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W sidłach nawyku. Dlaczego mózg tworzy nawyki i czy można je przełamać
Każdy z nas ma swoje nawyki, czyli złożony zestaw czynności, które wykonujemy automatycznie, nie myśląc o tym, co robimy. Niektóre są nam potrzebne, innych wolelibyśmy się pozbyć. Może to jednak okazać się niemożliwe. Dlaczego? Bo nasz mózg to niezwykle potężna maszyna do tworzenia nawyków.
W swojej najnowszej książce Russell A. Poldrack bada, czym jest nawyk, skąd się bierze i jak powstaje. Opisuje mechanizm jego działania i sprawdza, które bodźce zewnętrzne sprawiają, że zaczynamy działać automatycznie. Wyjaśnia, dlaczego przełamanie nawyku jest tak trudne i jak się do tego skutecznie zabrać. Wybiega też w przyszłość i zapowiada, jak dzięki rozwojowi neuronauki będziemy mogli hakować własne mózgi.
W sidłach nawyku to książka dla każdego, komu choć raz zdarzyło się wrócić do domu, by sprawdzić, czy na pewno zamknął drzwi lub zgasił światło. Ten rzetelny przewodnik nie tylko daje praktyczne wskazówki, jak pozbyć się niechcianych nawyków, ale i pokazuje, jak je oswoić, aby służyły naszym celom.
W swojej najnowszej książce Russell A. Poldrack bada, czym jest nawyk, skąd się bierze i jak powstaje. Opisuje mechanizm jego działania i sprawdza, które bodźce zewnętrzne sprawiają, że zaczynamy działać automatycznie. Wyjaśnia, dlaczego przełamanie nawyku jest tak trudne i jak się do tego skutecznie zabrać. Wybiega też w przyszłość i zapowiada, jak dzięki rozwojowi neuronauki będziemy mogli hakować własne mózgi.
W sidłach nawyku to książka dla każdego, komu choć raz zdarzyło się wrócić do domu, by sprawdzić, czy na pewno zamknął drzwi lub zgasił światło. Ten rzetelny przewodnik nie tylko daje praktyczne wskazówki, jak pozbyć się niechcianych nawyków, ale i pokazuje, jak je oswoić, aby służyły naszym celom.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
63 people are currently reading
631 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 23, 2022
A nice introduction to current scientific knowledge on habits (so I finally know what my colleagues are talking about in lab meetings). This is also the only book about habits I found that does not worship ego depletion, thank God. The author is wary of making any overly bold claims and it feels like his interpretations of research can be trusted. I also loved the last bit about potential venues of behavioural change research!
On the downside, this read like a well-written scientific review paper, not like a non-fiction book for wider audiences. Often, the author stated something like “but things are not that simple!” and then presented contradicting results of some studies, but with little interpretation, as if the readers should make sense of them themselves. The wider public needs more hand-holding than that and so did I, even though I’m doing a PhD in a related field. I am a huge fan of Russ Poldrack’s scientific work but not such a huge fan of this kind of writing.
On the downside, this read like a well-written scientific review paper, not like a non-fiction book for wider audiences. Often, the author stated something like “but things are not that simple!” and then presented contradicting results of some studies, but with little interpretation, as if the readers should make sense of them themselves. The wider public needs more hand-holding than that and so did I, even though I’m doing a PhD in a related field. I am a huge fan of Russ Poldrack’s scientific work but not such a huge fan of this kind of writing.
May 30, 2021
Decent review of neuroscientific and psychological literature regarding habits.
Very skeptical and methodologically carefull in its approach.
Could have been way longer tho.
It offers a great deal of information, yet the representation would have benefited from being more "flashed out".
Felt a little too concise, too rigorous.
Which is an odd thing to say as there are obvious benefits with that kind of writing.
It did enhance and made more precise my thinking about habits and addiction.
Especially the distinction between model free and model based learning did stick.
Also it is possible to revisit the chapters which are extremely helpfully laid out in the audiobook.
Yet I can't help but feel that the book is not so sure about its audience. Could imagine many people being put off by the densitiy of the first chapters. Maybe some other introduction to addiction, dopamine, the brain in general would serve well.
Also the methodology explainations are important, though will not be new for the scientists reading the book, I hope.
Pros:
- Small chapters with lots of information
- Very rigorous in not prematurly accepting scientific hypothesis
- Not a drag to read
- It gives one the tools for choosing more carefully.
Cons:
- Sometimes the conclusion of experiments is given without describing the experiments sufficiently. So that it is not possible to reconstruct the inference without own research or relistening/reading like 7 times.
- It is a theoretical work which sets out to be practical but is so skeptical in its approach that not much is actually adviced.
Still, that sounds way more negative than the book actually is. Go read it. If you want to improve your habits or just want to learn something about the brain this will be a joy.
Very skeptical and methodologically carefull in its approach.
Could have been way longer tho.
It offers a great deal of information, yet the representation would have benefited from being more "flashed out".
Felt a little too concise, too rigorous.
Which is an odd thing to say as there are obvious benefits with that kind of writing.
It did enhance and made more precise my thinking about habits and addiction.
Especially the distinction between model free and model based learning did stick.
Also it is possible to revisit the chapters which are extremely helpfully laid out in the audiobook.
Yet I can't help but feel that the book is not so sure about its audience. Could imagine many people being put off by the densitiy of the first chapters. Maybe some other introduction to addiction, dopamine, the brain in general would serve well.
Also the methodology explainations are important, though will not be new for the scientists reading the book, I hope.
Pros:
- Small chapters with lots of information
- Very rigorous in not prematurly accepting scientific hypothesis
- Not a drag to read
- It gives one the tools for choosing more carefully.
Cons:
- Sometimes the conclusion of experiments is given without describing the experiments sufficiently. So that it is not possible to reconstruct the inference without own research or relistening/reading like 7 times.
- It is a theoretical work which sets out to be practical but is so skeptical in its approach that not much is actually adviced.
Still, that sounds way more negative than the book actually is. Go read it. If you want to improve your habits or just want to learn something about the brain this will be a joy.
April 5, 2024
My counseling degree was issued in 1968 and much has changed since that time in the therapy world; therefore, this read was an update for me. It also challenged me with a vast number of research projects, some good and some bad, all of which do not fully have the answers to questions that have existed for many years. The general conclusion is: that the brain is complex.
We are still "playing" with electro-convulsive therapy that was used on my dad in 1952 and with the still unknown predicted results. The author talks a great deal about dopamine, the feel-good hormone that motivates behavior while not fully understanding it when dealing with drug and alcohol addiction. The marketing industry uses many enticing commercials to sell us products we may not NEED, all the while therapists are searching for techniques to instill in their patients how to resist knowing that behavior is very difficult to change.
The first half of the book describes a large number of technical studies which I found boring, and the second half gets to the real world and provides a practical working model. This is a good read for those with an interest in human behavior.
We are still "playing" with electro-convulsive therapy that was used on my dad in 1952 and with the still unknown predicted results. The author talks a great deal about dopamine, the feel-good hormone that motivates behavior while not fully understanding it when dealing with drug and alcohol addiction. The marketing industry uses many enticing commercials to sell us products we may not NEED, all the while therapists are searching for techniques to instill in their patients how to resist knowing that behavior is very difficult to change.
The first half of the book describes a large number of technical studies which I found boring, and the second half gets to the real world and provides a practical working model. This is a good read for those with an interest in human behavior.
June 2, 2021
As a professional working in the field of behavior change, I was very interested in finding out news in this book. It is very well written, but I think the information is basic, perfect for students or audiences who look for an educated collection of information. Other than that, the applicative part of the book is quite limited and that justifies my rating.
December 25, 2023
كتاب يخليك تحب تخصص الاعصاب لانك تكتشف الجهاز العصبي مسؤول عن كل شي في جسمك ..الكتاب مبني عن دكاترة اعصاب و دماغ و دكاترة نفسيين..كل قاعدة و نتيجة موجودة في الكتاب هي كلها مبينة عن دراسات وتجارب و تم عرضها في الكتاب ..
من الاستنتاجات التي استنتجتها: دماغ الانسان مختلف عن انسان اخر…العادة قابلة للتغير لما بس تقرر و تاخد قرار وما توصل للادمان
كذبة الدوبامين وشرح كامل عنه
هذا الكتاب كان سبب رئيسي في تغير جدول ساعات نومي وكم درجة تأثير السلبي على الجهاز العصبي والدماغ لنوم المتاخر
من الاستنتاجات التي استنتجتها: دماغ الانسان مختلف عن انسان اخر…العادة قابلة للتغير لما بس تقرر و تاخد قرار وما توصل للادمان
كذبة الدوبامين وشرح كامل عنه
هذا الكتاب كان سبب رئيسي في تغير جدول ساعات نومي وكم درجة تأثير السلبي على الجهاز العصبي والدماغ لنوم المتاخر
January 26, 2024
أخيراً خلصته 😅
بالنسبالي الترجمة مكنتش سلسلة خالص للاسف
اختارت الكتاب لأنى توقعت إنه هيفيدنى بطرق فعالة في تثبيت العادات الجيدة أو التخلص من السيئة
ولكن الكتاب كان عبارة عن عرض مجمل لأبحاث علماء الأعصاب في تكون العادات
تقريبا فصل واحد بس اللى عرض فيه حلول ومساعدات ولكنها مكنتش قوية كفاية يعني
كنت مستغربة ازاى كتاب مهم كده مش مشهور لأنه بيناقش قضية مهمة جدا من وجهة نظري ولأنى تخيلت أنه هيكون متخصص وعنده أدوات افضل بكتير من اللى قدمها كتاب العادات الذرية ولكن للأسف مستفدتش منه إلا القليل
بالنسبالي الترجمة مكنتش سلسلة خالص للاسف
اختارت الكتاب لأنى توقعت إنه هيفيدنى بطرق فعالة في تثبيت العادات الجيدة أو التخلص من السيئة
ولكن الكتاب كان عبارة عن عرض مجمل لأبحاث علماء الأعصاب في تكون العادات
تقريبا فصل واحد بس اللى عرض فيه حلول ومساعدات ولكنها مكنتش قوية كفاية يعني
كنت مستغربة ازاى كتاب مهم كده مش مشهور لأنه بيناقش قضية مهمة جدا من وجهة نظري ولأنى تخيلت أنه هيكون متخصص وعنده أدوات افضل بكتير من اللى قدمها كتاب العادات الذرية ولكن للأسف مستفدتش منه إلا القليل
November 23, 2021
Heavily scientific/neuroscientific (which I actually liked), but little practical application in everyday life
February 14, 2023
ترجمة المصطلحات العلمية سيئة
April 22, 2025
TW: większość książki jest poświęcona badaniom robionych na zwierzętach laboratoryjnych. Tak 89 procent książki. Czytanie o myszach, które są specjalnie uzależniane od np kokainy czy leków – bolało mnie przy czytaniu.
O książce usłyszałam w podcaście “O zmierzchu”, w odcinku o nawykach i nałogach (bardzo fajny odcinek polecam). Z opisu wydawała mi się przystępna, prowadząca też wyciągała z poszczególnych jej rozdziałów “esencję”. Okazała się jednak dużo bardziej gęsta, warstwowa, specjalistyczna. Autor wypowiada się w niej sceptycznie względem znanych teorii, nie pozostawia jednak czytelnika z wątpliwościami. W każdy rozdział ładuje masę informacji. Książka jest napakowana, autor jest bardzo skrupulatny i metodyczny w opisywaniu wszystkiego co zebrał. Trochę autystyczny vibe.
Uważam, że lektura tej pozycji wymaga ode mnie kilkukrotnego przeczytania, żebym lepiej zrozumiała wnioski badaczy. Jestem raczej humanistką, wiem że nie zrozumiałam wszystkiego najlepiej. Mogę polecić tę książkę chyba jedynie dla osób, które interesują się biologią, psychiatrią, działaniem mózgu etc. I dla osób z dobrą pamięcią bo raz użyta nazwa np instytutu lub nazwa własna procesu eksperymentu jest potem użyta jako skrót, dla mnie to problematyczne i kilka razy czytałam niektóre rozdziały żeby lepiej pojąć treść. Imponujący reaserch jest na plus. To chyba rzadkość, że osoba z ameryki sięga po badania z całego świata jeśli chodzi o psychologię i psychiatrię. Szanuję również spójność, brak sztucznego tworzenia poradnika dla osób “w nałogach”, jedynie przedstawienie alternatyw standardowego leczenia i ich skutków – bardziej jako rozwinięcie tematu, anegdotę; a nie nakaz i coaching. Szanuję też fragmenty specjalistyczne, mimo że czytało się je najgorzej.
O książce usłyszałam w podcaście “O zmierzchu”, w odcinku o nawykach i nałogach (bardzo fajny odcinek polecam). Z opisu wydawała mi się przystępna, prowadząca też wyciągała z poszczególnych jej rozdziałów “esencję”. Okazała się jednak dużo bardziej gęsta, warstwowa, specjalistyczna. Autor wypowiada się w niej sceptycznie względem znanych teorii, nie pozostawia jednak czytelnika z wątpliwościami. W każdy rozdział ładuje masę informacji. Książka jest napakowana, autor jest bardzo skrupulatny i metodyczny w opisywaniu wszystkiego co zebrał. Trochę autystyczny vibe.
Uważam, że lektura tej pozycji wymaga ode mnie kilkukrotnego przeczytania, żebym lepiej zrozumiała wnioski badaczy. Jestem raczej humanistką, wiem że nie zrozumiałam wszystkiego najlepiej. Mogę polecić tę książkę chyba jedynie dla osób, które interesują się biologią, psychiatrią, działaniem mózgu etc. I dla osób z dobrą pamięcią bo raz użyta nazwa np instytutu lub nazwa własna procesu eksperymentu jest potem użyta jako skrót, dla mnie to problematyczne i kilka razy czytałam niektóre rozdziały żeby lepiej pojąć treść. Imponujący reaserch jest na plus. To chyba rzadkość, że osoba z ameryki sięga po badania z całego świata jeśli chodzi o psychologię i psychiatrię. Szanuję również spójność, brak sztucznego tworzenia poradnika dla osób “w nałogach”, jedynie przedstawienie alternatyw standardowego leczenia i ich skutków – bardziej jako rozwinięcie tematu, anegdotę; a nie nakaz i coaching. Szanuję też fragmenty specjalistyczne, mimo że czytało się je najgorzej.
July 17, 2021
Poldrack offers a wide-ranging and accessible overview of the neuroscience and psychology of habit and behavior change. If you want to get the big picture of these and related topics (willpower, self-control, and addiction), you can't do much better than reading this book.
The first part deals with the science of habit, and the second part with the science of behavior change. It is very striking to see the difference between the two: the first one describes long-term research projects that slowly (and not always continuously) add up to a big picture of habit, self-control, and addiction. You see scientific progress there!
The second part is not as rosy. It feels much more fragmentary, and is much more filled with research projects that don't seem to live up to the initial expectations.
Poldrack concludes stating he is optimistic about the future of behavior change science. That is not how the book made me feel.
The first part deals with the science of habit, and the second part with the science of behavior change. It is very striking to see the difference between the two: the first one describes long-term research projects that slowly (and not always continuously) add up to a big picture of habit, self-control, and addiction. You see scientific progress there!
The second part is not as rosy. It feels much more fragmentary, and is much more filled with research projects that don't seem to live up to the initial expectations.
Poldrack concludes stating he is optimistic about the future of behavior change science. That is not how the book made me feel.
August 10, 2024
This book was incredibly insightful on the research in psychology and neuroscience on the aspects of behavior mechanisms in your brain and the real world examples that trouble us all in one way or another.
It spends a very small amount of time (imo) on actionable advice toward personal change recommendations, with about 2 small chapters. While insightful, I did crave more of this insight over the generalized summary "your brain is wired a certain way and doing anything to change it is basically futile, but ya know... Give it a try, ya never know" feeling it presented.
I agree with other reviewers, this book isn't for a wide target audience. Much like college courses, I'd say an interest in historic and ongoing scientific research is a good prerequisite to enjoying this style of writing.
It spends a very small amount of time (imo) on actionable advice toward personal change recommendations, with about 2 small chapters. While insightful, I did crave more of this insight over the generalized summary "your brain is wired a certain way and doing anything to change it is basically futile, but ya know... Give it a try, ya never know" feeling it presented.
I agree with other reviewers, this book isn't for a wide target audience. Much like college courses, I'd say an interest in historic and ongoing scientific research is a good prerequisite to enjoying this style of writing.
September 21, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this!! This book is the perfect balance between the trustworthiness of a scientific paper and the easiness of a book. It was such a good summery of all we know about the neuroscience of habits and all we still don’t know. It was so interesting and also gives some more reading material by noting all the different scientific research it mentions throughout the book. The book was easy to read but also didn’t feel like it was written for people who are clueless about science. I truly recommend this one to people who are interested in neuroscience and to people who want to know the reality behind habits.
May 24, 2021
One of the best book that really delves into the habit making cognitive brain structure , authors interpretation about the mechanism of the brain ( which itself considered as complex organ to explain) gives the reader an insight how actually habits are formed and what productive strategies need to be applied In order to get desired results , I can easily assure you that’s not the ordinary book the whole thesis in the book is coming from a psychologist and is highly relatable in the world which itself transformed into a digital chaos.
July 12, 2022
Poldrack in this book makes an attempt to summarize the neuroscientific literature on habits, addictions and ultimately behavior change in individuals. He does a good job in highlighting some of the important researches that have paved the way and led to the current understanding of the biological mechanisms that underlie behavior change. I appreciate his attempt to negate and leave out esoteric jargon and make this as straightforward as possible for the non-neuroscientist reader. The future of behavior change does indeed look bright, cheers!
November 8, 2022
informative but wordy. Didn't learn anything new or didnt havebeliefs challenged which makes it a boring read.
tl;dr: 1. habits are how we survive, the brain is a habit making machine 2. Habits are very difficult to break because brain is a mystery 3. make structural interventions to break habits and form good ones 4. we dont really know how to break bad habits well because brain is a mystery 5. all the promising new research in this area is several decades if not more away from something of use to the common man. 6. Just try and not form bad habits because breaking them is pretty hard.
tl;dr: 1. habits are how we survive, the brain is a habit making machine 2. Habits are very difficult to break because brain is a mystery 3. make structural interventions to break habits and form good ones 4. we dont really know how to break bad habits well because brain is a mystery 5. all the promising new research in this area is several decades if not more away from something of use to the common man. 6. Just try and not form bad habits because breaking them is pretty hard.
March 25, 2024
I learned a lot about the current scientific understanding of how habits form and why they are so hard to break, no matter how good our intentions. Poldrack is clear up front that he offers no magic bullets. In fact, as he explains how the brain works, he ends up discrediting the effectiveness of a lot of common solutions to changing your behavior. Even with that, the book was very interesting and included a lot of helpful information. Also, it was very well edited, a rarity today.
January 2, 2022
A great and accessible introduction to the neuroscience of habits and behaviour. Good discussion of reliability and encouraged critical thinking. CW for drug use, alcoholism, disordered eating, use of lab rats.
March 27, 2024
Too detailed topic coverage lacking the big picture. The author is hitting around the bush in his narrative trying to cover too many scientific details. He does not see the forrest for the trees. As a result, the reader is as much unconvinced and disoriented as he could be.
May 27, 2022
Audiobook
November 19, 2022
Book without conclusions and with no practical protocols that could be followed.
February 27, 2025
Very scientific and would help if you have a background in science BUT a very cool book and would recommend
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews