Ever wonder why you do (or don’t do) certain things? In “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” (Random House), author Charles Duhigg examines how patterns control our actions — and how those patterns might be thwarted.
It isn’t just the kinds of patterns that make someone like Michael Phelps a winner (although he’s in the book). It’s also about failures that become successes. One of the book’s teasers:
“Marketers at Procter & Gamble study videos of people making their beds. They are desperately trying to figure out how to sell a new product called Febreze, on track to be one of the biggest flops in company history. Suddenly, one of them detects a nearly imperceptible pattern—and with a slight shift in advertising, Febreze goes on to earn a billion dollars a year.”
Tell me you don’t want to win this book, just to find out what that “nearly imperceptible pattern” was — and whether the marketing guy got himself a nice bonus for pointing it out.
If you’ve ever wondered why some people seem to transform themselves effortlessly and others just can’t seem to put down the cigarettes or win that promotion, this book might be for you. It isn’t as simple as thinking positively — if it were that simple, we’d all be winners right out of the womb.
To enter:
- Leave a comment below
- Subscribe via e-mail or RSS
- Sign up to follow Surviving and Thriving on Twitter or Facebook
If you do any (or all!) of these things, please leave separate, additional comments to get credit for each entry.
The entry deadline is 9 p.m. PDT Monday, Aug. 20. The winner must respond by 9 p.m. PDT Tuesday, Aug. 21. In other words: If you enter this giveaway, check your e-mail!
I would like to win. I subscribe by email.
I would like to win. I subscribe by Facebook too.
I would like to win. I follow you on Facebook and subscribe by email. Thanks! Looks like an interesting book.
O pick me random computerized chooser..I am an email and Facebook subscriber.
I am retired and have a lot things I’d like to accomplish before I die. I am such a terrible procrastinator. Hopefully I will win your book and it will help me achieve some of my goals/bucket list. I subscribe by Facebook.
Pick me. I need help achieving my goals/bucket list.. I subscribe thru Facebook.
I’d be very interested to hear the author’s take on what I also believe are significant contributors to our personal success or sabotage. Thanks, as always!
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
I subscribe to blog emails.
I like you on FB as Anne Loyd.
Pick me!
I subscribe via email.
I really want to win and be able to read that book!!!
I’m a plain old vanilla blog reader.
Success comes from small actions. Small actions are based on consistent habits. Look forward to reading this. Thanks.
I follow you on facebook!
I also follow your emails, for those times I’m not on facebook 🙂
I follow you on facebook.
Looking forward to reading that book!
I feel lucky;)
I subscribe by email.
I follow on twitter.
Totally intrigued. I have to know the Febreeze secret!
Will you tell us the secret next week for those who don’t win? I won’t worry, I’m gonna win anyway.
would love to read this book.
This book does sound very powerful. I would like to thwart the chocolate impulse after a meal!
I subscribe via RSS feed.
I also subscribe via email!
And I like you on facebook…and I like you IRL.
And even though I never go there, and I wish I could make that more of a habit, I’m following you on Twitter.
The teaser got me. What habit was it?!
And I subscribe by RSS feed. 🙂
I also follow on Facebook.
I would like to win this book — it sounds like a good read. I subscribe via my Google/Reader RSS feed.
Habits – for good and for bad – are so interesting to me.
I subscribe by RSS.
I follow you on Facebook.
i been wanting to read this book! thanks for the giveaway!
i follow by rss
i like you on facebook
Would love this book!
Love these kinds of books!
Follow you on FB 🙂
I’m an email subscriber too!
Have a great day!
Very interesting. Perhaps this would help me to change some habits that keep biting me.
I subscribe via email. Thanks!
This is such a great book.You can’t quit a habit but you change what you do after what cues it to get the same reward.
I subscribe via email. Thanks for the consideration!
Sounds like a good book!
I subscribe via email.
I follow you on FB, too.
Call me loyal – I also subscribe via RSS!
Curious minds, especially mine, want to know the secret. I follow you by email.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Beverley
I need this book!!!!!
I subscribe via email. Love your blog. I got this book on tape thru our library and it is a fascinating read. I would like to have it in my library for reference. Thanks for the offer.
Very curious!
Donna! That’s not fair! You KNOW we’re all going to want to know what the “nearly imperceptible pattern” is! And only one person can win…
Please enter me, and thanks for the opportunity.
Just found you from the “getrichslowly” site. Nice!
Looks like a great book
I subscribe via rss
I “like” you on facebook
I want to know the secret too! I really really want to know LOL Sounds fascinating.
The book sounds interesting. Hope I win.
Oh goodness, I would love a new read!
Oh my I would love to win this book and find out how to change my habits and find out about Febreeze (which I use constantly btw)!
Hugs,
Trish
Ha! I want to know what the “imperceptible pattern” is! 🙂
Okay, this is something that I need. Definitely need to change some patterns…and I’m curious about the imperceptible pattern…
via e-mail
and on facebook
Me! Me! Me! Pick me! Way back here in the back of the class with both my hands up! Pick me!
That book is on my to read list! I’d love a copy of my own.
This sounds like a great book! Please enter me to win!
OOOOOoooo!
One habit I’ve already developed is reading your blog daily, because I subscribe via email!
And one I’d like to change is that I spend to much time on Facebook – where I follow your feed.
I would like to win.
I hope I win, but if I don’t I have already reserved a copy at my local library :)!
I would definitely like to know what the Febreeze secret was!
Already a follower on facebook….
And I already subscribe via email. Great site!
Hi Donna,
I am on your Subscribers list, I don’t do Facebook or Twitter but I do Enjoy your writting and have voted numerous times at your request, once days in a row.
I’m 77 years old and NEED “The Power of Habit” to figure out how to avoid my series of poor financial & romantic decisions,
Sounds like an interesting read.
now I’m curious… would love to read this book
I’m an email subscriber
I follow on twitter (moeyshay)
Sounds interesting. I would love to win and read the book.
Shoot that book my way, Donna!
Yep, I could probably use this book. Sounds suspiciously like something I NEED. HA!
I would like to see how the pattern of my entering contests and not winning can change!
I subscribe by email too!
Please sign me up; I need all the help I can get!
Brilliant reading as always! I love authors I feel I can “learn” from. I have you on my Facebook.
I subscribe by email. (A MUST have blog read)
I have you on my Twitter.
Ha ha, Good one Casey! Donna, Will you be getting a Pinterest here soon dear?
I could use this book. 🙂
I follow you via email.
I follow you via RSS.
I follow you on Facebook.
If it’s free it’s for me!!
The book sounds great. Thanks for the opportunity.
Book sounds interesting, I subscribe by facebook and email.
I would love to win. I subscribe via email.
I hope you pick me, I was wanting to read this book.
I follow you on twitter.
I also subscribe by email to your blog.
I read “Frugal Cool” regularly.
I also enjoy your GRS submissions a great deal.
I am definitely interested in reading this book.
I subscribe via RSS.
I’m an email subscriber. captainliss(at)gmail(dot)com
I would love to win this book. It seems I fail at everything.
I subscribe to your blog through Facebook.
Karen
We own and operate a small business and need to get to the next level. The Power of Habit may be the ticket to get us there. Thank you for the opportunity to win a free copy:).
I just subscribed via email:).
Book looks great-love to win it!
I follow on facebook
I subscribe by email 🙂
I love your blog and follow you on FB too.
I will win the book, I will win the book!!I’m already being transformed!!
Hi, My name is Christina. I must be honest, I just came across your blog. I was not a “follower” but I do like the tittle of your blog and the content as well is informative in a way I haven’t come across yet. .I have been surfing the web looking for new ideas I havent already heard about a few subjects. I try to find a unique perspective to most things and that has worked until the past recent year or two.Feeling like I am standing in one place not moving forward. I am trying to open up and seek out new ideas and different prospectives. but I find myself too distracted by my personal life. The discription of this book drew me in. I have never won anything, but that has never stopped me from remaining optimistic. I thought maybe it could be a great first time. This my entry and I will keep my fingers crossed. 🙂
I have been dying to read this book for ages! And then I got it from the library and had to take it back before finishing it and am on the waitlist for it again but am like number 120something.
Hello and thank you!
I would love to read this book! I subscribe via email and fb, too.
Great offer! Hope I win!
And I follow you on fb.
And I receive your emails.
I have totally wanted to read this book for months! Pick me! Pick me!
Hello! I have always wondered how P&G figures things out, and having visited one of their innovation centers via work, it makes a lot more sense (they are SERIOUS about market research…).
And, I would love to get this book for free! What a fascinating topic!
Also, I just signed up for email feeds, too! 🙂
Thank you for the giveaway! I would love to win.
I subscribe via email.
I follow you on FB.
I follow you on my work e-mail.
I follow you on my home e-mail.
I follow also follow on Facebook!
Sounds like a good read! Feel free to pick me.
I would like to know what Michael phelps and Febreeze have in common!
I won!!! Yaaaaay!!! THANK YOU, random number generator (and Donna)!!! 🙂
I would like to win. I’m really curious to see what Procter & Gamble saw….
I’m guessing the Proctor & Gamble people saw the bed makers sniff their sheets.
And when I read the book, I’ll let you all know if I’m right!
Thanks, Donna
I really enjoy learning more about human behavior. I would love to read this book. 🙂
I subscribe via RSS.
I like you on FB. 🙂
This, right here, is a life-style deviation. I habitually do not enter any contests. I’m old & disabled. Come November, I may be homeless, existing on the street. Got a book on surviving that?
In it to win it! Great to read your blog..found it @ frugal cool…I like to find those deals on spices as well… I want to learn more about networking with other bloggers…:)