Four reviews of a book about habits.
A.- This book contains many obvious ideas, but if you are
analyzing human behaviour, this is almost inevitable. However, it provides a
useful framework which enables us to see ourselves more clearly. Rather than
choosing to concentrate on peculiar habits, or acting as an all-knowing
adviser, the author has assembled a collection of experiments which are
relevant to real life. Non-experts should easily grasp the book’s central
ideas, but rather than reading it from cover to cover, I would suggest picking
it up for ten minutes every day because this will enable you to consider
everything carefully, and allow you gradually to build up a picture of why you
do what you do and give you ideas about how you might change your behaviour.
This book will have a greater impact than some others because it focuses on
ordinary habits and avoids dealing with more sensational behaviour.
B.- I almost didn’t get as far as the practical ideas in
this book because of basic errors in the introductory comments about the
significance of habits. As I was reading, it occurred to me that many of the
types of behaviour that the author referred to as habits were not habits in the
accepted sense of the word. He also said that habits are not conscious –
something that is only partially true. I almost gave up reading, but then the
author quoted research on ways in which intentions can be put into practice,
and from then on the book improved. He had come across studies which I found
interesting and informative. Unfortunately, insufficient detail on these
studies was included, which meant that it was impossible for me to assess their
significance. To conclude, I would say that the new research quoted in the chapter
on intentions makes up for some of the book’s flaws.
C.- In addition to wanting more specific examples, I found
myself wishing the author had expanded on his practical advice. This book would
also have benefited from some interactive material, which I had presumed it
would include. An attractive feature of other recent works on similar subjects
is the frequent opportunities readers have to test and measure themselves with
a variety of simple but highly informative psychological diagnostic tools. Ironically,
these weaknesses derive from one of this author’s major strengths: namely, his modesty. He does not try to
promote his favourite theories or push his own habit cures. Commendably, he
allows readers to make their own decisions and implement their own change
regimes. For my part, I took away a new found enthusiasm for some
long-forgotten techniques and a resolution to avoid sugar in the new year. The
book gains by focusing on normal rather than abnormal behaviour.
D.- When I bought this book, I imagined it was going to be a
sort of guide to giving up bad habits, such as smoking or gambling. I soon
realized that it was no such thing, but a very interesting study of human
psychology. We are presented with a description of how habits work that is accessible
to non-specialists. We find out how and why habits develop, why some habits are
necessary – and what can go wrong when our habits get out of control. He
considers ways in which we benefit from habits and urges us to work out which
habits have a positive influence on our lives and which are negative. It is
important to point out that you don’t need a degree in psychology to find this
book enjoyable. As a non-scientist with a limited knowledge of the subject, I
found it was written and easy to follow.
