2012 Reprint of 1949 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The principle of least effort is a broad theory that covers diverse fields from evolutionary biology to webpage design. It postulates that animals, people, even well designed machines will naturally choose the path of least resistance or "effort". This is perhaps best known or at least documented among researchers in the field of library and information science. Their principle states that an information seeking client will tend to use the most convenient search method, in the least exacting mode available. Information seeking behavior stops as soon as minimally acceptable results are found. This theory holds true regardless of the user's proficiency as a searcher, or their level of subject expertise. The principle of least effort is analogous to the path of least resistance. The principle was studied by linguist George Kingsley Zipf, author of this classic treatment of the subject. He theorized that the distribution of word use was due to the tendency to communicate efficiently with least effort and this theory is known as Zipf's Law.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Rarewaves USA
10100 West Sample Road, Ste 101, Coral Springs, FL, 33065, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Shipping Terms

Please note that we do not offer Priority shipping to any country.

We currently do not ship to the below countries:

Afghanistan
Bhutan
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Channel Islands
Chile
Israel
Lao
Mexico
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
Yemen

Please do not attempt to place orders with any of these countries as a ship to address - they will be cancelled.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	30 to 30 business days	14 to 14 business days
First item	US$ 50.00	US$ 67.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.