Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

This was the perfect book to close out February and make my leap day "productive"! James Clear explains his ideas about habits and routines with such clarity, providing actionable tips that can easily be applied to readers' own lives. I can definitely see what all the hype is about, and I'm looking forward to a possible future reread with the physical book, so I can better highlight and take notes. Already, I've experienced the really wonderful effects of tracking one page per day (thanks, Storygraph!), and thanks to this book, I think it might be time to invest in creating a habit tracker for other habits as well — and transform my life for the better.

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megelizabeth's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

"Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be."

This isn't the kind of book I usually gravitate towards, but I definitely read it at the right time; it gave me a lot to think about and I do feel as if I got a lot out of it. The author's passion for what he's writing about completely shines through and he writes in a really accessible, engaging way that made this an easier read than I was expecting.

I didn't love how many references to weight loss there are, and it also falls a bit into the 'you always have to be productive' trap, which I appreciate could potentially be harmful or distressing to some. However, for me, the tone felt light enough that I felt I could take away and apply what was personally relevant and not feel the need to follow every single step all the time, and I think that kind of small positive impact across a bunch of readers can only be a good thing.

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llis's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.75

a nice short book that explains the science behind habits and illustrates it well with example stories!
the mention of the atomic habits website got a bit annoying but most of the time it was necessary since i was listening to an audiobook and they wanted to show illustrating graphs.

trigger warning! the very beginning of the book describes in detail the author’s traumatic injury and if you’re sensitive to talk of injury or blood it is very much fine to skip it. i had to pause it multiple times in order to get through but it really doesn’t add much value to the book and i wish i’d skipped it.

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eleanorjmca's review against another edition

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informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

This book is of a higher calibre than most self-help books of its type. Lots of thought-provoking material and good practical advice. The overused real life examples which I’ve found to be a staple of this genre are also more relevant here than in other similar books. My main criticism would be that the author’s account of his life-threatening injuries that is provided as background is just too graphic and lengthy a story to open the book with. You might want to skip past this introduction and return to it later. Audiobook was well read by the author, but probably better to get this as a print book rather than an audio book as a lot of charts and graphs are not included with the audiobook and need to be downloaded separately.

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justagirlwithbooks's review against another edition

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4.75

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”

This book... what do I even say? It's short, effective, digestible. It gave me tips on habit building and also made it interesting to learn about, even if I already knew about them. This is definitely a book that I'll return to if I need to. It was really that good. The only thing was that at some parts, the book dragged and it could have been shorter, but even then, it's a really good book.

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clavishorti's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.0

When delving into the opening pages of James Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the choice of a simple yet highly effective writing style. The language employed is not just a means of communication; its simplicity serves as a unique allure, enabling readers to easily grasp each concept presented by the author.

With high expectations, I ventured further into the pages of this book, hoping for the revelation of profound and original ideas. Unfortunately, this literary journey did not entirely fulfill the lofty expectations I carried. While the book presents a series of principles and ideas relevant to habit formation, there is a tendency for the author to rely on concepts and research from external sources, providing more of a sense of amalgamation than creation. I yearned for a more distinct voice from the author himself. I found myself wanting a deeper connection to James Clear’s own insights and perspectives rather than a predominant reliance on external findings. This absence of a more personal touch left a void in the narrative, impacting the overall resonance of the book.

A notable aspect that stands out is the repetition of messages, which, while intended to ensure reader understanding, sometimes gives rise to monotony. On several occasions, I found myself having to reread pages to ensure comprehensive understanding. Nevertheless, it cannot be ignored that the book also introduces positive elements that add value. Each chapter is accompanied by a summary that provides focus and facilitates reflection, adding a structural dimension that I appreciate. However, as I reached the conclusion, disappointment resurfaced. The ending felt somewhat inadequate, leaving me with a desire for a more thorough understanding or a stronger conclusion.

Although this book may not entirely meet my expectations, I acknowledge that every reader has a unique and subjective experience with a work. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones may not be the perfect answer for everyone, but as a piece of literature paving the way for positive change, it offers inspiration and fundamental considerations that are valuable.

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qteabeans's review against another edition

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hopeful informative fast-paced

4.0

Clear, concise, and generally non-judgemental. It tries to balance the idea that you can change your life but that you aren't a failure if your life doesn't look how you want. It looses out on being a top-tier read because it was clearly anti-fat and classist at many points.

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