Andrew Orgel

Pros:
Discusses the essence of what creates habits and reinforces them so you can understand and reshape your own. Explains that habit is much more powerful than willpower or cognitive skill because it is faster and automatic. Does a brilliant job of explaining what is old knowledge that is still true and what the latest research tells us about how to create habits that support our desired outcomes. Illustrates with good stories that make the concepts more concrete and usable.

Cons:
Goes off on tangents such as "Social Habits" and how they can form to enact social change such as the civil liberties movement. While the material is interesting and powerful, I disagree that these Social Habits are really habits in the same sense that the author explains in the first half of the book.

Instead, I wish that Duhigg had spent those pages providing a workbook with step by step sections for selecting habits to change, dissecting the old habits and developing the new ones. All this material is in the first half of the book but it is not placed into a actionable plan that is easy to follow. He explains that the 12 step programs work because of the principals explained in the first half of the book but knowing the material in the book, there are opportunities to improve on 12 step programs.

Yes. The author was knowledgeable and had the ability to convey complex scientific findings in ways that the layman can understand and use.

Brings individual testimonials to life by providing alternate voicing styles for these contributors.

The best way to end a bad habit is to replace the response to the associated trigger stimulus. For example, when I am stressed, my habit response is to think "I am hungry" and then I proceed to overeat. Using the techniques in this book, I substitute "I am hungry" with "I am thirsty" when I feel stressed. This is just as effective at calming my nerves but is far healthier.