Better Than Before
How to Make and Break Habits - and Build a Happier Life
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Better Than Before
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Narrated by:
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Gretchen Rubin
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By:
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Gretchen Rubin
About this listen
***NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER***
The author of The Happiness Project and "a force for real change" (Brené Brown) examines how changing our habits can change our lives.
"A LOT OF US WOULD LIKE A RUBIN IN OUR LIVES" The Times
"FASCINATING, PERSUASIVE" Guardian
Most of us have a habit we'd like to change, and there's no shortage of expert advice. But as we all know from tough experience, no magic, one-size-fits-all solution exists. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives.
In Better Than Before, acclaimed writer Gretchen Rubin identifies every approach that actually works. She presents a practical, concrete framework to allow listeners to understand their habits - and to change them for good.
Infused with Rubin's compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humour, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, Better Than Before explains the (sometimes counterintuitive) core principles of habit formation and answers the most perplexing questions about habits:
* Why do we find it tough to create a habit for something we love to do?
* How can we keep our healthy habits when we're surrounded by temptations?
* How can we help someone else change a habit?
Rubin reveals the true secret to habit change: first, we must know ourselves. When we shape our habits to suit ourselves, we can find success - even if we've failed before.
Whether you want to eat more healthfully, stop checking devices, or finish a project, the invaluable ideas in Better Than Before will start you working on your own habits - even before you've finished the book.
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Critic reviews
"Do you have a bad habit you're trying to shake, or a good one you wish you could cultivate? Gretchen Rubin is one of the most charming and erudite authors of her generation. Here, she uses her gifts to help you eat right, sleep well, stop procrastinating and start enjoying all that life has to offer." (Susan Cain, best-selling author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking)
"Filled with insights about our patterns of behavior, Better Than Before addresses one of life's big and timeless questions: How can we transform ourselves? In a way that's thought-provoking, surprising and often funny, Gretchen Rubin provides us with the tools to build a life that truly reflects our goals and values." (Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post and best-selling author of Thrive)
"Gretchen Rubin combines deep research and observations from her own life to explain how habits emerge and - more important - how they can change. It's indispensable for anyone hoping to overhaul how they (almost unthinkingly) behave." (Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit)
What listeners say about Better Than Before
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gio
- 09-11-18
Best book on habits
I like the fact that she doesn’t have general tactics to acquire new habits and takes into account that each person is different.
Moreover, you can see that she’s tried it all and is passionate about the subject.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nicola Somers
- 30-10-20
So practical and useful!
Great book, she explains things so well. This book helped me start to form some really good habits and keep them going. I love listening to her research 💕
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alid7600
- 02-03-16
Brilliant!
I absolutely loved this book. I had bought it a while ago but hadn't got round to reading it. I wish I'd picked it up sooner. Made me completely rethink how to approach things in the future and I would actually like to read this book again, something I have never done before.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emmie Lou
- 25-06-18
Life changing
This book has helped me to change many areas of my life. Gretchen is so inspiring and really knows her stuff.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Miss S. Hilditch
- 03-04-21
Read I
I have read a couple of very good books about habits and habit formation, so I was a little bit sceptical about what this one could offer that would be anything different. However, what this book offers is a way of thinking about setting more importantly, sticking to habits that compliments an individual's personality.
For example, Gretchen talks about people being Larks (morning people) or Owls (night time people), and she says that if you really struggle to get up in the morning, there's no point in setting a habit like "I'll get up at 5:30 every morning and go for a run". It sounds obvious but for years as an Owl myself I have been being myself up about my inability to use early mornings more effectively. Turns out I can try other strategies that fit in with my personality type rather than trying to squeeze into a mould that wasn't made to fit me.
I would really recommend this book for anybody who is trying to form better habits. Gretchen identifies four personality types, explains how they differ from each other and how you can identify your own type to help you adapt your choices to help form lasting habits.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Rozalind Williams
- 28-01-20
Amazing
What a beautifully crafted, interesting book! I've recommended this before I even finished it. It offers unique insight into our attitudes towards our lives and the habitual nature of the self. I hope I remember this book forever.
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- Demetri
- 13-06-15
Excellent, well worth listening to
Very practical advice on building effective habits. Found the insights in the book very useful indeed, especially the insight about what type of person you are: upholder, questioner, obliger or rebel.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 14-04-20
I absolutely loved it
It is a masterpiece!
Very useful to make yourself thinking about your personality and then tailor the babits that works for you.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Suzanne
- 14-10-15
Inspiring
I found this book inspiring! Really useful for helping to shape your day for the better. It's already helped me to understand myself better and how to make changes that work for me.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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- Turine Tran
- 27-02-18
A few blogs entries expanded to be a book
Would you try another book written by Gretchen Rubin or narrated by Gretchen Rubin?
No
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
Some interesting insights from an observant blogger, but that's it. Each chapter seems to be an expanded version of a blog entry. On a blog, you can be self-referential, talk non-stop about your family and all your insights from learning them, but to make the insights into a book that can last for some time, come on, you need better supporting info and research (which are everywhere). Therefore, the writing is very casual, extremely self referential, and way too long. The writer makes very strong claims such as there are 4 types of personalities that she herself defines and bases her habit-development tips on. Interesting thoughts here and there, but lost in her American centric endless stories and examples of family and close friends. Might be more enjoyable as blog entries, but please don't try to make them longer than they should be in order to make a book!
Do you think Better Than Before needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
NOOOOO! It's way too long for the content it delivers and poorly supported.
Any additional comments?
The writer should have looked deeper into past research so her writing can be supported by proper sources rather than her very small circle of family and friends.
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9 people found this helpful