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

This book is totally worth the read if you are looking to view your behavior differently and even make some informed life changes! I am a clinical psychotherapist and I’m VERY careful on book recommendations to give clients for supplemental reading, as many self-help books are trash and even harmful. After reading it I feel comfortable encouraging others to read it. James Clear does a great job at making the material not just palatable, but memorable and succinct! There are a few mentions of dieting and weightloss that I found to be inaccurate or promoting a skewed perspective of eating and fitness habits when used in examples, but other than that it’s a good read based on the collection of empirically-backed data and research.

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cowboylikestoread43's review

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hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.75

Lots of mention of weight loss which I didn’t appreciate but otherwise very informative

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rustylasagna's review against another edition

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informative slow-paced

3.0

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mjwilliamson's review against another edition

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Found it extremely triggering with all the allusions to eating management, calorie counting and weight tracking. I don’t even have a body-dysmorphic related ED but it’s the casual references and nonchalance about it all that got to me. As a result I’m only going to read the chapter summaries because I want to learn from him but I can’t do the whole thing.

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threadpanda's review

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informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

Overall, I think the information in the book is very helpful and can be applied in many ways. However, I really did lot care for the author’s tone and writing style—it felt very condescending and repetitive.

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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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