Scale

The Universal Laws of Life, Growth, and Death in Organisms, Cities, and Companies

Geoffrey West

Book Reviews

Stewart Brand: “This spectacular book on how logarithmic scaling governs everything is packed with news—from the self-similar dynamics of cells and ecosystems to exactly why companies always die and cities don’t.

I dog-eared and marked up damn near every page.”

Marc Benioff: "Geoffrey West's Scale is filled with brilliant insights.

He illuminates the laws of nature underlying everything from tiny organisms and humans to cities and companies, and provides a quantitative framework for decoding the deep complexity of our interconnected world.

If you want to know why companies fail, how cities persist and what is needed to sustain our civilization in this era of rapid innovation, read this amazing book.”

Bill Miller: “If there were a Nobel Prize for transdisciplinary science Geoffrey West would have won it for the work covered in Scale. 

This is a book of great originality and deep importance, containing startling insights about topics as seemingly unrelated as aging and death, sleep, metabolism, cities, energy use, creativity, corporations, and even the sustainability of our existence. 

If you are curious about how the world really works, you must read this book.”

Nassim Taleb: “Each human should learn to read and write, to count, and for those who know how to count, scalability.

Scaling is the most important yet most hidden and rarely discussed attribute—without understanding it one cannot possibly understand the world.

This book will expand your thinking from three dimensions to four. Get two copies, just in case you lose one.”

Vinod Khosla: "The physics behind biology, cities, economics and companies.

Do they grow, scale and die by the same math equations? New insights that are enlightening and delightful."

Tobi Lutke: "Excellent book."

Book Synopsis

"Scale" by Geoffrey West is a groundbreaking exploration into the fundamental laws that govern the intricacies of our world, whether it be the size of a city, a company, or a biological organism.

Examining a vast array of phenomena, from the growth of cities to the metabolic rates of organisms, West reveals a universal pattern that emerges across diverse systems. This pattern, termed "scale," uncovers the surprising similarities between the growth and development of seemingly unrelated entities.

Through rigorous scientific analysis, West showcases how scaling laws can provide crucial insights into complex systems, predicting everything from the lifespan of a company to the pace of innovation. By understanding these underlying principles, scientists, economists, and decision-makers can gain a deep understanding of how our world functions and make more informed choices for the future.

Moreover, "Scale" challenges conventional wisdom, offering a fresh perspective on issues such as sustainability, urbanization, and economic growth. With thought-provoking insights and engaging anecdotes, West invites readers to reevaluate their perception of the world and grasp the profound implications of scale on our lives.

In this captivating synthesis of empirical research, theoretical frameworks, and practical applications, "Scale" promises to revolutionize our understanding of complexity and encourage new approaches to solving some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Explore More Books

See All
The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion
Tree Crops
Obsession
The Capitalist Manifesto
In FED We Trust
A Year with Rumi
Hacks
Hansel and Gretel
Rubicon
The Fourth Revolution
Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees
The Lifecycle of Software Objects
King of Capital
Slow Horses
The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read
American Exceptionalism
The Price of Tomorrow
Conquest, Tribute & Trade
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
The Macintosh Way
Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air
The Fabric of Civilization
Leaders
East of Eden
In Cold Blood
Virtual Economies
Why Nations Fail
Bowling Alone
Gödel, Escher, Bach
How To Avoid a Climate Disaster
Caste
The Rosie Project
Extreme Ownership
Eco-Farm
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
The Fall
War
Bass Culture
Fallout
Siddhartha
Wing Leader
A World-Class Education
Metamagical Themas
More Money Than God
The Body Keeps The Score
The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life
Infectious Generosity
The Remains Of The Day
Jurassic Park
There Must Be A Pony In Here Somewhere
The New One Minute Manager
Structures
The Plus, Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help
Living Within Limits
Starlink
Dreamstate
This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends
What It Takes
Creativity and the Brain
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Wild
Mindstorms
Mean Genes
The Fabric of Reality
The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King
The Mind of Napoleon
Zucked
Vasistha's Yoga
The Art of War in the Middle Ages
The Sandman
Powers of Two
Mindset
Being You
The Most Important Thing Illuminated
McMafia
Seeking Wisdom
Rational Expectations
Ordinary Men
Kochland
The Business Blockchain
A History of the Theory of Investments
The Unincorporated Man
Use of Weapons
The Art of  Scientific Investigation
Your Keys Our Home
How to Get Lucky
Forward the Foundation
Unsavory Truth
The Spider Network
The Truth about Carbs
Deiter Rams
The Ordeal of Civility
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Neuromancer
The Warren Buffett Portfolio
Acid Test
Models of My Life
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
White Working Class
The Seat of the Soul