The power of habit : why we do what we do in life and business

Description

In this book the author takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. In this book the author, a New York Times business reporter, takes us to the edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, he brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation. Along the way we learn why some people and companies struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight. We visit laboratories where neuroscientists explore how habits work and where, exactly, they reside in our brains. We discover how the right habits were crucial to the success of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and civil-rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr. We go inside Proctor & Gamble, Target superstores, Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, NFL locker rooms, and the nation's largest hospitals to see how implementing so-called keystone habits can earn billions and mean the difference between failure and success, life and death. Habits are not destiny; the author maintains that by harnessing this new science, we can transform our business, our communities, and our lives. Read more... Abstract: In this book the author takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. In this book the author, a New York Times business reporter, takes us to the edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, he brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation. Along the way we learn why some people and companies struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight. We visit laboratories where neuroscientists explore how habits work and where, exactly, they reside in our brains. We discover how the right habits were crucial to the success of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and civil-rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr. We go inside Proctor & Gamble, Target superstores, Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, NFL locker rooms, and the nation's largest hospitals to see how implementing so-called keystone habits can earn billions and mean the difference between failure and success, life and death. Habits are not destiny; the author maintains that by harnessing this new science, we can transform our business, our communities, and our lives