This book I wanted to read and it is really good at breaking down how a person can be more productive. I enjoyed every chapter in this book and yet it took me years to get through it. I'm not sure quite why I had to keep forcing myself to start up and read a chapter. Because this is written quite well with excellent case studies. I enjoyed the examples Mr. Duhigg used in the book. I find that he creates names for processes I'm already using in my daily life. I just didn't know how to explain it.

My biggest takeaways are that I'm an innovation broker and I am really good at breaking things down and analyzing them. Then I modify and adjust based on my theories as to why something is working or not working. I am definitely going to recommend this book to my friends and family who are trying to be more productive. This book explains it in a practice manner and gives insight in how to achieve it. The notes and appendix were also quite helpful.

I thought this book would give me some useful information, provide some helpful tools, and encourage me to grow. It was only mediocre at best and it didn't present much information I didn't already know. There are better books out there on this topic.

This book was totally fine - not as good as his previous one, but not bad, either! I didn't learn anything particularly helpful, but it was a decent read.

This book is full of stories of success and techniques that people can use to become better at what they want to do. I enjoyed it and plan to read more by this author!

Felt like a couple of good articles stretched into a book. Preferred author’s book on Habits—check that one out if you haven’t already.

Love everything Mr. Duhigg has put out. Great productivity book. I highly recommend it!

It’s not the what we do but the how we do it that creates progress. In this book, Duhigg explores the science behind productivity. He summarizes the current work of neuroscientists, psychologists, behavioral economists. The work also explores specific transformative events that show how a difference in thinking can produce different outcomes, not limited to the growth mindset research of Carol Dweck.

I found two key take-aways from this book. First, the mental models we build are important. Can you apply the lessons you learned flying a small Cessna to a modern passenger jet that’s experiencing engine failure? NICU babies are special (I’m a NICU graduate) and their fragile lives can change in a moment. With a mental model of what a NICU baby should look like a nurse can make a split-second decision before data is available to confirm her thoughts and save a life.

Second, for years we’ve been hounded that our goals should be SMART. They should, however these narrow goals can create tunnel vision due to our need for closure. Stretch goals help us visualize a larger picture and with intermediate smart goals we can realize it. Blending SMART and stretch goals provide us the best of both and help to avoid the pitfalls.

Duhigg’s review of current research reiterates that an interdisciplinary approach and a blending of processes are what help make us productive, not one particular magic tool.

This book is really fascinating! It is meaty- it took a while to get through & each chapter is packed with content that you might want to mull over a bit. I was especially intrigued by the inside scoop on Google and teams- I work directing a team of teachers and gleaned from the chapter applicable ideas. The author does a great job of incorporating intriguing stories with the facts & concepts he delves into in each chapter. I took a lot away from it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

This book took me a lot longer to read than it should have. Not because it was dry or poorly written or any of the usual reasons it might take someone to get through a book. It just took me "forever" for no discernable reason. But I stuck with it because it was really good, really informative, and well written.
Starting with the book's introduction - the topic - I was highlighting things to remember. Duhigg takes 8 components and unpacks them - he believes these 8 parts are key to being productive. They are motivation, teams (teamwork), focus, goal setting, managing others, decision making, innovation, and absorbing data. To discuss each part he sourced out real life examples and events to illustrate the point. These examples were key to understanding what each part looks like in real life - it was a practical rather than academic look at the science - so to speak - of productivity. And Duhigg's writing in a conversational style, even when sharing data, was easy and enjoyable to read. It didn't drag, he provided just the right amount of detail regarding the examples he chose to use or the data and more academic points he wanted to get across. Really good information, really interesting information - I'll be picking up his other title about the power of habits at some point.

While it did go on a little long at times, I really enjoyed the tips and anecdotes in this book, especially in reference to creativity and motivation.

Duhigg's book is both useful and engaging. I would recommend it to anyone wishing to change habits or understand himself or herself better. The prose is readable and the information well-researched.

I picked this up because I loved Duhigg’s previous book, THE POWER OF HABIT. In Smarter, Faster, Better, Duhigg jumps on the productivity bandwagon; but the interesting stories of high achievers, combined with eight concepts you can put into action in your own life, make this productivity tome soar above the rest. As a self-employed author and small press publisher, I skimmed some of the stories of corporate success to focus on the techniques individuals have used to improve their performance.