BHBC Review: The Willpower Instinct

When I received The Willpower Instinct for this month’s BlogHer Book Club, I was excited, but a bit skeptical.

After all, the subtitle: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It, screamed self-help to me. Not that there is anything wrong with self-help, but I’ve read my share of  dry, trite advice.

I grabbed my copy and prepared to be bored.

I was very pleasantly surprised.

Not only was the information fascinating, but the delivery was not dry at all. In many parts, it was amusing. Kelly McGonigal is that smart friend who knows how to share without elevated speech, and kept the information entertaining and relevant.

Beyond being surprised, I found myself enjoying this book, and sharing what I was reading. (Sorry, hubs.)

While I read it quickly the first time through, I’ve already made plans to go back through, chapter by chapter, and try several of the exercises and experiments proposed. Yes, she gives you assignments. What good is talking about self-control if you don’t  go out and apply it?

I’d recommend this book to anyone, but particularly those who find their decision making skills wanting, whether it be unhealthy diet and exercise habits, addictions, shopping; serious or seemingly mundane, this book has some great tools to help you make good decisions.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but like everything else on this blog, the opinions expressed are my own.