Jayel Kirby Sue Briggs English 2010 @ 10 March 6, 2014

The Power of Habit

Or The Power of Misrepresentation? It was 7:05 on a Thursday evening and my book group was about to begin at Shelleen Warners home. Shelleen, who had a bachelors degree in exercise science and three small children, had chosen a self-help book for our evenings discussion: The Power Of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. Id already read the 290 pages in the main section of the book, but when Id reached the 63 pages of notes at the back, Id merely skimmed. As our discussion began, it didnt take long to discover that I hadnt been the

only one to lose interest by the time Id reached the appendix. What we hadnt realized at the time, was how much information we were missing out on. Shelleen had chosen the book because her husband, Ryan, had found Duhiggs principles intriguing, as had I. The prologue told the story of Lisa Allen, a thirty-four year old, marathonrunning, graphic designer who had overcome smoking, drinking, overeating, and indebtedness in less than four years. Duhigg explained that by focusing on one pattern - what is known as a keystone habit - Lisa had taught herself how to reprogram the other routines in her life, as well (xiv). That grabbed my attention! This book was going to tell me how I could become skinnier, richer, and more athletic - by simply changing a habit or two. Surely this book held all the answers I needed, since Lisas success wasnt isolated evidence. Duhigg explained how his Golden Rule of Habit Change helped countless businesses and individuals - from Proctor & Gamble (37-43) to Starbucks (129-132, 151-153) to Olympic gold winner Michael Phelps (109-115) become successful. This author definitely had credibility. In case you didnt believe it, he told you in the prologue, this book draws on hundreds of academic studies, interviews with more than three hundred scientists and executives, and research conducted at dozens of companies (xvii), or you could check out his website at http://www.thepowerofhabit.com. Unfortunately, typical readers (if the members of my book group were any indication) would read the 290 pages in the main section of the book and ignore - or skim, at best - the 60 pages of notes at the end of the book. Why? As members of the book group, we all agreed: we simply thought it looked too long and boring. Perhaps visual cues such as asterisks or footnote notations in the regular text would have alerted us to additional information on each topic as we read along. But there was little to none. It was only upon completing the bulk of the book that we

discovered that there was a notes section. By that time, we no longer cared. Had we taken the time to read further, we would have discovered that the author had apparently utilized sources at will, allowing contributors, he stated, with an opportunity - after reporting was complete - to review facts and address discrepancies. Most of what he called fact-checking correspondence was disclosed only in the notes (291). As I began investigating the notes in the back more, I found that the author had made a habit (pun intended) of twisting his sources information to fit his own agenda. For example, when discussing how willpower can wane at the end of a hard, willpower-depleting day, Duhigg explained in the main text that researchers had found that otherwise successful people succumb to extramarital affairs (which are most likely to start late at night after a long day ) (137). Only readers who took the time to search the appendix would learn that Duhiggs source, a psychology PhD named Mark Muraven, claimed that no direct cause-and-effect relationship between willpower fatigue and unfaithful spouses had been shown (316). Duhigg had a plethora of sources, but what had he done with them? He repeatedly claimed that researchers had reported concepts he showed no evidence for. He informed us that habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort (17). He went on to tell us how fortunate we are that our brains are so efficient, since an efficient brain requires less room, which makes for a smaller head, which makes childbirth easier and therefore causes fewer infant and mother deaths (18). One book group member, Harmony Mitchell, a registered dietitian with a bachelors degree in physical education and a masters degree in nutrition exclaimed, I just dont follow the logic in that one. Well, no wonder. Guess how many sources Duhigg cited concerning this scientific information: zero. Zilch! And yet he had felt it necessary to cite nine sources to convince us that Michael Phelps was out of his bed in

the Olympic Village and eating his breakfast in the cafeteria on August 13, 2008, by 7 am (109110, 312). Did he think I needed that much evidence of Phelps Olympic morning routine? I doubt it. Hed promised hordes of research in his prologue, and since he apparently couldnt use them to support his bogus medical claims, he had to utilize them elsewhere. Oh, but at least Duhigg was honest. He had divulged the truth about how he reserved his sources arguments for the section at the back (291). And credit was due his admission that transforming a habit isnt necessarily easy or quick (xx). Of course, those little tidbits of information were in the prologue and appendix - where, apparently - most of the facts resided. Was there anything of practical value in this book at all? Yes. Duhiggs Golden Rule of Habit Change, pictured below, did indeed demonstrate how one might correct a bad habit (72).

It can work. I know this because I tried it myself. Being hypoglycemic, I have learned that if I want to enjoy a sweet treat, I need to eat it immediately after a solid meal when a high sugar intake is balanced out with complex carbohydrates and protein. This realization has led me to develop a bad habit: following every lunch and supper with a dessert. By following Duhiggs Golden Rule of Habit Change, I kept the cue of finishing a meal and responded to it by

replacing my typical dessert of a high-caloric brownie with a soft and chewy, chocolate-flavored calcium supplement. I enjoyed a similar sweet reward without suffering the subsequent weight gain. My problem wasnt with Duhiggs cyclic theory. Its relatively solid. Well, sometimes for some people - in certain situations. What about the exceptions? For example, consider my daughter, Staci, who struggled with overcoming an addiction to self-injury. In an interview with her, I showed her Duhiggs Golden Rule of Habit Change diagram and explained, Duhigg suggests that habits can be changed if one will Keep the cue, provide the same reward, insert a new routine (72). Then I asked, How does this concept relate to you and your experiences? She responded, I tried doing other things that would give me an adrenaline rush, but its kind of hard to keep the reward (the adrenalin high) the same while changing the routine. And nothing could replace my fascination with ripping skin. Hm. So, while Duhigg insisted that his diagram described how countless alcoholics had overcome their addictions through their involvement with Alcoholics Anonymous (68-72), perhaps this concept wasnt necessarily a cure-all. Long after Id struggled through chapters about successful football teams and company CEOs I couldnt care less about, I reached the first page of the Appendix. Yep. Thats right - this was where Duhigg explained that there isnt one formula for changing habits. He waited until after the main text to inform readers that while some habits yield easily to analysis and influence, others are more complex and obstinate, adding that: for others, change is a process that never fully concludes (275).

And this, Mr. Duhigg, is where you concluded? How frustrating! You overwhelmed me throughout your main text with repetitious examples that merely served as ads for your concept. Then you crammed the actual information on how your concepts could be applied into a lousy twelve pages in what you titled: Appendix: A Readers Guide to Using These Ideas (275-286). A little late in the whole 300-page scene, dont you think? I found your self-help book to be incredibly helpful. Thanks. Im so glad I made this voyage with you, Mr. Duhigg, but I dont believe Ill make a habit of it.

Works Cited Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life and Business. New York: Random House, 2012. Print.