In “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business,” New York Times journalist Charles Duhigg explains how people can make monumental changes in their lives by conquering their habits. When you are already experiencing significant changes in your life, advises the author, you can use the opportunity to drop bad behaviors and reprogram your brain with good ones. The book has inspired millions of readers to take charge and become mindful of their daily habits to achieve more of their goals. Once you understand the reasons for your actions, life might just make a little more sense to you.

Duhigg walks readers through the small, incremental changes in routine that can and do produce incredible results. He weaves in stories of great change, such as how the civil rights movement started and how a drug addict breaks the cycle. In each case of transformation, habits formed the core of the progress that those people made. This book breaks down habit formation into a “loop.” The process begins with what Duhigg calls a “cue,” and a reward ties to it to make the habit stick. To show how powerful the science is, he even reveals how advertisers take advantage of these tendencies to get you to buy their products. Likewise, he shows how politics use habits to influence voters and politicians alike.

According to Duhigg, everything from weight loss to workplace promotions is achievable once someone understands the science behind how his or her brain works. There is some surprising research in this book to back up the claims. For example, Duhigg points out the fact that willpower, which many people think is a virtue, is really a limited resource. He helps readers learn how to improve and replenish it with step-by-step methods. If you need to break free from some bad habits, reading this book can help you replace them with good ones.