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The E

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The E is currently reading

Wool (Wool, #1)

by Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 16, 2025 12:17PM

The E is currently reading

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

by James Clear (Goodreads Author)

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The E said: " Here's the thing. I'm not done. I read 40 pages and I had problems. I will be skipping a bit and reading the actual rules or "laws" because my book club convinced me.

As I write this, keep in mind:
1) I WANTED to read this. When it came up in book club Here's the thing. I'm not done. I read 40 pages and I had problems. I will be skipping a bit and reading the actual rules or "laws" because my book club convinced me.

As I write this, keep in mind:
1) I WANTED to read this. When it came up in book club, I thought "there are definitely habits I need" and was interested.
2) I recognize this is part of a particular genre. It's a genre that focuses on type A "WOO GO BE A WINNER" nonsense. I'm not in that audience. But I am in an audience of people who are introverted but need ways to improve themselves.

Early on there is a very strong vibe of "no errors allowed." I understand he addresses that, but when you get this vibe in the first 20 pages, it's intimidating. It doesn't make me feel like I can do the things I need to do.

A serious problem with the book is that Clear isn't really a competent writer. He can list out his process, but he can't message it in a way that the people who need it most will get it. For example, I really didn't like his ice metaphor. I found it... confused at best. I realized later this is because of his hate for goals. Good goals are defined in ways that you can measure progress, even if it's not immediately visible. If I have a thermometer, and I know that the ice will melt when it passes 32 F, I can see that temperature rising, and so the progress remains visible. Seriously, that's my first thought. I see what he's getting at, but it's poorly written.

Oh, did I say he hates goals? I am told he later makes allowances for them. But in the beginning pages he dedicates a lot of page space to telling you goals are terrible. He lists ways "goals" (not poorly framed goals, not the wrong perception of goals, but the concept of goals) hurt you and "are at odds with long-term progress."

That's ridiculous. What's the point of implementing a process if you don't have a goal in mind?

Then he goes into identity, and how important that is. He says habits are an expression of your identity. And yes, I'm clear that he doesn't mean divine identity or something so existential. Just "I'm a person who writes" or "I play football." So to establish new habits, express a new identity. Then he immediately closes that circle with saying you get that new identity by establishing new habits. Real chicken and egg situation, and not helpfully presented.

It is, incidentally, this identity centrality that makes his usage of "winner" and "loser" infuriating and insulting. He has explicitly tied failure to gain a habit with being a loser. You are a loser if you focus on goals. He further explicitly divorces outcomes (ie, achieved goals) from identity. You can't be a person who got a degree, or earned an Eagle Scout rank, or ran a marathon.

It's not till page 39 that he says "you don't need to be perfect." Up till then there is a lot of loser and your identity sucks and "doing the right thing is easy" (both those quotes are from the text).

The counter argument to all this is how the laws are helpful and it's not all like that.

But I have to ask why the heck anyone would read as far as the rules if the first 20% of the book is shoveling this nonsense down your throat? If one-fifth the book is terrible, and it's the first one-fifth, it doesn't make any sense to read the rest. ...more "

Aug 22, 2023 10:10AM · see review