Hard to Break: Why Our Brains Make Habits Stick

Russell Poldrack

Published by Princeton University Press 2021

Hard to Break

Why Our Brains Make Habits Stick

Russell Poldrack

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691219837

Overview
Contents

About this book

The neuroscience of why bad habits are so hard to break—and how evidence-based strategies can help us change our behavior more effectively

We all have habits we’d like to break, but for many of us it can be nearly impossible to do so. There is a good reason for this: the brain is a habit-building machine. In Hard to Break, leading neuroscientist Russell Poldrack provides an engaging and authoritative account of the science of how habits are built in the brain, why they are so hard to break, and how evidence-based strategies may help us change unwanted behaviors.

Hard to Break offers a clear-eyed tour of what neuroscience tells us about habit change and debunks “easy fixes” that aren’t backed by science. It explains how dopamine is essential for building habits and how the battle between habits and intentional goal-directed behaviors reflects a competition between different brain systems. Along the way, we learn how cues trigger habits; why we should make rules, not decisions; how the stimuli of the modern world hijack the brain’s habit machinery and lead to drug abuse and other addictions; and how neuroscience may one day enable us to hack our habits. Shifting from the individual to society, the book also discusses the massive habit changes that will be needed to address the biggest challenges of our time.

Moving beyond the hype to offer a deeper understanding of the biology of habits in the brain, Hard to Break reveals how we might be able to make the changes we desire—and why we should have greater empathy with ourselves and others who struggle to do so.

Author / Editor information

Russell A. Poldrack is the Albert Ray Lang Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. He is the author of The New Mind Readers: What Neuroimaging Can and Cannot Reveal about Our Thoughts (Princeton). He lives in San Francisco. Twitter @russpoldrack

Reviews

“This book is for anyone who has ever wondered why self-control isn’t enough. In clear, engaging writing shot through with striking personal experiences, entertaining examples, and the latest neuroscience findings, Poldrack introduces us to the hidden brain systems that control our behavior.”—Wendy Wood, author of Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick

“Hard to Break is a brilliant and supremely readable account of the neuroscience of behavior change, combining the latest science with practical advice, and—above all—hope in the bottom of the box."—Daniel J. Levitin, author of Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives

“With brilliance and lucidity, Russell Poldrack tells the complex story of why we humans succumb to our huge library of habits and how we might tame some of them for a better life. Read this book!”—Michael S. Gazzaniga, author of The Consciousness Instinct: Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind

“In this authoritative and entertaining book, Russell Poldrack explains the breakthroughs that have revolutionized our understanding of how the brain builds and maintains habits. Essential reading for anyone interested in how the mind works.”—Daniel L. Schacter, author of The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers

"Although we love to attend to our conscious thoughts, our brains succeed mostly thanks to deeply burned-in programs—from our speech to our movements to our behaviors. Poldrack takes us on a wonderful journey, highlighting just how much of our lives are defined by habits, why they are so sticky, and what might (or might not) work to loosen their grip."—David Eagleman, author of Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain

“An authoritative guide to habit, with vivid examples and an author who really knows his stuff! Russell Poldrack is the rare scientist who can push the frontier of knowledge forward and also reach back, offer his hand, and help the rest of us catch up.”—Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
List of Illustrations Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
Part I. The Habit Machine: Why We Get Stuck
1 What Is a Habit? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2 The Brain’s Habit Machinery Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	16
3 Once a Habit, Always a Habit Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	45
4 The Battle for Me Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	60
5 Self-Control The Greatest Human Strength? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	81
6 Addiction Habits Gone Bad Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	123
Part II. Coming Unstuck: The Science of Behavior Change
7 Toward a New Science of Behavior Change Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	153
8 Planning for Success Keys to Successful Behavior Change Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	161
9 Hacking Habits New Tools for Behavior Change Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	179
10 Epilogue Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	194
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	201
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	213
A note on the type Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	215