Why You Should Read “Scale” by Geoffrey West
The Universal Laws of Life, Growth, and Death in Organisms, Cities, and Companies
What if a mouse, an elephant, and your city all follow the same mathematical laws?
Geoffrey West, a pioneering physicist, reveals a stunning truth:
Despite their apparent complexity, all living systems — from mammals to cities to companies — follow simple, predictable scaling laws.
The Mammal Mathematics
Here’s the revolutionary discovery that changed biology: If you know an animal’s size, you can predict everything about it.
The “Quarter-Power” Law:
- Every doubling of animal mass leads to:
— 25% increase in efficiency
— 25% longer lifespan
— 25% slower heart rate
— 25% more efficient circulation
The shocking truth: A mouse’s heart beats 500 times a minute while an elephant’s beats just 28 times, yet both species get about 1.5 billion heartbeats in a lifetime.
The Size-Lifespan Connection
West reveals the mathematical beauty behind life:
- Mice live for 2–3 years
- Cats…