The Power of Habit
by Charles Duhigg
Duhigg is a journalist, and it shows in the best way: the habit loop (cue, routine, reward) is explained through stories of a toothpaste campaign, a football coach and a hospital, and you remember them. The science is a decade old now and some case studies have been questioned, but the golden rule of habit change, keep the cue and reward, swap the routine, remains the most useful single sentence in the field.
Read it if…
you want to understand why habits form before you try to change them, and you like narrative.
Skip it if…
you want a step-by-step manual; the how-to is tucked into an appendix.
Three things you will actually use
- Identify the real reward; it is rarely the obvious one.
- Keep the cue, change the routine.
- Find the keystone habit that quietly drags others along.
Do this first
Pick one bad habit and write down its cue and the reward it actually delivers.
Our verdict
The best-told habit book; read it for understanding, pair it with a workbook for action.
Compare with other Habits books
Tiny Habits
BJ Fogg · Habits
The most rigorous habit book written; less fun than Clear, more exact.
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Make Your Bed
Admiral William H. McRaven · Habits
Short, honest and encouraging; a fine gift for a graduate.
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