Maximum Willpower: How to master the new science of self-control

This book is so clear and helpful that I have sent copies as gifts to friends with problems from self-esteem to dieting, as well as simple stress. I bought it to tackle my depression, and found it's working in the underlying areas of procrastination and weight control. Because that's one of the important points: you have to look at the problems behind your problems. The author begins by saying there is no magic bullet, but I've now been following the course for six weeks and I have restored relations with an old friend I thought I was losing, tidied my study, and (drum roll) been able to draw my belt in two notches (cymbals, applause).One thing: you might think (as I did) that the book is padding around what should be a pamphlet. It isn't. I've gone back to revise the first few chapters, and been surprised by how much deeper my understanding is second time and third time around.I bought this on Kindle, but because you will need to refer back and forth I recommend the paperback.Finally, this is a long haul: I accept that changing my life for the better can't be done in the few weeks this course takes. When I've finished it I'm going back to the beginning. This book won't change your life, but if you follow it, it will help you to.

Glad I bought this about the time I headed to a weekend conference where we would be faced with snacks on the table during presentations, lunches and dinners. Dinners can be deadly for dieters, and abstainers from alcohol (in my case limiting it to a glass of wine a day). Awesome techniques and well-done scientific information that makes the 'cognitive makeover' of bad habits much more likely--I tested these techniques during this event and found it great! Only downside in reading it is the author's tendency to 'crack jokes' in dependent clauses or parentheses, which are sometimes annoying--too much 'humor'. Probably great jokes for her classroom, but less necessary for a good book. Glad I have it as a reference on my Kindle!

I had first read the Chimp Paradox which I thought was excellent for its presention of the two selves in a simple but very powerful and relatable way. This provides a useful (necessary) primer for Maximum Willpower because it doesn't explain this "we all have two selves" challenge when really everything about behaviour management is anchored in learning to better handle the emotional self who lives alongside our rational self.This book makes a great companion book because it builds on this and presents many studies and theories about how our mind's work and lots of good techniques to try for particular problems. (I particularly liked the section about your future you - that we put off or indulge in things today because we imagine our future self will have more time, information, health, money etc and will be able to cope better with the consequences).I got a lot of intriguing insights out of this book along with some tools to help think and behave more productively. It's well written, the material is accessible and eminently actionable.

This is the same book as Willpower Instinct but apparently UK publisher opted for a cheesy title that will sells.The author is a professional and the book summs up recent research on willpower. I found it very enlightening and definitely useful. I knew some of the studies but the book provides a big picture and discusses most aspects of reasons behind our willpower failures.When I buy books I always focus on those that are research backed and I check the credentials of the author a well as references. This book was one of the best I've read over the last 12 months.EDIT: Jan 2014 (1 Year lated) I can now testify that this book had a massive impact on my life, over the last year my productivity improved 300%. I can't assign all of it to merely reading this book but I worked with the knowledge and found my own way to implement it so it fits my personality.

I have read various books on improving willpower, and this one is truly outstanding! For me personally, the best part is that she focuses on small changes that make a big difference - whereas other books tend ask you to do difficult or time-consuming things - which isn't easy when willpower is in short supply. For a good overview of the content, search youtube for the "authors at Google" talk she did in January 2012.Edit: I bought the book on 21-Mar-12, and completed the first reading on 03-Jun-12. I intend to read it several more times. I could name at least five other books on the subject, most of which I didn't complete, none of which helped - and neither did keeping a diary for months. This one has helped - my willpower has increased substantially (admittedly from a low base). If you're a weak-willed person who wants stronger willpower, this book can work where all else has failed.

Really useful insight into the psychology of willpower. Some invaluabe evidence based tips on how to strengthen your will power and deal with the issues caused by your won't power. Procastiners should buy and read this book now!!!!

Never before have I really been aware of the physiological basis of how stress can affect willpower. This book is extremely liberating, realising that you can actually change your physiology to a state where willpower is more accessible is empowering. This book should be ready by every GP, health care professional and those caring for 'troubled' children, in fact everybody! It wont be the answer to everyones troubles, but it may help them get their physiology ready to receive other help.The only thing not so good about it is its title, it doesn't show just how full of help the contents are!READ IT! Worth every penny!!

A fairly good basic how-to guide on setting and achieving modest personal goals, based on evidence.This is not a theoretical book giving a popular overview of the research on motivation, but rather a practical guide based on what is known about the subject, interspersed with brief references to the underlying theories and evidence.It's well written, clear and practical.

I can recall very few books that is so refreshing and useful from the first page, and so close to our daily living. Backed by scientific research and written in such an engaging style, packed with so many stories, it has been a great pleasure reading this. So many things of our life are counter-intuitive. The 3 types of will power - I will, I won't and I want - sheds clarity to our personal resolutions. What is amazing about the book is that you come away from the reading a different person, with a different understanding of ourselves and of the world. My sincere thanks to the author for shedding such clarity on a complex topic

The best book on willpower I've read by far. The information about dopamine is, all by itself, likely to be life changing for many people. Fortunately, there is a lot of other very helpful, and life changing, information.

This book explains why willpower often seems elusive and provides practical advice on how to strengthen willpower and make it more reliable

Good for your selfimprovementBest use if read two or three times ..good stress control and self discipline. R D from Italy

Genialer Kurs, hat mir extrem geholfen.Es handelt sich hierbei um die Taschenbuchausgabe für den englischen Markt, die aber inhaltsgleich mit den anderen Ausgaben zu sein scheint.Die Aufmachung ist leider ein klein wenig zu stark am durchschnittlichen Selbsthilfeliteratur-Leser orientiert, bsp. durch ein erfolgreiches Exempel für die Anwendung einer Regel in jedem Kapitel. ("John war total unzufrieden mit XY, aber ein feiner Kerl. Nachdem er die Regel # %§ angewandte, wurde er erfolgreich und glücklich.") Das soll emotional ansprechen, wirkt aber auf mich eher unwissenschaftlich. Aber da es nur jeweils 1 Beispiel pro Kapitel ist und diese auch klar vom ansonsten ausgezeichneten und fundierten Text abgegrenzt ist, fällt das nicht ins Gewicht.