Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength

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More About This Book

Overview

One of the world's most esteemed and influential psychologists, Roy F. Baumeister, teams with New York Times science writer John Tierney to reveal the secrets of self-control and how to master it.

In Willpower, the pioneering researcher Roy F. Baumeister collaborates with renowned New York Times science writer John Tierney to revolutionize our understanding of the most coveted human virtue: self-control.

In what became one of the most cited papers in social science literature, Baumeister discovered that willpower actually operates like a muscle: it can be strengthened with practice and fatigued by overuse. Willpower is fueled by glucose, and it can be bolstered simply by replenishing the brain's store of fuel. That's why eating and sleeping- and especially failing to do either of those-have such dramatic effects on self-control (and why dieters have such a hard time resisting temptation).

Baumeister's latest research shows that we typically spend four hours every day resisting temptation. No wonder people around the world rank a lack of self-control as their biggest weakness. Willpower looks to the lives of entrepreneurs, parents, entertainers, and artists-including David Blaine, Eric Clapton, and others-who have flourished by improving their self-control.

The lessons from their stories and psychologists' experiments can help anyone. You learn not only how to build willpower but also how to conserve it for crucial moments by setting the right goals and using the best new techniques for monitoring your progress. Once you master these techniques and establish the right habits, willpower gets easier: you'll need less conscious mental energy to avoid temptation. That's neither magic nor empty self-help sloganeering, but rather a solid path to a better life.

Combining the best of modern social science with practical wisdom, Baumeister and Tierney here share the definitive compendium of modern lessons in willpower. As our society has moved away from the virtues of thrift and self-denial, it often feels helpless because we face more temptations than ever. But we also have more knowledge and better tools for taking control of our lives. However we define happiness-a close- knit family, a satisfying career, financial security-we won't reach it without mastering self-control.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it." Mae West's unapologetic admission strikes a chord in most of us: We think of willpower most frequently in moments of weakness. That troubling perception might be changed by the findings of research psychologist Roy Baumeister. While studying our often-deficient self-control, this esteemed Florida State social psychologist discovered that willpower is fueled by glucose and that it can be strengthened by taking decisive measures. To prove that point, Baumeister and his coauthor, New York Times science writer John Tierney, show how people in numerous fields have improved their self-control by applying principles that can now be proven to be scientifically sound.

Publishers Weekly
Willpower, or self-control, is one of the keys to success, says Baumeister (director of Florida State University's social psychology program) and New York Times science writer Tierney. They review the latest research to report key findings on willpower: for instance, each of us has a finite supply of it and deplete it whenever we draw on it, whether at work or at home, but it can be developed and strengthened. Further, decision making in particular saps that supply, but it's possible to do willpower exercises to gain self-control over all sorts of bad behavior, from overeating to physical violence; willpower exercises have been shown to work with domestic abusers, for example. At several points throughout the book, and in a concluding chapter, the authors offer practical advice for increasing willpower, not much of which is new (for instance, setting realistic goals in dieting), but all of which bears repeating. Baumeister and Tierney have produced a very fine work—clear and succinct, based on solid research, and with good anecdotal material about magician/performance artist David Blaine, singer Eric Clapton, and writers Anthony Trollope and Raymond Chandler, among others. This should prove helpful for those who are trying to make and keep resolutions. (Sept.)
More Reviews (6) Fewer Reviews
THE DAILY BEAST

"Willpower is sure to inspire further groundbreaking research into the mechanics of willpower. One implication is already apparent. Since repeated behaviors eventually turn into habits, improving willpower long term requires a unique strategy-a habit of changing habits, of continually expanding our zones of comfort. One such practice, it seems, is the ''routine'' of learning. That''s a habit that this brilliant book will certainly nourish."

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

"An accessible, empirically grounded guide to willpower and how best to deploy it to overcome temptation."

Kirkus Reviews

Baumeister (Social Psychology/Florida State Univ.; Is There Anything Good About Men?: How Cultures Flourish by Exploiting Men, 2010, etc.) and New York Times science journalist Tierney extol the practical wisdom, as buttressed by the findings of modern social science, of willpower.

It wasn't long ago that the mantra "wretched excess is just barely enough" was on many American lips; but, write the authors, there is an old-fashioned virtue on revival: self-control. Without it, we are often prey to "compulsive spending and borrowing, impulsive violence, underachievement in school, procrastination at work, alcohol and drug abuse, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, chronic anxiety, explosive anger." Baumeister and Tierney use their appealingly upbeat voice to explain the intricate call-and-response between the failure of self-control and its problematical results, each feeding upon and reinforcing the other. Willpower is what we use to ward off disadvantageous temptations and desires, what allows us to monitor our behavior as social beings. It is also like a muscle in that it becomes fatigued through use and has to be replenished, most easily through sleep and healthy diet. However, even "if self-control is partly a hereditary trait—which seems likely," it can be nurtured, and the authors submit a variety of tools to revivify self-control, such as setting standards and realistic goals, laying down "bright lines" and behaving consistently through establishing rules and regulations. There is an instructive chapter on the role of glucose in maintaining a vigorous self-control, commonsensical explorations into how self-awareness helps in self-regulation via self-consciousness—"that crucial task for a social animal: comparing our behavior with the standards set by ourselves and our neighbors"—and tricks to conserve the energy that willpower demands: precommitment (what Odysseus used to thwart the Sirens' song), orderliness and lofty thoughts. Sewn into the social science are a number of engaging stories, from Eric Clapton to David Blaine to Mary Karr, that provide local color if not necessarily helpful roadmaps.

Baumeister and Tierney afford readers numerous paths to put their feet on the higher ground of self-control, for "inner discipline leads to outer kindness."

Sarah Halzack
Whatever your vices—and, face it, we've all got them—this book offers insights grounded in sound, careful research that can help you understand why your will power is battling you and how you can turn it your way.
—The Washington Post
Steven Pinker
Willpower is an immensely rewarding book, filled with ingenious research, wise advice and insightful reflections on the human condition.
—The New York Times
WALL STREET JOURNAL

“An accessible, empirically grounded guide to willpower and how best to deploy it to overcome temptation. ‘Willpower’ offers no shortage of helpful strategies to compensate for weakness of will”

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781594203077
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 9/1/2011
  • Pages: 304
  • Sales rank: 18,610
  • Product dimensions: 6.10 (w) x 9.40 (h) x 1.30 (d)

Meet the Author

Roy F. Baumeister directs the social psychology program at Florida State University. He has written for more than 450 scientific publications and consistently ranks among the world's most frequently cited psychologists. This is his twenty-eighth book.
John Tierney writes the "Findings" science column for the New York Times. His writing has won awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Institute of Physics. This is his third book.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 22 )

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(3)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 22 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 18, 2011

    Really Interesting

    I'm not sure if I discovered the greatest human strength, but I found this to be a fascinating read, presented in a way the average person can read and enjoy. I found it fascinating enough that the book will be read again.

    I'd have given it 5 stars except that sometimes he'd explain the results to an experiment and I would still wonder why he told me this information at the end of the chapter. I frequently felt like there was tidbit I was supposed to glean from the story rather than just telling me outright.

    There is a nice recap of the important things learned that can be applied to one's everyday life at the end the book.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 31, 2011

    Well Done

    Most books in this category present ideas absent empirical evidence. The author constructs his case for how to improve will power with a well grounded position steeped in research.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 7, 2011

    Actionable Material & Great Stories

    I found this book to have interesting stories that not only supported the author's premise that willpower can be strengthened like any muscle through specific "exercises," but also a virtual treasure trove of experiments and studies that psychologists have performed to help us better understand willpower and how to make it stronger day by day.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 4, 2011

    Good, but rambling

    As the author is a columnist, the book reads like a serialized Time Magazine article. I thought it contained a lot of good information, but thought it kind of flitted from one anectdote to another, so I would say broad, but not as deep as it could have been. Well worth the read, though, if the subject interests you.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

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    Posted October 1, 2011

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