The Power of Habit Summary

Summary

In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg, award-winning business reporter for The New York Times, takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. 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 they reside in our brains.

We discover how the right habits were crucial to the successful promotion of Pepsodent; to Tony Dungy who led his team to a Super Bowl win by changing one step in his players’ habit loop; and to Alcoa when it turned itself around by changing just one routine within the organization. At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. By harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities and our lives. This summary will help you understand key concepts such as why the brain tries to make routines into habits, how cravings create and power new habits, how to apply the golden rule of habit change, and what “keystone habits” are and the importance of them in creating a new routine.