Synopses & Reviews
The first book to explain the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity.
After years of watching her students struggling with their choices, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., realized that much of what people believe about willpower is actually sabotaging their success. Committed to sharing what the scientific community already knew about self-control, McGonigal created a course called "The Science of Willpower" for Stanford University's Continuing Studies Program. The course was an instant hit and spawned the hugely successful Psychology Today blog with the same name.
Informed by the latest research and combining cutting-edge insights from psychology, economics, neuroscience, and medicine, McGonigal's book explains exactly what willpower is, how it works, and why it matters. Readers will learn:
- Willpower is a mind-body response, not a virtue. It is a biological function that can be improved through mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep.
- People who have better control of their attention, emotions, and actions are healthier, happier, have more satisfying relationships, and make more money.
- Willpower is not an unlimited resource. Too much self-control can actually be bad for your health.
- Temptation and stress hijack the brain's systems of self-control, and that the brain can be trained for greater willpower.
In the groundbreaking tradition of Getting Things Done, The Willpower Instinct combines life-changing prescriptive advice and complementary exercises to help readers with goals ranging from a healthier life to more patient parenting, from greater productivity at work to finally finishing the basement.
Review
This book has tremendous value for anyone interested in learning how to achieve their goals more effectively. McGonigal clearly breaks down a large body of relevant scientific research and its applications, and shows that awareness of the limits of willpower is crucial to our ability to exercise true self control. -Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., co-author of You Are Not Your Brain and author of bestselling Brain Lock
Review
"What a liberating book! Kelly McGonigal explains the scientific reality of willpower, exploding the myths that most of us believe. Stronger willpower-based on inspiring facts, not oppressive nonsense-is finally within everyone's reach." -Geoff Colvin, author of Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everybody Else
Review
Praise for Kelly McGonigal and
The Willpower Instinct:
and#160;
"Tired of the endless debate about whether man possesses free will or is predestined to lounge about gobbling Krispy Kreme donuts while watching TV?and#160;If you want action, not theory, The Willpower Instinct is the solution for the chronically slothful."and#160;
and#8212; USA Today
and#160;
and#8220;Refreshingly easy to read and peppered with stories of people who have successfully used its methods, The Willpower Instinct is a new kind of self-help book. Using science to help explain the and#8220;whyand#8221; and strategies for the and#8220;how,and#8221; McGonigal has created a book that will appeal to those who want to lose a few pounds as well as those who are eager to understand why they just cannot seem to get through their to-do list. A must-read for anyone who wants to change how they live in both small and big ways.and#8221;
and#8212; Bookpage
and#160;and#8220;A fun and readable survey of the field, bringing willpower wisdom out of the labs.and#8221;
and#8212; TIME magazine
and#8220;The Willpower Instinct combines the braininess of a Malcolm Gladwell bestseller with the actual helpfulness of an Idiotsand#8217; Guide to not being lazy. If you are trying to lose weight, train for an athletic event, become more successful at work, rid yourself of toxic habitsand#8230;heck, if youand#8217;re HUMAN, you need to read this book.and#8221;
and#8212; Library Thing
and#8220;This book has tremendous value for anyone interested in learning how to achieve their goals more effectively. McGonigal clearly breaks down a large body of relevant scientific research and its applications, and shows that awareness of the limits of willpower is crucial to our ability to exercise true self control.and#8221;
and#8212; Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., author of the bestselling Brain Lock
and#160;
and#8220;What a liberating book! Kelly McGonigal explains the scientific reality of willpower, exploding the myths that most of us believe. Stronger willpowerand#8212;based on inspiring facts, not oppressive nonsenseand#8212;is finally within everyoneand#8217;s reach.and#8221;
and#8212; Geoff Colvin, author of Talent Is Overrated
Review
"What a liberating book! McGonigal explains the scientific reality of willpower, exploding the myths most of us believe. Stronger willpower—based on inspiring facts, not oppressive nonsense—is finally within everyone's reach."
—Geoff Colvin, author of Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everybody Else
"The Willpower Instinct is a new kind of self-help book. Using science to explain the why and strategies for the how, McGonigal has created a must-read for anyone who wants to change how they live in both small and big ways."
—Book Page
"Each chapter could stand on its own as something helpful, but taken as a whole, this book could be downright life-altering. If you are trying to lose weight, become more successful at work, rid yourself of toxic habits...heck, if you're HUMAN, you need to read this book."
—Library Thing
“This book has tremendous value for anyone interested in learning how to achieve their goals more effectively. McGonigal clearly breaks down a large body of relevant scientific research and its applications, and shows that awareness of the limits of willpower is crucial to our ability to exercise true self control.”
—Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., co-author of You Are Not Your Brain and author of bestselling Brain Lock
” **** out of four.”
—USA Today Book Review
“A fun and readable survey of the field, bringing willpower wisdom out of the labs.”
—TIME magazine
Review
“
Confidence nails it—if you want to achieve great things, you are better off being your own worst critic than your own biggest fan. Read this book and you will never look at the concept of self-esteem the same way again.” —Laura Vanderkam, author of
All The Money In The World and
What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast
“Compelling and zippy.”
—Financial Times
“I can't remember the last time I finished reading a book and wanted to applaud. Confidence is a life-changing book—it will convince you, through brilliant arguments and an abundance of compelling evidence, that much of the advice you've been given on how to be successful is worse than useless. In fact, it's been holding you back. Before you read anything else, read Confidence.”
—Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD author of Focus and Succeed
“Outstanding.”
—Inc.com
“A provocative work, an excursion into the role of confidence at work, in relationships, and the impact on leading a healthy life. Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic repeatedly challenges our beliefs, which makes for a stimulating read.”
—The Globe and Mail
“Maybe you have always intuited, as most sensitive people do, that all the talk about boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem is not the answer to success or happiness. This charming and thoroughly fact-based book will give you the evidence to back your wisdom, that being kind and competent works best.”
—Elaine Aron, PhD, author of The Highly Sensitive Person and The Undervalued Self
“Interesting and transformative thinking that will not only have you accepting your inner critic and low self-confidence, but embracing it.... Chamorro-Premuzic writes in a kind, gentle, yet authoritative tone that will inspire the “insecure” reader and retire the over-confident ones....a new and enlightened perspective...This book is required reading for any professional.”
—Small Business Trends
“An expose of the dark side of confidence. I absolutely loved it, because it shatters so much incorrect but conventional wisdom with key scientific research.”
—Matthew E. May, Rise Networks
“Chamorro-Premuzic has rethought confidence - shattering myths about what generates confidence but also reassessing low confidence as a positive attribute. A fresh, more balanced, approach, presented in a well-researched, accessible, and, indeed, enjoyable format. I like this book: a lot.”
—Robert Kelsey, author of Whats Stopping You?
“Pleasingly counterintuitive.”
--Elle
“Buy and read this book. Give it to a young person...I dare say Im confident it could turn a life of miserable self-doubt into a life of empowerment.”
—Doug Michaelides, Vice President and Practice Leader, Sales and Marketing, for Stratford Managers Corporation
“Persuasively argues that weve taken our culture of self-assurance and self-promotion too far.”
—Harvard Business Review
Synopsis
Based on Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal's wildly popular course "The Science of Willpower," The Willpower Instinct is the first book to explain the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity.
Informed by the latest research and combining cutting-edge insights from psychology, economics, neuroscience, and medicine, The Willpower Instinct explains exactly what willpower is, how it works, and why it matters. For example, readers will learn:
- Willpower is a mind-body response, not a virtue. It is a biological function that can be improved through mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep.
- Willpower is not an unlimited resource. Too much self-control can actually be bad for your health.
- Temptation and stress hijack the brain's systems of self-control, but the brain can be trained for greater willpower
- Guilt and shame over your setbacks lead to giving in again, but self-forgiveness and self-compassion boost self-control.
- Giving up control is sometimes the only way to gain self-control.
- Willpower failures are contagiousyou can catch the desire to overspend or overeat from your friendsbut you can also catch self-control from the right role models.
In the groundbreaking tradition of
Getting Things Done, The Willpower Instinct combines life-changing prescriptive advice and complementary exercises to help readers with goals ranging from losing weight to more patient parenting, less procrastination, better health, and greater productivity at work.
Synopsis
The author of The Willpower Instinct delivers a controversial and groundbreaking new book that overturns long-held beliefs about stress. and#160;
More than forty-four percent of Americans admit to losing sleep over stress. And while most of us do everything we can to reduce it, Stanford psychologist and bestselling author Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., delivers a startling message: Stress isnand#8217;t bad. In The Upside of Stress, McGonigal highlights new research indicating that stress can, in fact, make us stronger, smarter, and happierand#151;if we learn how to embrace it.
and#160;
The Upside of Stress is the first book to bring together cutting-edge discoveries on the correlation between resilienceand#151;the human capacity for stress-related growthand#151;and mind-set, the power of beliefs to shape reality. As she did in The Willpower Instinct, McGonigal combines science, stories, and exercises into an engaging and practical book that is both entertaining and life-changing, showing you:
- how to cultivate a mind-set to embrace stress
- how stress can provide focus and energy
- how stress can help people connect and strengthen close relationships
- why your brain is built to learn from stress, and how to increase its ability to learn from challenging experiences
and#160;
McGonigaland#8217;s TED talk on the subject has already received more than 7 million views. Her message resonates with people who know they canand#8217;t eliminate the stress in their lives and want to learn to take advantage of it. The Upside of Stress is not a guide to getting rid of stress, but a guide to getting better at stress, by understanding it, embracing it, and using it.
Synopsis
I cant remember the last time I finished reading a book and wanted to applaud
. Life-changing.” Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD, author of
Focus
If you picked up this book because you want to increase your confidence, you are not alone. Like most people, you probably think that being highly confident would make you more likable, more employable, and more successful. But youd be wrong.
In this paradigm-shifting book, world-renowned personality expert Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic reveals that, beyond making you feel good, high confidence has no genuine benefits, and it may even be self-destructive. Low confidence, however, helps us make realistic risk assessments, protects us from disastrous situations, and encourages us to become more competentwhich is the real key to achievement. Intelligent and thought-provoking, Confidence shows you how to make your insecurities work for you in every facet of life.
Maybe you have always intuited
that all the talk about boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem is not the answer to success or happiness. This charming and thoroughly fact-based book will give you the evidence to back your wisdom, that being kind and competent works best.”Elaine Aron, PhD, author of The Highly Sensitive Person and The Undervalued Self
About the Author
Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, as well as a fitness instructor and meditation teacher. Her work has been included in
The New York Times, the
Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, TIME, Psychology Today, Readerand#8217;s Digest, and
O, The Oprah Magazine, as well as on NPR and MSNBC. Her research has appeared in journals such as
Motivation and Emotion, the
Journal of Happiness Studies, and the
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. McGonigal lives in Palo Alto and New York City.