What makes these stories especially interesting (and what makes these chapters read much quicker than the 300-page text would suggest) is how he arranges these stories.

In each chapter, Duhigg uses two or three main anecdotes to give his research context. He makes sure those anecdotes align with the research he presents, and are compelling on their own. On the flip side, while he incorporates dozens of incredible stories, he isn’t simply relying on anecdotes. He explains his research in a digestible way that doesn’t dilute the meaning or insult the intelligence of the reader. Even though Duhigg is synthesizing a great deal of research, he doesn’t expect his readers to nerd out along with him. The Power of Habit is the perfect balance. These kinds of books can either be too heady or too fun. The application is complex and varies greatly between circumstances. There are a number of helpful illustrations within the book, to show the progression of the habit loop in various scenarios. Through reviewing extensive research, Duhigg shows his readers that this loop is in play for all the habits we experience.ĭuhigg explains these concepts in common language that everyone can understand. My reward is being able to take a break and get a caffeine boost to finish the day.

My routine is walking to the coffee shop to order a cappuccino. For example, in my afternoon coffee habit, the cue is when I’m feeling groggy. Duhigg explains that in every habit, there are three stages: cue, routine, and reward. The habit loop is the key takeaway from this book. He doesn’t just talk about snacking or fingernail biting either–he focuses on how community habits affected the social justice movement and how corporate habits destroyed massive organizations. Duhigg explains how much power habits have over our lives, as well as how to understand and leverage that power for our own good. The key concepts of The Power of Habit are in the title. I’ll explain the key concepts of this book, what makes it good to read, why I liked it (and why you might, too). Duhigg combines a large amount of peer reviewed research with strong anecdotes to explain the concepts of how habits are formed, and how they affect our lives. In my current research on habits, I’ve been reading The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

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