Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
11th out of 58 books
—
34 voters
The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It
by
Kelly McGonigal (Goodreads Author)
The first book to explain the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity.
After years of watching her students struggling with their choices, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., realized that much of what people believe about willpower is actually sabotaging their success. Committed to sharing what the...more
After years of watching her students struggling with their choices, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., realized that much of what people believe about willpower is actually sabotaging their success. Committed to sharing what the...more
Hardcover, 275 pages
Published
December 29th 2011
by Avery
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
McGonigal brings together the newest insights about self-control from psychology, economics, neuroscience and medicine to build willpower. She is a health psychologist at Stanford School of Medicine where she teaches a course called "The Science of Willpower" that quickly became the most popular classes ever offered by Stanford. Course evaluations call the course "life-changing".
The book's 10 chapters reflect her 10-week course, written in an interesting and easy style, without any "academic pom...more
The book's 10 chapters reflect her 10-week course, written in an interesting and easy style, without any "academic pom...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
17 likes · like · see review
Apr 21, 2013
Lindsay
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2013-audiobook-challege
I thought this was going to be another "do-what-I-did" type self-help books. Boy, was I wrong. I am so glad I read this book.
The Willpower Instinct is based off of a 10-week academic-style class taught by the author. It uses the latest information from neuroscience to explain what exactly your brain goes through during a thinking or decision-making process and how to use that process to your advantage to increase your sense of self-control. That may sound boring or technical, but McGonigal has a...more
The Willpower Instinct is based off of a 10-week academic-style class taught by the author. It uses the latest information from neuroscience to explain what exactly your brain goes through during a thinking or decision-making process and how to use that process to your advantage to increase your sense of self-control. That may sound boring or technical, but McGonigal has a...more
I'm now reading this for the second time. It has a lot more science, and a lot less self-help nonsense, than you might expect. And yes, it is OK to admit to reading it -- nobody's perfect when it comes to willpower!
Here's a sampling of what I learned from Dr. McGonigal's book.
1. Willpower is centered in a specific region of the brain (within the prefrontal cortex). It uses more energy than almost any other brain region, and therefore it gets tired after prolonged use each day. It's also like a...more
Here's a sampling of what I learned from Dr. McGonigal's book.
1. Willpower is centered in a specific region of the brain (within the prefrontal cortex). It uses more energy than almost any other brain region, and therefore it gets tired after prolonged use each day. It's also like a...more
I think the Blogher Book Club has officially changed my mind about self-help books. The most recent book up for review, The Willpower Instinct, by Dr. Kelly McGonigal, was not only an interesting read, but one I found quite helpful.
You may remember that one of my New Years resolutions is to “Lose 30lbs before I turn 30,” so when the chance came to review a book about willpower, I knew it could be useful. Although I’m always skeptical about non-fiction (what can I say, I love me some fiction!), M...more
You may remember that one of my New Years resolutions is to “Lose 30lbs before I turn 30,” so when the chance came to review a book about willpower, I knew it could be useful. Although I’m always skeptical about non-fiction (what can I say, I love me some fiction!), M...more
Why are stress, shame, and guilt, the enemies of self-control? In the Willpower Instinct, Kelly McGonigal provides some answers to this question and many others. Her book provides a great review of neurological and psychological research about how we exercise our "I will" and "I won't" power to achieve goals. I've seen much of the research cited elsewhere, but McGonigal presents the findings in a broader context that includes examples, questions, and exercises to move from learning into action....more
This book is immensely valuable, and very much needed by most people. It isn't even that the book itself is so fantastic, though it is definitely a good book, clearly written, good ideas, well executed. The topic matter is so absolutely pertinent that a thorough and adequate treatment of the subject automatically becomes enormously helpful.
It's somewhere in between a readable review of the science, and a well structured self help book. In terms of the order of the chapters, there are a few fairl...more
It's somewhere in between a readable review of the science, and a well structured self help book. In terms of the order of the chapters, there are a few fairl...more
Whenever we are lead into temptation, willpower is tested in a struggle between immediate indulgence and our long term goals. Too often our long term goals lose out as we eat too much, drink too much, smoke, waste time, and shop ‘till we drop. Now our resolve can be bolstered by the well researched and very practical techniques provided in this new book. Stanford Professor Kelly McGonigal has adapted her very popular course “The Science of Willpower” into this witty, readable, and helpful book....more
I've read several books with the topic of positive psychology. They are intended to guide readers to reflect on our behavior or psychology and make changes. This book, about the willpower, is among them. Interestingly, I find most such books run similar pattern in arguments.
First, authors ask readers to check their motivation. This usually serves to relate behavior with psychology. The authors usually can list a bunch of inspiring motives for readers to choose. The good authors are always good...more
First, authors ask readers to check their motivation. This usually serves to relate behavior with psychology. The authors usually can list a bunch of inspiring motives for readers to choose. The good authors are always good...more
A slightly stereotypical but surprisingly good American self-help book written for American women.
For the casual listener this book is informative and well-written. Every assertion the book makes is backed up by one study or another, though as I was listening to the audiobook version I couldn't follow references, if any were given. The book promotes meditation and breathing practise in a surprisingly strong way, but I reserve judgement until I've had more experience with the techniques detailed....more
For the casual listener this book is informative and well-written. Every assertion the book makes is backed up by one study or another, though as I was listening to the audiobook version I couldn't follow references, if any were given. The book promotes meditation and breathing practise in a surprisingly strong way, but I reserve judgement until I've had more experience with the techniques detailed....more
1 like · like · see review
I found this book interesting. It is true that if we are "good" one day we often allow ourselves to be "bad" the next day ( I was good on my diet yesterday so I can have this cake today). If you find yourself doing this type of justification, you should try to remember why you were good the day before. Also, I found it interesting when we can buy ourselves out of guilt we are more likely to do something we would normally feel guilty doing (I was late picking up my child from daycare but because...more
Good little book with recent research on willpower. Not a lot of surprises, but nice to peruse when thinking about changing some habits.
p. 50 Relaxing—-even for just a few minutes--increases heart rate variability by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and quieting the sympathetic nervous system. It also shifts the body into a state of repair and healing, enhancing your immune function and lowering stress hormones. Studies show that taking time for relaxation every day can protect your...more
p. 50 Relaxing—-even for just a few minutes--increases heart rate variability by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and quieting the sympathetic nervous system. It also shifts the body into a state of repair and healing, enhancing your immune function and lowering stress hormones. Studies show that taking time for relaxation every day can protect your...more
Ok, I admit it. I am not going to be able to do this book justice: I read it in one of those ghastly self-destructive reading binges that find me struggling to keep my eyelids open at midnight, knowing that I'm going to be fucked for the morning, but driven on to turn the pages (even as I take Big Blinks) and extract every last nugget from the book. You probably won't experience this book in quite the same way, so I won't pretend that my experience is predictive of yours. (Unless you are a narco...more
I typed 6 pages of reflections concerning the material presented in this fascinating book. I thought about trying to abridge what I wrote and shorten it into a lengthy review, but... sigh... I gave up. So yeah, I'll just write a brief blurb.
I have lots of experience trying resist, escape and flee temptation and yeah, I also have given in countless times. A lack of self-control has been my Achilles heel and if a genie came out of a bottle, an infinite unfailing source of will-power would likely...more
I have lots of experience trying resist, escape and flee temptation and yeah, I also have given in countless times. A lack of self-control has been my Achilles heel and if a genie came out of a bottle, an infinite unfailing source of will-power would likely...more
I had trouble finishing this book quickly, because I kept trying to stop and do the experiments. I got through it by reminding myself that I wasn't limited to just one bookmark, and could mark the experiment I was on and read ahead without missing anything. I will enjoy the re-read immensely, I think.
Dr. McGonigal teaches a course at Stanford University called "The Science of Willpower", and if the class is half as engaging as this book, collecting the subject matter and lessons for a wider audi...more
Dr. McGonigal teaches a course at Stanford University called "The Science of Willpower", and if the class is half as engaging as this book, collecting the subject matter and lessons for a wider audi...more
I really enjoyed this FASCINATING book.
Who among us has never struggled with a lack of self-control? Whether it is in the area of diet and exercise, or getting rid of harmful habits, we have all wrestled with our ability to stop doing something we know is bad for us, or start doing something that is good. All of us are thrashing about in the waters of frustration in our personal and professional lives because we just don't have the willpower to get "it" done.
That's where McGonigal's book comes i...more
Who among us has never struggled with a lack of self-control? Whether it is in the area of diet and exercise, or getting rid of harmful habits, we have all wrestled with our ability to stop doing something we know is bad for us, or start doing something that is good. All of us are thrashing about in the waters of frustration in our personal and professional lives because we just don't have the willpower to get "it" done.
That's where McGonigal's book comes i...more
Everything you thought you knew about willpower, how you make decisions, and the best ways to keep your resolutions is wrong. At least that is what it feels like after reading this book. McGonigal goes over research on willpower and reveals the various traps we put ourselves in and why we find it so hard to keep certain goals and break certain habits.
Each chapter outlines an area of research and gives several ideas on how to gain a better understanding about your own particular weaknesses and ho...more
Each chapter outlines an area of research and gives several ideas on how to gain a better understanding about your own particular weaknesses and ho...more
Here is my word one review of this book: fascinating. Absolutely fascinating.
Reading this book made me feel like I was being embraced at the smart kid table. Even though I only got a low 20 on my ACT it no longer mattered, the smart kids were more than willing to share with me their secrets. Even though I didn't know it before I joined them for lunch, I really needed to know all their secrets. You see the smart people are the ones who get willpower. Because they ever so intellectually understan...more
Reading this book made me feel like I was being embraced at the smart kid table. Even though I only got a low 20 on my ACT it no longer mattered, the smart kids were more than willing to share with me their secrets. Even though I didn't know it before I joined them for lunch, I really needed to know all their secrets. You see the smart people are the ones who get willpower. Because they ever so intellectually understan...more
As a pop-psych book I'd give this a 4, but keeping to my general rating system puts it one lower. The book is arranged like a series of talks on different themes and there are sub-lessons like "Under the Microscope" that help you focus on what you are doing when you are losing self-control. The author goes over lots of ways to better your self control, adds a good sprinkle of anecdotes about real people and things that do and dont work. Real meaty stuff. My rating reflects that I found the book...more
I think it's indisputable that the ultimate measure of the worth of a self-help book is... whether it helped. This book did not help me. If I'd hoped to acquire a great deal of rudimentary knowledge of psychology, neurophysiology, cognitive science, and the mechanics of meditation that I didn't already have -- then this book would have been an epic fail, because I already knew all of that, and knowing it had never in any imaginable way helped me before. If I'd been woefully and spectacularly ign...more
3 likes · like · see review
**Putting down the book presented a willpower challenge**
Speaking of willpower, once I started reading this book, it took every ounce of my willpower to put it down! (And, so yeah, I may have been spotted reading this book in my car while while sitting at red lights. My apologies to the drivers behind me for any [slight] delays my willpower challenges may have caused.)
As the above evidence suggests, I can't rave enough about this book. It's a gem, it's a god-sent, and it's just that good. You'l...more
Speaking of willpower, once I started reading this book, it took every ounce of my willpower to put it down! (And, so yeah, I may have been spotted reading this book in my car while while sitting at red lights. My apologies to the drivers behind me for any [slight] delays my willpower challenges may have caused.)
As the above evidence suggests, I can't rave enough about this book. It's a gem, it's a god-sent, and it's just that good. You'l...more
“The Willpower Instinct” – a good, fairly engaging read packed with a nice supply of useful realizations, tools and supporting studies. Less buoyant than similar books I've read lately, but I think that it is, essentially, medicine – a little more sugar might help. Oh. Wait.
The book is based on a course, and there are exercises and summaries at the end of each chapter – I found these made it easier to remember the contents and internalize the lessons. Large lesson of the entire book is one of aw...more
The book is based on a course, and there are exercises and summaries at the end of each chapter – I found these made it easier to remember the contents and internalize the lessons. Large lesson of the entire book is one of aw...more
As someone who listens to a lot of Skeptic podcasts and follows a lot of the research about cognitive biases and the ways in which our minds don't work the way we think they do... I already knew about a lot of the studies in this book. If you think this sounds like you, just keep that in mind before buying. There isn't likely to be much new here for you.
However, There were a few interesting suggestions and ways of looking at things, so I feel like I didn't waste my time reading this book, and ca...more
However, There were a few interesting suggestions and ways of looking at things, so I feel like I didn't waste my time reading this book, and ca...more
I loved this book! Kelly McDonigal uses up-to-the-minute psychological and neuroscientific information and research studies as the foundation for her book, but the reader is not barraged with overwhelming detail. She has the gift of extracting the most practical, user-friendly, actionable scientific knowledge that the lay person can immediately use to make a difference in one's own life, with whatever "willpower challenge" that person is facing.
If I lived in California, I would enroll in Dr. McD...more
If I lived in California, I would enroll in Dr. McD...more
Jan 10, 2013
Kathy Kramer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people interested in psychology, seeking self-help
Shelves:
non-fiction,
psychology
This review was originally written for BlogHer Book Club and was originally posted to my blog.
The start of a new year always brings with it resolutions. While many people have good intentions, by February, their resolve to change has withered away. Most people attribute it to a lack of willpower.
I don't think it's coincidence that BlogHer Book Club picked this book as their first selection for the new year. It is coincidence that I was reading this book at the same time I was researching and wr...more
The start of a new year always brings with it resolutions. While many people have good intentions, by February, their resolve to change has withered away. Most people attribute it to a lack of willpower.
I don't think it's coincidence that BlogHer Book Club picked this book as their first selection for the new year. It is coincidence that I was reading this book at the same time I was researching and wr...more
TERRIFIC ADVICE. I am a serial resolution maker and breaker so this book really spoke to me in a lasting way. Throughout this book I had a recurring thought that the author has been listening to my thoughts for the past 20 years because the scenarios were so eerily spot-on.
I have been employing the mechanisms taught by the author and I've never felt more in-control and calm about my decision making. I learned things like how I lie to myself and why those lies are so darn convincing. Most importa...more
I have been employing the mechanisms taught by the author and I've never felt more in-control and calm about my decision making. I learned things like how I lie to myself and why those lies are so darn convincing. Most importa...more
Everyone has a goal they feel they can't reach, right? Reading this book is a great first step to making progress. Whether it's cutting back on something (brownies, Facebook, coffee, cigarettes), or achieving something (a triathlon, a novel, an organizational project), the book offers strategies that really, truly, honest-to-god, work. The tools offered have been test-driven by social scientists (those guys are clever! if sometimes cruel) for effectiveness, and even just reading the tips, you kn...more
Easy to read. More of a self-improvement book than an interesting book on the science related to will-power but many interesting studies talked about as well. The best part of this book was the thorough explanation of seratonin. The author made one random comment about how historically humans didn't need very much will power and that is what I would like to read more about. I find the idea of will-power being this Great Thing... interesting. The secret of life is following your bliss. If you pla...more
Rather than being just a traditional self-help book full of rules to follow or positive "you can do it" encouragement, Kelly McDonigal's "The Willpower Instinct" instead gives scientific insights into how the brain works when faced with willpower challenges and thus, by having this self-knowledge, her readers are better able to understand and build strategies for self-control.
Why is this important? The author answers best, saying: "Self-control is a better predictor of academic success than inte...more
Why is this important? The author answers best, saying: "Self-control is a better predictor of academic success than inte...more
"The Willpower Instinct: How Self-control Works, Why It Matters, And What You Can Do To Get More Of It" by Kelly Mcgonigal is a well-written self-help/science book about self-control. McGonigal wrote the book from a course she developed at Stanford University called 'the science of willpower". Unlike many self-help books, McGonigal doesn't prescripe what to do to get more self-control. Rather, she explores what is scientifically known. Willpower, she defines as being summed up by "I will", "I wo...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| So where are you now? | 5 | 18 | Jan 28, 2013 04:21pm |
Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, an award-winning science journalist, and a leading expert on the mind-body relationship. Her teaching and writing focus on the applications of psychological science to personal health and happiness, as well as public policy and social change.
She is the author of The Willpower Instinct: How Self Control Works, Why...more
More about Kelly McGonigal...
She is the author of The Willpower Instinct: How Self Control Works, Why...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“The biggest enemies of willpower: temptation, self-criticism, and stress. (...) these three skills —self-awareness, self-care, and remembering what matter most— are the foundation for self-control.”
—
7 people liked it
“The is a secret for greater self-control, the science points to one thing: the power of paying attention.”
—
4 people liked it
More quotes…
Feb 09, 2012 12:27pm