sipho_md 's review for:

The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal

4.0

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A really practical and informative look at willpower - what it is and how it can be improved - by a Stanford psychologist. There is a depth of research and science that has gone into this book, which is to be lauded. At the same time, the author managed to make it fairly easy to read and actionable.

Willpower, according to McGonigal, is a muscle. As with any muscle, it gets stronger by training and being stressed. She also provides useful ways to identify when your willpower is being tested and how to overcome these tests.

Incidentally, I was reading this at the same time I was going through "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. There is a surprising overlap between the ideas there and what is talked about here. This makes sense as habits are closely linked to willpower. However, in some ways, this book seems to suggest that exercising willpower can (and maybe should) become a habit in itself.