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Charles Duhigg, author portrait
Photo:Ohio State University Center for Operational Excellence·CC BY-SA 2.0·
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Charles Duhigg

American
Charles Duhigg is an American journalist and non-fiction author. He was a reporter for The New York Times. He currently writes for The New Yorker Magazine and is the author of three books: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Smarter Faster Better and Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. In 2013, Duhigg was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for a series of ten articles on the business practices of Apple and other technology companies.
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed The Power of Habit.
1
Books Reviewed

In Charles Duhigg's own words

Charles Duhigg explains the mechanics of habit formation and the habit loop in this TEDx talk.

Uploaded by TEDx Talks, 2013 · Watch on YouTube ·

The Brain Powers Down During Habits

Duhigg describes neurological studies showing that as a behavior becomes habitual, brain activity drops sharply in the middle of the routine, resembling sleep, while spiking only at the initial cue and final reward.

How Starbucks Trains Willpower

Duhigg explains that Starbucks addressed customer service blowups during long shifts by teaching employees willpower through scripted, pre-planned habits for handling stressful triggers.

Distraction Beats Willpower in Marshmallow Test

Duhigg notes that children who succeeded in the famous marshmallow test did not rely on sheer restraint, but rather premeditated strategies to reframe the treat or avert their eyes entirely.

Changing Habits by Premeditating Rewards

Duhigg explains how he replaced his afternoon cookie habit and lost 21 pounds by realizing his underlying reward was socializing, swapping a cafeteria run for a chat at Michael Barbaro's desk.

Also in this interview

On The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

In order

Charles Duhigg books in order

3 books; 1 reviewed on LuvemBooks. Dates and covers from Amazon.

  1. The Power of Habit cover
    2012
    The Power of Habit
    Our review →
  2. Smarter Faster Better cover
    2016
    Smarter Faster Better
    Amazon ↗
  3. Supercommunicators cover
    2024
    Supercommunicators
    Amazon ↗
Cover of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

4.6/5

reader rating · 40,187 ratings

Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit, originally published in February 2012 by Random House, is a work of narrative nonfiction that draws on scientific research and real-world case studies to argue that understanding the habit loop—cue, routine, reward—is the foundation of personal and organizational change. It reached bestseller lists at the New York Times, Amazon, and USA Today, and was longlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award in 2012. The book is structured to move from individual habits to organizational ones to societal ones, making it relevant to readers ranging from those seeking personal development to business leaders and policymakers. Some readers find the case studies so extensive that the prescriptive guidance can feel secondary, but the book's core framework remains one of the most discussed in the behavioral science genre.

Reviewed Mar 21, 2026

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Authors Like Charles Duhigg
David Eagleman

David Eagleman

Science & Nature
Psychology
In Incognito, David Eagleman delves into the unconscious brain processes that drive behavior, complementing Charles Duhigg's focus on automatic brain loops.
1 book reviewed
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
A

Adrian Holt

Science & Nature
Psychology
Adrian Holt's The Psychology of Everyday Life covers the same automatic behaviors and biases in a compact, fact-driven format offering broad behavioral science coverage.
1 book reviewed
The Psychology of Everyday Life
Robert Greene

Robert Greene

Science & Nature
Psychology
Self-Help & Personal Development
Robert Greene's The Laws of Human Nature shares Duhigg's behavioral depth, exploring strategy and power through an adversarial worldview rather than constructive habit change.
2 books reviewed
The 48 Laws Of Power
The Laws of Human Nature – International Bestseller on Psychology, Behavior & Human Nature
James Clear

James Clear

Science & Nature
Self-Help & Personal Development
James Clear's Atomic Habits takes Duhigg's habit-loop framework and turns it into a step-by-step system for building and breaking behaviors.
1 book reviewed
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits
Adam Grant

Adam Grant

Psychology
Self-Help & Personal Development

Adam M. Grant is an American popular science author, and professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania specializing in organizational psychology.

1 book reviewed
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
P

Paul Kleinman

Politics & Society
Psychology
Science & Nature
Paul Kleinman’s Psych 101 offers a broad survey of psychology, providing an expansive overview alongside Charles Duhigg's narrative focus on behavioral conditioning.
2 books reviewed
Psych 101
Philosophy 101: From Plato