Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength: Amazon.co.uk: Roy F. Baumeister, John Tierney: Books

Review

Willpower (the thing) lies at the curious intersection of science and behavior. Willpower (the book) lies at the intersection of Roy Baumeister, an extraordinarily creative scientist, and John Tierney, a phenomenally perceptive journalist. Ignore it at your peril (Stephen J. Dubner, Coauthor Of 'freakonomics' And 'superfreakonomics' )

[An] instant classic...[Willpower shows how]...recent research can help people lead better lives - be better parents, stay organized, and lose weight more wisely...[A] brilliant book (Jamie Holmes Daily Beast )

An immensely rewarding book, filled with ingenious research, wise advice and insightful reflections on the human condition (Steven Pinker New York Times Book Review )

An accessible, empirically grounded guide to willpower and how best to deploy it to overcome temptation...Should one need a more practical sales pitch for the importance of willpower, Messrs. Baumeister and Tierney point to ... its over-riding importance for academic, personal, career and financial success... Willpower offers no shortage of helpful strategies to compensate for weakness of will (Cordelia Fine Wall Street Journal )

Willpower affects almost every aspect of our lives...Tierney and Baumeister have given us a wonderful book in which they not only share fascinating research on the subject but also provide simple tricks to help us tap into this important quality (Dan Ariely, Duke University, Author Of 'predictably Irrational' )

Willpower is sinfully delicious -- once you start reading, you won't be able to stop. A fascinating account of the exciting new science of self-control (Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University, Author Of 'stumbling On Happiness' )

As wonderfully entertaining as it is enlightening! Tierney and Baumeister have produced a highly intelligent work full of fascinating information (and great advice) about a core element of modern living. Bravo (David Allen, Author Of 'getting Things Done And Making It All Work' )

This little masterpiece is a must read for all of us who want to exercise, diet, manage our time, be thrifty, and resist temptation (Martin Seligman, University Of Pennsylvania, Former President Of American Psychological Association, Author Of 'authentic Happiness And Flourish' )

This is a manual from heaven for anyone who has ever wanted to lose weight, stop smoking, drink less, work more efficiently and more intelligently. An astonishingly good -- and accessible -- inquiry into one of the more elusive areas of human psychology (Christopher Buckley, Author 'thank You For Smoking' And 'losing Mum And Pup' )

Deep and provocative analysis of people's battle with temptation and masterful insights into understanding willpower: why we have it, why we don't, and how to build it. A terrific read (Ravi Dhar, Yale School Of Management, Director Of Center For Customer Insights ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Can you resist everything except temptation? In a hedonistic age full of distractions, it's hard to possess willpower - or in fact even understand why we should need it. Yet it's actually the most important factor in achieving success and a happy life, shown to be more significant than money, looks, background or intelligence. This book reveals the secrets of self-control.

For years the old-fashioned, even Victorian, value of willpower has been disparaged by psychologists who argued that we're largely driven by unconscious forces beyond our control. Here Roy Baumeister, one of the world's most esteemed and influential psychologists, and journalist John Tierney, turn this notion on its head. They show us that willpower is like a muscle that can be strengthened with practice and improved over time. The latest laboratory work shows that self-control has a physical basis to it and so is dramatically affected by simple things such as eating and sleeping - to the extent that a life-changing decision may go in different directions depending on whether it's made before or after lunch. You will discover how babies can be taught willpower, the joys of the to-don't list, the success of Alcoholics Anonymous, the pointlessness of diets and the secrets to David Blaine's stunts. There are also fascinating personal stories, from explorers, students, soldiers, ex-addicts and parents.

Based on years of psychological research and filled with practical advice, this book will teach you how to gain from self-control without pain, and discover the very real power in willpower. The results are nothing short of life-changing.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

Good ideas, a really worthwhile read 7 Mar 2012

By C. M. Cotton TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I have read 1000's of books on the subject of success, law of attraction, motivation and wealth creation. I have been a business consultant, serial entrepreneur and motivational coach for a number of years. As such I have read many good and extremely poor books on motivation and willpower.

This book falls into the category of well worth reading and is a motivating read. It is 262 pages long with 10 chapters with content ranging from, defining willpower, decision fatigue, can willpower be strengthened, raising strong children and advice against dieting. This makes it a curious mix, looking at virtually all aspects and applications of willpower, within individual and family lives.

The book has three main aspects to it, it looks at why we may not stick to a task, why attractions can be distracting and how therefore to stick to your goals and get things done. From this point of view the book gives you some great tactics to do these things. Where I disagree with the two authors, is in their premise that the longer the day, the less willpower you will have, as your blood sugars are depleted. I am not saying this is wrong, but I have seen in my consultancy business, many many people work long days, in jobs they love and still have the energy to make great decisions.

For me the keys to success in this area of mind dynamics are, understanding what is holding you back....the emotional attachments from the past that deplete energy, identify faulty/victim thinking...which depletes energy, understand that willpower can be gained from mind training and that at the end of the day, if you are doing something you hate doing, your energy will be depleted anyway. A great great book I highly recommend to realise why you may lack willpower when dealing with life and career is, Whats Stopping You by Robert Kelsey. This book addresses the faulty thinking that depletes your energy and willpower and is simply brilliant. I think that the authors have confused willpower with fatigue and or problems associated with fears of failure and low self esteem.....all of which can deplete energy.

This book is worth reading and has some good ideas on goal setting/attaining and checking your progress towards success. I think the discussion about willpower and what depletes it, needs some serious widening to encompass other areas of mind dynamics, which also deplete energy and willpower. I do not agree with some of the authors presumptions. It should therefore also be read in conjunction with books that offer a broader analysis of why some people have issues with willpower, such as the one mentioned.

I like some of the ideas, but it lacks a wider analysis of the subject. Interesting as far as it goes.

Recommended.

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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

distinctly interesting - but no masterpiece 3 Feb 2012

By William Jordan

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is coauthored by a scientist and a science writer and its content is corresponding hybrid. Some chapters major on 'what Baumeister learnd' through his experiments. Others focus more on 'what we can learn from the life of Eric Clapton, or as the case may be, Henry Stanley'. While the largely anecdotal material holds the attention, the real gems are the experimental findings.

The book starts on a high, with measurements of what Germans want to resist (desires to eat, sleep, for taking a break from work, sexual impulses etc) and succeed in resisting (sleep, sex and the urge to spend money). And moves on to questions such as 'is there such a thing as willpower?' (answer: yes and it is limited in quantity and can be depleted through use) and 'what does it feed on?' (answer: glucose - no glucose no willpower but best not to get the glucose through sugar).

Then the book becomes less focused with a study of 'to do lists' (that does make the interesting point that you have to complete an uncompleted experience through detailed planning, or else your mind won't let it alone), the use of external observation to boost willpower, the training of willpower (possible, say the authors - do things like practice sitting up straight and it will generally improve - but their argument that this is like stengthening a muscle seems odd - it's surely just a matter of something becoming habitual and ceasing to use willpower), what to do if you have the problems of Henry Stanley or Eric Clapton (just what they did), raising children (concentrate on willpower by promising rewards for effort; forget about self-esteem as the key to achievement) and dieting (this one's very difficult, they say).

A final chapter sets out some conclusions - not least, try to avoid needing to use willpower, as that's what the most self-controlled people do...Why do things look better in the morning, by the way - it's because the ego is less depleted in the morning (you haven't started exhausting your stock of willpower for the day!)>>>

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Important and easy to read. 23 Feb 2012

By Clarke VINE™ VOICE

This book is magnificent. The early chapters, which explain how glucose effects willpower, were an eye opener. I suffer from Diabetes and I wish I'd read this book years ago.

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