as a new edition!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
In the material world, nothing is more important than evolution by natural selection. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Prisoner's Dilemma, United States, State Farm, Silicon Valley, Adam Smith, Brian Arthur, Richard Dawkins, Boston Consulting Group, World Wide Web, Bill Gates, Henry Ford, Leo Burnett, Red Queen, The Gospel According, Maurice Saatchi, The Universe Is Run
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