What's the secret of success- brains, looks, connections? The real answer is willpower. Based on years of psychological research, this book shows how self-control is the most important factor in achieving what you want - and how you can discover the power in willpower. Whether it's ditching your usual to-do list, practicing positive procrastination or never making a decision before lunch, Willpower will teach you how to gain from self-control without pain, and take charge of your life. 'Phenomenally perceptive. Ignore it at your peril.' Stephen J. Dubner, coauthor of Freakonomics 'An instant classic . . . Willpower can help people lead better lives - be better parents, stay organized, and lose weight more wisely . . . a brilliant book.' Daily Beast 'Sinfully delicious - once you start reading, you won't be able to stop.' Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling On Happiness 'Immensely rewarding . . . filled with wise advice and insightful reflections.' Steven Pinker, The New York Times Book Review 'Willpower rather than self-esteem is the essential ingredient for a successful life . . . The good news is that, unlike intelligence, it is a muscle that can be exercised and encouraged to grow.' Sunday Times 'Willpower is back in fashion.' Observer'
Industry Reviews
Willpower (the thing) lies at the curious intersection of science and behavior. Willpower (the book) lies at the intersection of Roy Baumeister, an extraordinarily creative scientist, and John Tierney, a phenomenally perceptive journalist. Ignore it at your peril -- Stephen J. Dubner, coauthor of 'Freakonomics' and 'SuperFreakonomics'
[An] instant classic...[Willpower shows how]...recent research can help people lead better lives - be better parents, stay organized, and lose weight more wisely...[A] brilliant book -- Jamie Holmes * Daily Beast *
An accessible, empirically grounded guide to willpower and how best to deploy it to overcome temptation...Should one need a more practical sales pitch for the importance of willpower, Messrs. Baumeister and Tierney point to ... its over-riding importance for academic, personal, career and financial success... Willpower offers no shortage of helpful strategies to compensate for weakness of will -- Cordelia Fine * Wall Street Journal *
Willpower affects almost every aspect of our lives...Tierney and Baumeister have given us a wonderful book in which they not only share fascinating research on the subject but also provide simple tricks to help us tap into this important quality -- Dan Ariely, Duke University, author of 'Predictably Irrational'
Willpower is sinfully delicious -- once you start reading, you won't be able to stop. A fascinating account of the exciting new science of self-control -- Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University, author of 'Stumbling On Happiness'
As wonderfully entertaining as it is enlightening! Tierney and Baumeister have produced a highly intelligent work full of fascinating information (and great advice) about a core element of modern living. Bravo -- David Allen, author of 'Getting Things Done and Making It All Work'
This little masterpiece is a must read for all of us who want to exercise, diet, manage our time, be thrifty, and resist temptation -- Martin Seligman, University of Pennsylvania, former president of American Psychological Association, author of 'Authentic Happiness and Flourish'
This is a manual from heaven for anyone who has ever wanted to lose weight, stop smoking, drink less, work more efficiently and more intelligently. An astonishingly good -- and accessible -- inquiry into one of the more elusive areas of human psychology -- Christopher Buckley, author 'Thank You for Smoking' and 'Losing Mum and Pup'
Deep and provocative analysis of people's battle with temptation and masterful insights into understanding willpower: why we have it, why we don't, and how to build it. A terrific read -- Ravi Dhar, Yale School of Management, Director of Center for Customer Insights
A Guardian 2012 Literary Highlight * Guardian *
Willpower rather than self-esteem is the essential ingredient for a successful life...The good news, according to the authors, is that willpower, unlike intelligence, is a muscle that can be exercised and encouraged to grow...The book's success in America underlines its timeliness...I suspect that all the politicians currently talking about "alarm-clock Britain" will be studying this book closely...people could benefit from reading this book -- Daisy Goodwin * Sunday Times *
