Power of Habit, The (L): Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change Paperback – 7 February 2013

Firstly, I would like to congratulate Charles Duhigg on the success of his book which I think is well deserved for the time he has spent in writing. You often come across books such as this one where reading is insightful and an absolute pleasure.This book is not work of fiction but hours and hours of research - we're talking academic journals, interviews, etc. As a reporter for New York Times, Duhigg's really knows how to captivate his readers by illustrating stories. His way of writing is interesting because, the way he's written this book is through case studies and while explaining one case, he'd jump to a different story entirely but still on the same subject keeping the reader at suspense. The case studies are basically real life examples on how habits are created and explains with the help of Neurological Sciences in the first couple of chapters. Personally speaking, it was a fascinating read.Few chapters in, there is a repetitive pattern in writing where the writer keeps emphasising on habit loop - whether it's good or bad.Well of course, being the author, he has to go by the title. The case studies or real life examples written covers what goes in changing or reprogramming that habit loop and it's divided into three sections with chapters in those sections -(I) As an individual (Part One. The Habits Of Individuals)Chapters:1. The Habit Loop - How Habits Work2. The Craving Brain - How to Create New Habits3. The Golden Rule of Habit Change - Why Transformation Occurs(II), As an Organisation (Part Two - The Habits Of Successful Organisations)Chapters:4. Keystone Habits, or The Ballad of Paul O'Neill - Which Habits Matter Most5. Starbucks and the Habit of Success - When Willpower Becomes Automatic6. The Power of a Crisis - How Leaders Create Habits Through Accident and Design7. How Target Knows What You Want Before You Do - When Companies Predict (and manipulate) Habits(III) As a society (Part Three - The Habits Of Societies)Chapters:8. Saddleback Church and the Montgomery Bus Boycott - How Movements Happen9. The Neurology of Free Will - Are We Responsible for Our Habits?I'm unaware of how long Duhigg spent writing this book but I can easily say it has taken a while. Brilliantly put together and never boring, Charles Duhigg has done a fantastic job with The Power of Habit. A thorough read into reprogramming the habit loop.

What’s the common success factor between Michael Phelps, Aluminium Company of America and African-American Civil Rights Movement ? Talent, Scale, Persistence? Nopes.Habit.Says the author.In this well researched book, Charles Duhigg takes us through an interesting journey of human behavior and the underlying habits which lead us to different paths. He refers several psychological and neurological studies to first illustrate what habits are, how they work and then how these can be changed. In the process gives us an almost scientific method of how to develop or change habits. It did help me see habits in a new light and also gave the confidence to change or build these, through a step by step process.The book defines Habits as 3 step process – Cue, Routine and Reward. Cue is what triggers the habitual behavior, Routine is the behavior itself and the Reward is the end result. For example – Boredom is the Cue which leads an office worker to routinely take a coffee break and get rewarded with some socializing in cafeteria. While you may look at habits in multiple other ways, the author relates the above process with many studies and examples and wonderfully divides each into these 3 steps. The book further illustrates how tackling each of these steps can help one to transform or change habits. One of the interesting example is how these constructive routes have helped Michael Phelps build habits with the ultimate reward – excellence.The book is divided into three parts - Habits of Individuals, Organisations and Societies. As you navigate through the book , from examples of personal transformation of addicts and sportsmen to those of Corporations and further of Communities , you do notice the logic paradigm, so painstakingly build by the author, becoming weaker. The author starts to rely more on the strength of narrative than the scientific basis. You may start noticing these chinks as you read through elaborate examples of Organisational Habits and get very distant from initial logic and inspiration by the time you are mid way in the Society. Nevertheless the examples throughout the book are well written, elaborate and make for an inspiring read and the first part is possibly much scientifically convincing than the 7 habits by Stephen Covey. The concept of Keystone Habits seems good reminder of how small key changes can cause dominos effect, leading to change in many other behaviors. In the end, the author compensates with a well written last chapter on how to apply the learnings from the book for personal transformation.In a nutshell, this is a personal transformation, management philosophy and socio-cultural research rolled into a single book. The book is entertaining, inspiring, not necessarily unputdownable but never a drag. I m sure this isn’t the last word from Charles Duhigg and keen to read and review his next work, which I hear is already out.Recommended read.

I usually almost never write reviews but this book is a special case,probably one of the best books I have ever read. I won't give any spoilers but don't take this thing as a self help book and just read through it it will give you goosebumps.