Better Than Before: What I Learned about Making and Breaking Habits--To Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life - Softcover

Rubin, Gretchen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385348630 ISBN 13: 9780385348638

Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY), 2015

Synopsis

New York Times Bestseller - Washington Post Bestseller

The author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, tackles the critical question: How do we change?

Gretchen Rubin's answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives.

So if habits are a key to change, then what we really need to know is: How do we change our habits?

Better than Before answers that question. It presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habits--and to change them for good. Infused with Rubin's compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, Better than Before explains the (sometimes counter-intuitive) core principles of habit formation.

Along the way, Rubin uses herself as guinea pig, tests her theories on family and friends, and answers readers' most pressing questions--oddly, questions that other writers and researchers tend to ignore:

- Why do I find it tough to create a habit for something I love to do?
- Sometimes I can change a habit overnight, and sometimes I can't change a habit, no matter how hard I try. Why?
- How quickly can I change a habit?
- What can I do to make sure I stick to a new habit?
- How can I help someone else change a habit?
- Why can I keep habits that benefit others, but can't make habits that are just for me?

Whether readers want to get more sleep, stop checking their devices, maintain a healthy weight, or finish an important project, habits make change possible. Reading just a few chapters of Better Than Before will make readers eager to start work on their own habits--even before they've finished the book.

About this title

Review

"We are totally comfortable calling Gretchen Rubin's new book, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, life-changing."
--Better Homes & Gardens

"If anyone can help us stop procrastinating, start exercising or get organized, it's Gretchen Rubin. The happiness guru takes a sledgehammer to old-fashioned notions about change."
--Parade

"It's exciting to find a self-help book that's not only full of eye-opening insight but also provides practical tips to help you procrastinate and stress less, exercise and eat more healthfully, and spend time on activities that matter. We're really glad that Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, decided to investigate her affinity for habits, because in the process she's come up with a great guide to help us lay the foundation of a more satisfying life. Best of all, Better Than Before is a really fun read--Rubin's friendliness, candor, and humor mirror a lively conversation with a best friend." --Apple iBooks

"The Happiness Project lays out life's essential goals...Her new book, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, serves as a kind of detailed instruction manual on how to achieve them." --New York Times Sunday Book Review

"In Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, Gretchen Rubin picks up where [William] James left off, integrating a wealth of insight from psychology, sociology, and anthropology in an illuminating field guide to harnessing the transformative power of habit in modern life."
--Brain Pickings

"Change can be good. Particularly if it helps us live longer, healthier, indeed, happier lives -- the objective of Rubin's latest project."
--Chicago Tribune

"Author Gretchen Rubin says most people fall into one of four motivation types. Knowing yours is key to taking on new habits."
--Lifehacker

"Gretchen Rubin... [is] lighthearted and inviting--full of insights that sound familiar and advice that sounds less like what you should do and more like what you want to do.... With her focus on taking first steps and creating early successes, this is a refreshing take on how to change stubborn patterns that limit what we can enjoy about our lives." --Audiofile Magazine

"Do you have a bad habit you're trying to shake, or a good one you wish you could cultivate? Gretchen Rubin is one of the most charming and erudite authors of her generation. Here, she uses her gifts to help you eat right, sleep well, stop procrastinating, and start enjoying all that life has to offer."
--Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet

"Gretchen Rubin combines deep research and observations from her own life to explain how habits emerge and--more important--how they can change. It's indispensable for anyone hoping to overhaul how they (almost unthinkingly) behave."
--Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit

"Filled with insights about our patterns of behavior, Better Than Before addresses one of life's big and timeless questions: how can we transform ourselves? In a way that's thought-provoking, surprising, and often funny, Gretchen Rubin provides us with the tools to build a life that truly reflects our goals and values."
--Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post and New York Times bestselling author of Thrive

"Is there a habit in your life you'd like to change? If so, here's your first step: Read this book. It's loaded with practical, everyday tips and techniques that will guide you to success."
--Dan Heath, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Made to Stick, Switch, and Decisive

"Almost everyone wants to be 'better'--slimmer, smarter, better looking, more interesting, more productive--and we want to know we're improving, we want the reinforcing evidence. Gretchen Rubin's new masterpiece, Better Than Before, shows us how. Unlike other books on habits, Rubin's book gives us the specific tools and a blueprint for getting back on track--the fast track."
--Brian Wansink, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of Slim by Design and Mindless Eating

"With bold and original insights, Gretchen Rubin reveals the hidden truths about how to change our habits--from resisting junk food and hitting the gym to ending procrastination and saving money. Better Than Before is a gem, and the first habit you should form is reading a chapter every night."
--Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take

"Gretchen Rubin's superpower is curiosity. Luckily for us, she's turned her passionate inquiry to the topic of making and mastering habits. Weaving together research, unforgettable examples, and her brilliant insight, Better Than Before is a force for real change. It rearranged what I thought I knew about my habits, and I'm better for it."
--Brené Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Daring Greatly andThe Gifts of Imperfection

Book Description

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Gretchen Rubin, author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, has helped millions of readers get happier. Now she tackles the critical question: How can we make good habits and break bad ones?

About this edition

• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0385348630
• ISBN 13: 9780385348638
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320