Atomic Habits by James Clear, known as being one of the most impactful books of its time, describes how to break bad habits and create good ones. After a tragic baseball incident broke many parts of Clear's skull, Clear harnessed the power of habits starting in his college years to recover and put himself on the Academic All-American team. Many of the book gives historical and relevant examples of how simple, tiny changes in one's life can bring significant changes quickly. He describes habits at the most fundamental level, creating easy-to-follow plans for the reader. The book is categorized into a plan to develop new habits: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying.

Clear does a great job at going in-depth at each level of this plan and giving short summaries after each chapter to help the reader absorb the information better. I loved this writing style because it helped me better remember the key points that Clear is trying to convey. Clear also does a great job at simplifying scientific topics for the reader, explaining ideas such as dopamine and how habits form in the brain. He emphasizes the concept of neuroplasticity, where the brain can adapt and change over time, leading to the development of a person's habits. He also simplifies ideas of behavioral conditioning and how habits can be learned through rewards or punishments. He explains these ideas in a general sense and describes how to use these scientific topics to one's advantage, essentially controlling the creation of your habits. This changed my perspective on habits from being something uncontrollable and spontaneous to something that can be controlled and manipulated.

Unlike other self-help books, this book is also very practical and easier for the reader to implement. Clear acknowledges that change cannot be brought suddenly and doesn't expect the reader to do so. Thus, he highlights that the best way to change yourself is to get a little better every day. This idea of only committing yourself to a tiny part of your goal daily is very motivating and makes reaching your goal seem doable.

I would recommend this book, even if you think the ideas presented are things you already know. James Clear makes the topics very easy to visualize, and reading the book will help you understand the importance of habits and how they can be applied to daily life. After reading this book, you'll likely be questioning the efficiency, importance, and reasoning behind every action in your day-to-day life. Whether it be attaining the goal of getting straight A's, getting a new job, or hitting a personal best in the gym, this book describes how such small changes can lead to big results over time. Truly, this book can shift your thoughts about life, helping you visualize the path to your biggest dreams.

Review by: Narek G.

Narek Germirlian is a dedicated teen volunteer at the Mid-Valley Regional Branch Library. He loves playing piano, listening to music, coding, and rock climbing.

—Michael Baradi, Mid-Valley Regional Branch Library