Better Than Before
What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habitsto Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life
by Gretchen Rubin
Reading Profile
Should I read this?
A brisk, conversational guide to habit change built around personality-aware tactics and many concrete tweaks. Rubin gives decision rules and trigger-focused habits framed for different temperaments, backed by plentiful personal examples. The useful part: small, adaptable strategies you can test quickly. The limiting part: repeated anecdotes and editorial cheer dilute momentum, and the book isn't a densely footnoted, step-by-step manual, so readers wanting academic citation or practical drills may find it lightweight.
Read this if...
- •a busy mid-level manager trying to add a short exercise habit between meetings and family time — useful because the book prioritizes small, tweakable routines that can slip into a crowded schedule
- •a graduate student fighting procrastination and deadline pressure who needs clear decision-rules and friction-reducing tricks to build momentum without overhauling life
- •a parent returning to work who wants to rebuild morning and bedtime routines with personality-matched ideas rather than a full program overhaul
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when long personal anecdotes repeat the same point; the anecdote-to-action ratio becomes wearying
- •annoying if you prefer dense academic citation or tightly sourced argument — the book is conversational, not scholarly
- •annoying if you want step-by-step practice or drills — it's light on hands-on, procedural training and more about examples and rules of thumb
New York Times BestsellerWashington Post Bestseller The author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, tackles the critical question: How do we change Gretchen Rubin's answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible Architecture, of everyday life. It takes work to make a habit, but once that hab...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:easy
Audience Fit
- a busy mid-level manager trying to add a short exercise habit between meetings and family time — useful because the book prioritizes small, tweakable routines that can slip into a crowded schedule
- a graduate student fighting procrastination and deadline pressure who needs clear decision-rules and friction-reducing tricks to build momentum without overhauling life
- a parent returning to work who wants to rebuild morning and bedtime routines with personality-matched ideas rather than a full program overhaul
- you'll likely put it down when long personal anecdotes repeat the same point; the anecdote-to-action ratio becomes wearying
- annoying if you prefer dense academic citation or tightly sourced argument — the book is conversational, not scholarly
- annoying if you want step-by-step practice or drills — it's light on hands-on, procedural training and more about examples and rules of thumb
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 1 source and appears in Habit, Habits, and Psychology.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Soft-spoken, heavily illustrated fable built from short dialogues and watercolor sketches. Each spread pairs a spare line of text with a loose drawing, so the pleasure is visual and aphoristic rather than narrative; readers collect felt-true sentences more than plot. Most useful when you want quick consolations, a prompt for conversation with a child, or a pause during a rough day. Limiting if you want sustained argument, concrete advice, or tightly plotted storytelling: the repetition of gentleness can feel sentimental or thin after a while.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.