How to Change

The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

By: Katy Milkman, Angela Duckworth - foreword

Narrated by: Katy Milkman, Angela Duckworth

Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Wall Street Journal Best Seller

"A welcome revelation." (The Financial Times)

Award-winning Wharton Professor and Choiceology podcast host Katy Milkman has devoted her career to the study of behavior change. In this ground-breaking book, Milkman reveals a proven path that can take you from where you are to where you want to be, with a foreword from psychologist Angela Duckworth, the best-selling author of Grit.

Change comes most readily when you understand what's standing between you and success and tailor your solution to that roadblock. If you want to work out more but find exercise difficult and boring, downloading a goal-setting app probably won't help. But what if, instead, you transformed your workouts so they became a source of pleasure instead of a chore? Turning an uphill battle into a downhill one is the key to success.

Drawing on Milkman's original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, How to Change shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. Through case studies and engaging stories, you’ll learn:

• Why timing can be everything when it comes to making a change
• How to turn temptation and inertia into assets
• That giving advice, even if it's about something you're struggling with, can help you achieve more

Whether you're a manager, coach, or teacher aiming to help others change for the better or are struggling to kick-start change yourself, How to Change offers an invaluable, science-based blueprint for achieving your goals, once and for all.

©2021 Katy Milkman (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Packed with research-backed paths to personal growth.” (NPR’s Life Kit)

“[Filled with] practical tips that can help you reduce stress, improve your mental health and live a better life.” (CNN)

"Simple yet profound insights.” (Behavioral Scientist)

Great Listen!

Very insightful and easy to understand. Finished in a day but the concepts will stick with you.

Excellently crafted, so many good takeaways !

This book is well organized with many good takeaways all backed by research. Keep the research up Katie and bring it to us in very practical ways to use it. As always the Milkman delivers!

Recommended to several people already

This is east to listen to. Authors voice and the audio quality is well done.
The content is phenomenal. I have read atomic habits, deep work and many other popular books on similar subjects. And this has refreshing and a new view on not just the habit, but a deep dive into the why.

Fantastic book and great listen

This book is chock full of great nuggets on applied behavioral psychology. As an educator, counselor and psychology teacher, I plan to highly encourage my students and parents to dive into this wisdom. This audio version truly made it a great experience.

super helpful

Such an interesting book with so many great ideas, all backed up by social research. I had to pause and run it back often because I kept thinking of ways to apply the methods described to my own life, which distracted me from listening - in a good way! Thank you Dr. Milkman!

Pretty little book

Very useful, easy to listen with great examples and flow. Liked her soft voice as well.

Just as great as one of her classes

I had the pleasure of being in Katy's class at Wharton and this book is a great summary of all the behavioral science concepts she teaches her students in her MBA course. She manages to distill complex behavioral science concepts into digestible insights with clear suggestions on how to implement them into your daily life. Definitely recommend.

Be all you can be. Nudging yourself to the best you.

Very insightful on why’s and how’s to making better use of your time. Do not read if you just want to wing it. Being your best requires planning and actions. The chapter on mentoring was especially helpful.

Practical

After reading " The Power of Habit" a few years ago, I really wanted to learn about practical steps to make use of good habits and implement change. This book is a good guide and pairs well with books like " The Power of Habit" and " Grit". In my opinion, this book sits closer to "self help" than the other books I mentioned. Those books were more about the mechanics of habits and grit than necessarily, how to practically implement most of the findings

Great listen/read.

Great tangible ways to induce change

Chapter summaries are awesome at capturing the essence of the chapter, so that one can have a cliff notes of change to fall back on