i read "atomic habits" and hated it. here's why

Summary

The video discusses why the creator disliked 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear, despite its popularity and positive reviews. It highlights both positive aspects, like its readability and useful summaries, and major drawbacks, including its repetitive writing, triggering content for those with body dysmorphia or eating disorders, and poorly cited studies. The creator suggests the book would be better as a TED talk or podcast, criticizes its heavy self-promotion, and feels it caters more to a neurotypical, business-oriented audience. The video invites viewers to share their thoughts on the book.

Takeaways

• 📚 *Atomic Habits* is a highly recommended and popular productivity and self-help book.
• 💼 The book is praised for being easy to read and providing concise summaries at the end of each chapter.
• 🕒 Its structure makes it convenient for busy individuals to read and revisit important sections easily.
• 🔍 A useful concept discussed is reducing friction, making desired habits easier and undesired habits harder.
• 💡 Key idea: 'You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.'
• 📝 Despite its merits, the book's writing is criticized for being robotic, repetitive, and unenjoyable.
• 🤖 The writing style feels like stitched-together blog posts, making it less engaging as a book.
• 🍫 The book's frequent references to food, weight loss, and restrictive habits can be triggering for those with eating disorders or body dysmorphia.
• 📊 Some cited studies, like Dr. Ann Thorndike's, lack control groups and broader study sites, making them seem cherry-picked.
• 🌐 The book's heavy self-promotion for additional content on its website feels excessive and repetitive.
• 💻 Overall, the book seems better suited as a TED Talk or podcast episode than as a traditional book.
• ⚠️ The content may not be useful for everyone, especially those from lower-income backgrounds or with chronic illnesses.

Q & A

What is the main reason the reviewer hated 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear?

The reviewer found the writing to be robotic and repetitive, making it difficult to sift through the content to find useful information. They also found the frequent mentions of weight loss and food restriction to be triggering and felt the book could have been better as a TED talk or podcast.

What are some positive aspects of 'Atomic Habits' mentioned by the reviewer?

The reviewer appreciated that the book is easy to read, with concise summaries at the end of each chapter, making it convenient for busy people to pick up and put down. They also found the concept of reducing friction to make desired habits easier to practice particularly useful.

Why does the reviewer believe 'Atomic Habits' is not suitable for everyone?

The reviewer feels the book is targeted towards middle to upper-class neurotypical people who want to stay slim and rich. They believe it is not useful for first-generation low-income students, people with chronic illnesses, or those with a history of eating disorders.

What does the reviewer mean by 'reducing friction' in habit formation?

Reducing friction involves making it easier to perform desired habits and harder to perform undesired ones. For example, placing pens and paper in easy reach to encourage sketching or writing.

How does the reviewer suggest the book could be better presented?

The reviewer suggests that 'Atomic Habits' could have been more effective as a TED talk, podcast, or YouTube video, rather than a book, due to its repetitive and clunky writing style.

What study did the reviewer find flawed in 'Atomic Habits,' and why?

The reviewer found the study by Dr. Ann Thorndike on reducing obesity flawed because it lacked a control group and only used one study site, a hospital cafeteria, which may have had a biased sample due to heightened awareness of health and wellness.

What specific content in 'Atomic Habits' did the reviewer find triggering?

The reviewer found the frequent mentions of food restriction, calorie counting, and weight loss to be triggering, particularly as someone with a history of body dysmorphia and eating disorders.

What does the reviewer suggest readers do if they decide to read 'Atomic Habits'?

The reviewer suggests reading the concise summaries at the end of each chapter and then closing the book, as they believe these summaries contain all the essential information without the repetitive content.

What is the core message of 'Atomic Habits' according to the reviewer?

The core message of the book is that you do not rise to the level of your goals, but fall to the level of your systems. This means that your habits and the systems you create to support them are crucial for achieving your goals.

How does the reviewer feel about the self-promotion in 'Atomic Habits'?

The reviewer finds the constant self-promotion in the book annoying and repetitive. They are frustrated by the frequent reminders to visit the Atomic Habits website for additional resources, feeling it detracts from the reading experience.