Katy Milkman - How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Praise for How To Change

A must read for anyone looking to improve their habitsor their life.

Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit

If youre dreaming of a new you, start here.

Dan Heath, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Made to Stick and Switch

Smart, pioneering, and packed with the biggest breakthroughs of our decade.

Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO, Thrive Global

Katy Milkman is a wonder. In this book, she shares all her secret sauce.

Richard H. Thaler, recipient of the Nobel Prize in economics; New York Times bestselling coauthor of Nudge

An invaluable guide to success packed with insights that can help you achieve your financial and life goals.

Charles R. Schwab

This book is like having the smartest friend in the world whispering in your ear. Youll want to send Katy Milkman a thank-you note.

Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human

A masterful tour of how behavior change works.

David Epstein, New York Times bestselling author of Range

Everyone wants to know: What makes personal change happen and stick? Milkman uses the latest science to give us answers.

Carol S. Dweck, New York Times bestselling author of Mindset

If you want to master tailored, science-based strategies for overcoming obstacles, read this engaging book.

Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google

An extraordinary roadmap for overcoming the greatest challenge of allbecoming who we believe we should be.

General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army (retired), New York Times bestselling author of Team of Teams and Leaders

This book is a triple threat: evidence-based, engrossing, and full of effective strategies for making smarter choices.

Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Think Again; host of the TED podcast WorkLife

If your goal is to get better, or to make your teams or business better, READ THIS BOOK.

Laszlo Bock, CEO, Humu; former senior vice-president of people, Google; New York Times bestselling author of Work Rules!

A healthy lifestyle is not illusive; this book is a must read to understand the path to create lasting change.

Tony Ueber, CEO, 24 Hour Fitness

Brilliant. Personal. And best of all, actionable. A highlight reel of what scientists know about how to change behavior for good.

Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit

Katy Milkman does a masterful job of translating science to action.

Gary Foster, chief scientific officer, WW

A remarkably useful survey of the behavior change revolution. Milkman tells us what works, what doesnt, and why.

Stephen J. Dubner, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Freakonomics; host of FreakonomicsRadio

You owe it to yourself to read this book from cover to cover.

Steve D. Levitt, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Freakonomics

Katy Milkman not only delivers the most cutting edge science on change, she also makes you feel like she is by your side cheering you on. A must read for anyone who wants to remake their life for the better.

Annie Duke, bestselling author of Thinking in Bets and How to Decide

This is your chance. When youre ready to change, when you are committed to change, this delightful book will help you turn your intentions into reality.

Seth Godin, author of This Is Marketing

Plenty of books offer advice on how to overcome common personal barriers but none as clearly, engagingly, and compellingly as this.

Robert Cialdini, New York Times bestselling author of Influence and Pre-Suasion

Packed with clever insights, cool experiments, and deep science, this book is engaging, important, and oh-so valuable.

Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Blueprint and Apollos Arrow

From this book, you will not only gain insight into your own behavior, but will be inspired to create your own fresh start.

Wendy Wood, author of Good Habits, Bad Habits

A much-needed, easy-to-follow instruction manual for understanding what stops you from achieving your personal goals and how you can do better.

Laurie Santos, host of The Happiness Lab

This extraordinary guide left me with that magical feeling that change is possible.

Dolly Chugh, author of The Person You Mean to Be; Jacob B. Melnick Term Professor, NYU Stern School of Business

You will learn, grow, and be inspired by the personal accounts and engaging research highlighting the science of behavior change. This book is a must read!

Modupe Akinola, associate professor of management, Columbia Business School; host of TED Business

Portfolio/Penguin

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

penguinrandomhouse.com

Copyright 2021 by Katherine L. Milkman

Foreword copyright 2021 by Angela Duckworth

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

library of congress cataloging-in-publication data

Names: Milkman, Katherine L., author.

Title: How to Change : The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be / Katy Milkman ; foreword by Angela Duckworth.

Description: [New York] : Portfolio/Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021006495 | ISBN 9780593083758 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780593332597 (international edition) | ISBN 9780593083765 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Change (Psychology) | Self-actualization (Psychology) | Behavior modification.

Classification: LCC BF637.C4 M54 2021 | DDC 158.1dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021006495

Book design by Cassandra Garruzzo, adapted for ebook by Estelle Malmed

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This book is dedicated to the two families that made my scientific career possible:

First, to my husband, Cullen; my son, Cormac; and my parents, Bev and Ray

Second, to my academic family: my mentor, Max; my fellow Max advisees and collaborators, John, Todd, Dolly, and Modupe; my current partner in crime, Angela; and my mentees, Hengchen, Edward, Erika, and Aneesh