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Detailed summary and analysis of The Power of Habit.

The Power of Habit: by Charles Duhigg | Summary & Analysis

Colleen

4 Stars
 
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business was an interesting look at habits and their far-reaching effects. From our personal diet to corporate routines, this book delves into what causes habits and how to break or alter habits once they are formed.

Every human being is affected both positively and negatively by habits. It’s our brain’s way of eliminating work. Think how annoying it would be if you had to consciously think of each movement in trivial tasks such as brushing your teeth or tying your shoes. So to increase efficiency, your brain creates habits so that you can do everyday tasks without conscious thought.


  “The Golden Rule of Habit Change: You can't extinguish a bad habit, you can only change it.”

The first part was mainly about the personal habits that many people struggle with: specifically, diet, exercise, and quitting smoking. This was the section in which I was least interested. It was still informative and helped set up the rest of the book, but it felt like your run of the mill self-help book.

After that however, the focus narrowed onto the neuroscience behind habits. It’s a very broad overview, and things are explained clearly in layman’s terms so don’t intimidated by the discussions about neuroscience. Duhigg did a good job of providing an overview without being overwhelming.

The second part examined how habits affect organizations. It was interesting how habits can drive company culture and create a loop that will either boost a company or drive it down. The other side of habits and corporations is how record, influence, and manipulate the habits of consumers. It is both scary and fascinating how our buying habits are recorded, analyzed, and manipulated. If you are a paranoid person who would rather be oblivious to those facts, then you probably want to skip that section. But it does prod consumers to examine how their shopping is maneuvered by companies.

The last part examines the sociological effect of habits. From racism to gambling, habits affect both individuals and societies. This was also interesting and thought-provoking. The only issue I had with this section was the way the book brings up questions about free will versus the power of habit and to what degree we are responsible for actions carried out due to habits into which we are conditioned, but then it ends abruptly without thoroughly examining those questions. It was like someone asking a controversial question then dashing out of the room. It would have been a stronger ending if those questions had been explored rather than ending abruptly. But The Power of Habit is an interesting and well-researched book about a subject that affects us all whether we realize it or not.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars
Attention to Details: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Objectivity: 3 Stars

Fabio Bracht

Tenho um mau hábito de longa data e que muito me atrapalha na vida: dormir tarde. Portanto, naturalmente comecei este livro com grandes expectativas — ainda mais porque ele parece ter sido muito bem avaliado e ser frequentemente recomendado por aí.

Mas não posso dizer que gostei.

A base do livro é boa, e consiste em identificar o processo ilustrado por esta imagem: todo hábito é uma rotina ativada por uma deixa/gatilho (cue) e culminando em uma recompensa (reward). Logo no primeiro capítulo o autor explica direitinho como esse processo funciona, e apesar da coisa ficar um pouquinho mais complexa depois — por exemplo: existe sempre uma necessidade/vontade (craving) que o hábito busca satisfazer, e é necessário identificá-la —, a leitura me pareceu uma longa e exaustiva repetição da mesma ideia sob óticas e exemplos ligeiramente diferentes.

Pior: a ideia nem me pareceu tão boa assim, afinal, não consegui nem começar a enxergar uma maneira de aplicá-la aos meus hábitos de sono, por exemplo. Além disso, mesmo quando o processo se aplica a um hábito, a mudança envolve um processo bastante trabalhoso e demorado. É preciso ter uma capacidade quase sobre-humana para identificar os gatilhos de hábitos (como alguém pode conseguir identificar sozinho o gatilho de um hábito como roer as unhas, que pode vir desde a infância?) e testar diversas recompensas num espécie de método científico pessoal. Se a pessoa tem a tendência ou aptidão necessárias para empenhar um processo assim, tenho minhas dúvidas de que ela sequer precise do conhecimento estrutural de um hábito para conseguir operar mudanças em si própria.

Não vou dizer que não recomendo, ou que considero ter perdido tempo com a leitura. É certo que vou me lembrar dela sempre que eu perceber algum hábito e quiser entendê-lo ou modificá-lo, e acredito que o conhecimento ainda me vai ser útil. Ao mesmo tempo, não posso dizer que recomendo a todos: dê uma folheada com atenção antes de decidir comprar.

Maria

the best about this book: it gives you an explanation how the habits work from biological point of view. also, it might be useful if you decide to change your habits since it gives you a "tutorial"

but the other parts were kind of not relevant. the author tried to explain the organizational changes, marketing tips and political movements via habits - didn't work out for me. despite an engaging way the stories were told, i really did not see where the "habit" was in Martin Luther King protests, for example

so, overall impression: author really had not much to say about the subject but he had to write a book. so he decided to sneak in several not related matters and make them relevant.

still, some interesting and useful knowledge