Synopses & Reviews
At least one third of our waking hours are lived on autopilot. But habits of the mind do not have to control usandmdash;we can steer them. Drawing on the latest research, psychologist Jeremy Dean explains why seemingly easy habits can prove difficult to form and how to take charge of your brainand#8217;s routines to make any change stick. Making Habits, Breaking Habits explains that it is possible to bend habits to your willandmdash;and become happier, more creative, and more productive.
Review
The Bookseller, and#147;Editorand#8217;s Pick,and#8221; 10/12/12and#147;Sensible and very readableand#133;By far the most useful of this monthand#8217;s New You offerings.and#8221;
Kirkus Reviews, 1/1/13
and#147;Making changes does take longer than we may expectand#151;no 30-day, 30-pounds-lighter quick fixand#151;but by following the guidelines laid out by Dean, readers have a decent chance at establishing fulfilling, new patterns.and#8221;
Publishers Weekly, 12/10/12
and#147;An accessible and informative guide for readers to take control of their lives.and#8221;
and#147;Bookworm Sezand#8221; syndicated review
and#147;By helping us understand what makes us tick and why, author Jeremy Dean avoids platitudes and misty advice to give his readers the tools they need to stop being frustrated by change and lack thereof. He advocates patience and dispels a lot of myths about why we do the things we do (or donand#8217;t), explaining why our willpower fails us or why we find some habits easy to make. Thatand#8217;s helpful, and could make a fix that sticksand#133;This bookand#133;would be advantageous to anyone whoand#8217;s serious about changing behavior.and#8221;
Curled Up with a Good Book, 1/6/13
and#147;Loaded with surprising information about the brain and human behavior, this book that lays out a strategy for taking charge of ourselves. We probably canand#8217;t beat all our habits forever, but Making Habits, Breaking Habits offers a battle plan that allows us to know the enemy and sometimes evade it.and#8221;
Philadelphia Tribune, 1/6/13
and#147;Dean busts the myths to finally explain why seemingly easy habits, like eating an apple a day, can be surprisingly difficult to form, and how to take charge of your brainand#8217;s natural and#145;autopilotand#8217; to make any change stickand#133;Witty and intriguing, Making Habits, Breaking Habits shows how behavior is more than just a product of what you think.and#8221;
Spirituality and Practice, 1/15/13
and#147;[A] fascinating bookand#133;Dean demonstrates a knack for cutting through generalities and cutting to the heart of the matter. Making Habits, Breaking Habits will shed new light on your own private and public behavior and the many quests for change that you undertake in your everyday life.and#8221;
VIVmag.com, 1/17/13
and#147;What really stands out in Deanand#8217;s bookand#133;is the insight behind habits and their unconscious nature and often, their benefitsand#133;Full of anecdotes and interesting studies, Making Habits, Breaking Habits is an engaging read.and#8221;
InfoDad.com, 1/17/13
and#147;Dean argues convincingly that habits are essentially automatic pilotsand#133;The prescriptive part of self-help books is where many of them fall down. Deanand#8217;s is better than mostand#133;The book reads like one in which Dean primarily shares his own fascination with a variety of research projects of various kinds, pausing occasionally to relate this study or that back to the whole issue of forming and changing habits. And there is nothing wrong with being a bit discursive, especially when the underlying material is as interesting as much of it is here.and#8221;
DaySpa, January 2013
and#160;and#147;Analyzes the phenomenon of habits, and breaks them down so they can be fully understoodand#151;and ultimately managed.and#8221;
Truth, January 2013
and#160;and#147;Dean helps you understand the psychology behind your habitsand#151;both good and badand#151;and gives you the information you need to kick a bad habit and finally keep your New Yearand#8217;s resolution.and#8221;
Bookviews.com, February 2013
and#160;and#8221;This is serious psychology and an often fascinating look at the way habits are formed, reinforced, and strengthened throughout our livesand#133;Smoking, drinking, and comparable bad behaviors can be changed and this book can help anyone seeking to make that change.and#8221;
ForeWord,
Brain Pickings, 1/5/14
and#147;Remarkably insightful and functionally helpful in its entirety.and#8221;
January Magazine, and#147;Best Books of 2013,and#8221; 1/3/14
and#147;Though Dean is currently working towards a doctorate in psychology, his voice is casual, friendly and smart. More importantly for a book of this nature, he knows how to break his material down and present it in a way that is not only logical, but also stays interesting and connectedand#133;An entertaining and deeply interesting book. And a huge bonus for some readers: it actually has the potential to totally change your life.and#8221;
Hudson Valley News, 1/15/2014
and#147;This book is exceptionally reader-friendly.and#8221;
Synopsis
The psychologist behind PsyBlog explores the science of habitand#151;and how you can change yours for the better
Synopsis
Say you want to start going to the gym or practicing a musical instrument. How long should it take before you stop having to force it and start doing it automatically? The surprising answers are found in Making Habits, Breaking Habits, a psychologist's popular examination of one of the most powerful and under-appreciated processes in the mind. Although people like to think that they are in control, much of human behavior occurs without any decision-making or conscious thought.
Drawing on hundreds of fascinating studies, psychologist Jeremy Dean busts the myths to finally explain why seemingly easy habits, like eating an apple a day, can be surprisingly difficult to form, and how to take charge of your brain's natural "autopilot" to make any change stick.
Witty and intriguing, Making Habits, Breaking Habits shows how behavior is more than just a product of what you think. It is possible to bend your habits to your will -- and be happier, more creative, and more productive.
About the Author
Psychologist
Jeremy Dean is the founder and author of the popular website "PsyBlog" (psyblog.co.uk), which is viewed by upwards of 1 million readers monthly. The site analysesand#151;with wit, clarity, and eruditionand#151;psychological studies that are relevant to everyday life. Dean launched PsyBlog in 2004, when he noticed a dearth of smart, readable news for those who like psychological insights backed up by science. Read the world over, the site has been featured in
BBC News,
The New York Times,
The Los Angeles Times, NPR,
The Guardian, and
The London Times. He lives in London.
Table of Contents
PART ONEAnatomy of a Habit
1. Birth of a Habit
2. Habit Versus Intention: An Unfair Fight
3. Your Secret Autopilot
4. Donand#8217;t Think, Just Do It!
PART TWO
EVERYDAY HABITS
5. The Daily Grind
6. Stuck in a Depressing Loop
7. When Bad Habits Kill
8. Online All the Time
PART THREE
HABITS CHANGE
9. Making Habits
10. Breaking Habits
11. Healthy Habits
12. Creative Habits
13. Happy Habits