Unlearning: 15 Experiments that Transformed my Life, by Kunal Gupta , 3 stars

[NancyJ]

I won this book in a giveaway. I was hoping it would be like some of the books I owned in the past with activities that might add something extra to a seminar or class on change. I didn’t find anything quite like that, but I enjoyed his discussion of habits and unlearning. I am a believer in the power of small habit changes, and I respected that he didn’t repeat common nonsense (such as claims that it takes only 7 days to change a habit. I enjoyed his chapters on unlearning consumerism and distraction, but his experiments on unlearning comfort and stability were nonstarters for me. For six months, he gave up his apartment and stayed with friends or even strangers both in town or traveling for business. His comments on transactional behaviors (such as gift giving) were interesting. I don’t expect too much from books like this, but I got a few interesting ideas and it was enjoyable enough.