Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by C

Description: Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg Subtitle in pre-publication: The secrets of productivity in life and business. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators and "master of the life hack" (GQ) explores the fascinating science of productivity and offers real-world takeaways to apply your life, whether youre chasing peak productivity or simply trying to get back on track."Duhigg melds cutting-edge science, deep reporting, and wide-ranging stories to give us a fuller, more human way of thinking about how productivity actually happens."—Susan Cain, author of Quiet In The Power of Habit, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Charles Duhigg explained why we do what we do. In Smarter Faster Better, he applies the same relentless curiosity and rich storytelling to how we can improve at the things we do. At the core of Smarter Faster Better are eight key concepts—from motivation and goal setting to focus and decision making—that explain why some people and companies get so much done. Drawing on the latest findings in neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral economics—as well as the experiences of CEOs, educational reformers, four-star generals, FBI agents, airplane pilots, and Broadway songwriters—this book reveals that the most productive people, companies, and organizations dont merely act differently. They view the world, and their choices, in profoundly different ways. Smarter Faster Better is a story-filled exploration of the science of productivity, one that can help us learn to succeed with less stress and struggle—and become smarter, faster, and better at everything we do. Author Biography Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist and the author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. A graduate of Harvard Business School and Yale College, he is a winner of the National Academies of Sciences, National Journalism, and George Polk awards. He writes for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and other publications, and is the host of the podcast How To! with Charles Duhigg. Review "A pleasure to read . . . [Charles] Duhiggs skill as a storyteller makes his book so engaging to read."—The New York Times Book Review "Not only will Smarter Faster Better make you more efficient if you heed its tips, it will also save you the effort of reading many productivity books dedicated to the ideas inside."—Bloomberg Businessweek "Duhigg pairs relatable anecdotes with the research behind why some people and businesses are not as efficient as others. . . . He takes readers from inside the cockpit of a crashing plane to the writing room of Disneys Frozen."—Chicago Tribune "The book covers a lot of ground through meticulous reporting and deft analysis, presenting a wide range of case studies . . . with insights that apply to the rest of us."—The Wall Street Journal "[Duhigg] looks at the numerous ways that people can become more effective, whether in improving motivation, setting goals, making decisions or thinking creatively . . . [Hes] an effective storyteller with a knack for combining social science, fastidious reporting and entertaining anecdotes."—The Economist "Engagingly written, solidly reported, thought-provoking and worth a read."—Associated Press "Charles Duhigg is the master of the life hack."—GQ "A gifted storyteller, Duhigg . . . combines his reporting skills with cutting-edge research in psychology and behavioural economics to explain why some companies and people get so much done, while some fail. Almost all books written in this genre are full of case studies and stories, but Duhiggs storytelling skills make this book memorable and persuasive. Duhigg succeeds in challenging our mindsets and existing thought processes. It is not just another productivity book. It is about making sense of overwhelming data we live with."—The Financial Express "There are valuable lessons in Smarter, Faster, Better. . . . Duhigg is a terrific storyteller, and a master of the cliffhanger."—Financial Times"As he did in The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg melds cutting-edge science, deep reporting, and wide-ranging stories to give us a fuller, more human way of thinking about how productivity actually happens. He manages to reframe an entire cultural conversation: Being productive isnt only about the day-to-day and to-do lists. Its about seeing our lives as a series of choices, and learning that we have power over how we think about the world."—Susan Cain, author of Quiet "A brilliant distillation of the personal and organizational behaviors that produce extraordinary results. Duhigg uses engaging storytelling to highlight fascinating research and core principles that we can all learn and use in our daily lives. A masterful must-read for anyone who wants to get more (and more creative) stuff done."—David Allen, author of Getting Things Done "Charles Duhigg has a gift for asking just the right question, and then igniting the same curiosity in the rest of us. In Smarter Faster Better he finds provocative answers to a riddle of our age: how to become more productive (by two times, or even ten times) and less busy, how to be more effective in the world and more in control of our lives. Duhigg has rendered, yet again, a great service with his sharp, lucid prose."—Jim Collins, author of Good to Great Review Quote "A pleasure to read . . . [Charles] Duhiggs skill as a storyteller makes his book so engaging to read." -- The New York Times Book Review Excerpt from Book 1 Motivation Reimagining Boot Camp, Nursing Home Rebellions, and the Locus of Control The trip was intended as a celebration, a twenty-nine-day tour of South America that would take Robert, who had just turned sixty, and his wife, Viola, first to Brazil, then over the Andes into Bolivia and Peru. Their itinerary included tours of Incan ruins, a boat trip on Lake Titicaca, the occasional craft market, and a bit of birding. That much relaxation, Robert had joked with friends before leaving, seemed unsafe. He was already anticipating the fortune he would spend on calls to his secretary. Over the previous half century Robert Philippe had built a small gas station into an auto parts empire in rural Louisiana and had made himself into a Bayou mogul through hard work, charisma, and hustle. In addition to the auto-parts business, he also owned a chemical company, a paper supplier, various swaths of land, and a real estate firm. And now here he was, entering his seventh decade, and his wife had convinced him to spend a month in a bunch of countries where, he suspected, it would be awfully difficult to find a TV showing the LSU-Ole Miss game. Robert liked to say there wasnt a dirt road or back alley along the Gulf Coast he hadnt driven at least once to drum up business. As Philippe Incorporated had grown, Robert had become famous for dragging big-city businessmen from New Orleans and Atlanta out to ramshackle bars and forbidding them from leaving until the ribs were picked clean and bottles sucked dry. Then, while everyone nursed painful hangovers the next morning, Robert would convince them to sign deals worth millions. Bartenders always knew to fill his glass with club soda while serving the bigwigs cocktails. Robert hadnt touched booze in years. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the chamber of commerce, past president of the Louisiana Association of Wholesalers and the Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission, the chairman of his local bank, and a loyal donor to whichever political party was more inclined to endorse his business permits that day. "You never met a man who loved working so much," his daughter, Roxann, told me. Robert and Viola had been looking forward to this South American trip. But when they stepped off the plane in La Paz, midway through the monthlong tour, Robert started acting oddly. He staggered through the airport and had to sit down to catch his breath at the baggage claim. When a group of children approached him to ask for coins, Robert threw change at their feet and laughed. In the bus to the hotel, Robert started a loud, rambling monologue about various countries he had visited and the relative attractiveness of the women who lived there. Maybe it was the altitude. At twelve thousand feet, La Paz is one of the highest cities in the world. Once they were unpacked, Viola urged Robert to nap. He wasnt interested, he said. He wanted to go out. For the next hour, he marched through town buying trinkets and exploding in a rage whenever locals didnt understand English. He eventually agreed to return to the hotel and fell asleep, but woke repeatedly during the night to vomit. The next morning, he said he felt faint but became angry when Viola suggested he rest. He spent the third day in bed. On day four, Viola decided enough was enough and cut the vacation short. Back home in Louisiana, Robert seemed to improve. His disorientation faded and he stopped saying strange things. His wife and children, however, were still worried. Robert was lethargic and refused to leave the house unless prodded. Viola had expected him to rush into the office upon their return, but after four days he hadnt so much as checked in with his secretary. When Viola reminded him that deer hunting season was approaching and hed need to get a license, Robert said he thought hed skip it this year. She phoned a doctor. Soon, they were driving to the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. The chief of neurology, Dr. Richard Strub, put Robert through a battery of tests. Vital signs were normal. Blood work showed nothing unusual. No indication of infection, diabetes, heart attack, or stroke. Robert demonstrated understanding of that days newspaper and could clearly recall his childhood. He could interpret a short story. The Revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale showed a normal IQ. "Can you describe your business to me?" Dr. Strub asked. Robert explained how his company was organized and the details of a few contracts they had recently won. "Your wife says youre behaving differently," Dr. Strub said. "Yeah," Robert replied. "I dont seem to have as much get-up-and-go as I used to." "It didnt seem to bother him," Dr. Strub later told me. "He told me about the personality changes very matter of fact, like he was describing the weather." Except for the sudden apathy, Dr. Strub couldnt find evidence of illness or injury. He suggested to Viola they wait a few weeks to see if Roberts disposition improved. When they returned a month later, however, there had been no change. Robert wasnt interested in seeing old friends, his wife said. He didnt read anymore. Previously, it had been infuriating to watch television with him because he would flip from channel to channel, looking for a more exciting show. Now, he just stared at the screen, indifferent to what was on. She had finally convinced him to go into the office, but his secretary said he spent hours at his desk gazing into space. "Are you unhappy or depressed?" Dr. Strub asked. "No," Robert said. "I feel good." "Can you tell me how you spent yesterday?" Robert described a day of watching television. "You know, your wife tells me your employees are concerned because they dont see you around the office much," said Dr. Strub. "I guess Im more interested in other things now," Robert replied. "Like what?" "Oh, I dont know," Robert said, and then went silent and stared at the wall. Dr. Strub prescribed various medications--drugs to combat hormonal imbalances and attention disorders--but none seemed to make a difference. People suffering from depression will say they are unhappy and describe hopeless thoughts. Robert, however, said he was satisfied with life. He admitted his personality change was odd, but it didnt upset him. Dr. Strub administered an MRI, which allowed him to collect images from inside Roberts cranium. Deep inside his skull, near the center of Roberts head, he saw a small shadow, evidence that burst vessels had caused a tiny amount of blood to pool temporarily inside a part of Roberts brain known as the striatum. Such injuries, in rare cases, can cause brain damage or mood swings. But except for the listlessness, there was little in Roberts behavior to suggest that he was suffering any neurological disability. A year later, Dr. Strub submitted an article to the Archives of Neurology. Roberts "behavior change was characterized by apathy and lack of motivation," he wrote. "He has given up his hobbies and fails to make timely decisions in his work. He knows what actions are required in his business, yet he procrastinates and leaves details unattended. Depression is not present." The cause of this passivity, Dr. Strub suggested, was the slight damage in his brain, which had possibly been triggered by Bolivias altitude. Even that, however, was uncertain. "It is possible that the hemorrhages are coincidental and that the high altitude played no physiologic role." It was an interesting but ultimately inconclusive case, Dr. Strub wrote. Over the next two decades, a handful of other studies appeared in medical journals. There was the sixty-year-old professor who experienced a rapid "decrease in interest." He had been an expert in his field with a fierce work ethic. Then, one day, he simply stopped. "I just lack spirit, energy," he told his physician. "I have no go. I must force myself to get up in the morning." There was a nineteen-year-old woman who had fallen briefly unconscious after a carbon monoxide leak and then seemed to lose motivation for the most basic tasks. She would sit in one position all day unless forced to move. Her father learned he couldnt leave her alone, as a neurologist wrote, when she "was found by her parents with heavy sunburns on the beach at the very same place where she laid down several hours before, under an umbrella: intense inertia had prevented her from changing her position with that of the shadow while the sun had turned around." There was a retired police officer who began waking up "late in the morning, would not wash unless urged to do so, but meekly complied as soon as his wife asked him to. Then he would sit in his armchair, from which he would not move." There was a middle-aged man who was stung by a wasp and, not long after, lost the desire to interact with his wife, children, and business associates. In the late 1980s, a French neurologist in Marseille named Michel Habib heard about a few of these cases, became intrigued, and started searching archives and journals for similar stories. The studies he found were rare but consistent: A relative would bring a patient in for an examination, complaining of a sudden change in behavior and passivity. Doctors would find nothing medically wrong. The patients scored normally when tested for mental illness. They had moderate to high IQs and appeared physically healthy. None of them said they felt depressed or complained about their apathy. Habib began contacting the physicians treating these patients and asked them Details ISBN081299339X Author Charles Duhigg Language English ISBN-10 081299339X ISBN-13 9780812993394 Media Book Format Hardcover Short Title SMARTER FASTER BETTER DEWEY 158 Pages 400 Year 2016 Publication Date 2016-03-08 Subtitle The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2016-03-08 NZ Release Date 2016-03-08 US Release Date 2016-03-08 UK Release Date 2016-03-08 Place of Publication New York Publisher Random House USA Inc Imprint Random House USA Inc Illustrations LINE DRAWINGS THROUGHOUT Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:141727140;

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