The Science of Habits: Why We Do What We Do

Why do some people and companies seem to change easily, while others struggle for years? How do firms like Target, Apple and Proctor and Gamble anticipate (and manipulate) shoppers' habits? Why was the product Febreze a flop - until consumer psychologists figured out to target one specific cleaning habit, and it became a $1 billion hit? In the past decade, neurology, sociology and economic psychology have revolutionized our understanding of habits. Go into neurology laboratories where amnesiacs re-learn their most basic habits, and corporate boardrooms where shoppers' habits are turned on and off like flicking a switch. The author, Charles Duhigg, is an investigative reporter at the New York Times. His book on the science of habits will be Random House's major spring 2012 release.