Book · 2012
The Power of Habit
by Charles Duhigg
Charles Duhigg explains the cue-routine-reward loop behind every habit, then argues that changing the routine is the only lever you actually control.
What does Reddit think of The Power of Habit?
r/getdisciplined is the real home: the keystone-habit concept surfaced in a ↑102 thread where someone had accidentally triggered a cascade of positive behaviors and was trying to name what happened. The framing — that some habits structurally enable other habits — is the idea that gets repeated most. A ↑74 comment recommended it specifically for "fortifying habit building skills," citing the replacement principle directly. The criticism is mostly absent from the data, which itself is a signal. Nobody here is arguing against it. The book lands in recommendation lists alongside Duhigg's own Smarter Faster Better (↑30 thread in r/productivity), suggesting readers treat his work as a two-volume set. Mention volume peaked in 2019 with 9 hits, has trickled since, and saw 3 mentions in 2025 — still alive, not dominant.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Habit loop: cue, routine, reward
- · Keystone habits and cascade effects
- · Habit replacement over elimination
- · Willpower as a trainable resource
- · Organizational habits beyond the individual
Common praise
- + The keystone-habit chapter gives you a vocabulary for changes you've already made but couldn't explain.
- + r/getdisciplined commenters cite the replacement principle — swap routines, keep cues and rewards — as the single most useful takeaway.
- + Pairs naturally with Duhigg's Smarter Faster Better for readers who want the full system.
- + The Alcoa and Starbucks case studies make the organizational-habits argument concrete in a way self-help books usually skip.
Common criticism
- − The neuroscience sections run thin on citations that would satisfy anyone coming from an academic background.
- − Readers in r/productivity who bounced off it usually did so because the case studies crowd out the actionable framework.
- − At 17 total mentions across seven years, it hasn't generated the repeat engagement that Atomic Habits has — suggesting it gets recommended more than reread.
Who it's for
If you've read Atomic Habits and want the book James Clear drew from, this is the one. It rewards readers who want the psychological mechanism spelled out before they try to apply anything. People in r/getdisciplined who feel stuck on elimination — trying to stop a behavior cold — consistently get pointed here for the replacement framing. Those already fluent in habit science will find the case studies redundant.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Power of Habit?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“You just independently discovered a keystone habit! Keystone habits are one change or new habit that almost magically seem to help you do better at a host of other habits. Classic keystone habits are making your bed every morning (puts you in a productive mi…
“Here’s two things you might try that are proven to improve focus: 1. Exercise regularly, and 2. Read books. What you want to do is build a habit. Start small and work your way up, emphasizing consistency over immediate results. For example, for a week, go for a 15 minute jog everyday and read 5 pa…
“Really solid OP, thanks for sharing! I also just want to piggy back a bit off of this post - strongly recommend The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg if you're looking to fortify your habit building skills. One of the main principles in that book is that you have to replace old habits with new ones …
“The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance Book by Jeffrey Brantley, Jeffrey C. Wood, and …
“You're 25, you're still young. Please try not to despair, everything will be ok. I know people in their 40s and 50s who have reinvented themselves and their lives. That said, maybe it's time to bite the bullet and start stripping away anything that doesn't help you work towards doing/achieving wha…
“Like cocaine. Every time you feel like masturbating, just do a little hit of cocaine? Jokes aside, this is a good bit of advice. It's much easier to replace habits than to stop them. Charles duhigg's book The power of habit has a good process for replacing habits.
“The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. He takes a scientific approach to habits. In my opinion, it is one of the best self-help books I’ve ever read. [The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg](
“The power of habit and smarter faster better by Charles Duhigg The 5 second rule by Mel Robbins Deep work by Cal Newport
“The power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
“a book i’m listening to now is the power of habit by charles duhigg - i think for me the main things were realizing i don’t need anything special like a new week to make a change. literally in the moment deciding to go on a walk after lunch rather than stare at my phone is 1 behavior towards buildin…
“Have you been evaluated for ADHD? Other than that, I recommend reading some books on habits, like The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, and The 5 second Rule by Mel Robbins. The second one in particular helps with procrastination. Also, watch this **Forget big change, start with a tiny habit: BJ …
“Yes! That totally reminds me of what Charles Duhigg talks about in The Power of Habit—how identifying and disrupting patterns is key to changing behavior. Your method really seems like it could help pinpoint where things break down. I know I tend to get stuck when I’m overwhelmed or not sure how to …
“Been reading a book called the "Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. First chapter in. What is appealing to me is that our unconscious, reptilian brain (basal ganglia) records habits and hangs out to them. When triggered or when there is a cue in our environment the brain goes on autopilot. This is ho…
“IMO if you have to work and suffer to change your habit it's not going to stick. Make a game out of it, change the habit step by step, reward yourself. Mobile games are addictive for a reason. Something that made it easy for me is Duhigg's The Power of Habit (great book, if you like to learn from s…
“Source: book The Power of Habit. Good book.
Convinced? Pick up The Power of Habit
What else does r/getdisciplined read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
Guides featuring The Power of Habit
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
The Power of Habit — frequently asked
Is Atomic Habits just The Power of Habit again?+
Depends what you want from each. The Power of Habit is heavier on the neuroscience and corporate case studies; Atomic Habits is heavier on implementation systems. A ↑53 thread in r/productivity listed both in the same recommendation stack, treating them as complements. If you've read one and want more of the same angle, the other won't fully duplicate it.
What does Reddit actually use The Power of Habit for?+
Mostly as an explanation for why cold-turkey habit elimination fails. The ↑102 comment in r/getdisciplined used the keystone-habit concept to explain an unexpected cascade of positive changes. The ↑74 comment cited the replacement principle for breaking specific bad habits. Neither was a generic endorsement — both were deployed to solve a named problem.
Is The Power of Habit still worth reading in 2026?+
Yes, with the caveat that Atomic Habits has absorbed much of its practical content into a tighter format. Three mentions in 2025 across the tracked subs suggest it hasn't been displaced entirely. r/getdisciplined still reaches for it when the topic is habit mechanics rather than habit systems — a distinction that matters if you want to understand why the loop works, not just how to build one.
Who is The Power of Habit actually written for?+
People who need a causal model before they can act on advice. The organizational chapters — Alcoa, Starbucks — make it unusually useful for managers trying to change team behaviors, which separates it from most self-help habit books. r/selfimprovement's 2 mentions paired it with DBT workbooks, suggesting it also lands with readers doing structured therapeutic work.