Smarter Faster Better

Charles Duhigg offers intriguing stories to demonstrate creative problem solving, though he doesn’t always immediately tie his anecdotes to their teaching points. Instead, he saves advice for his detailed appendix, “A Reader’s Guide to Using These Ideas,” which offers brief take-aways for applying the lessons in his narratives.

While the stories don’t offer immediate guidance, as you might anticipate from The Power of Habit, they do provide fascinating reading. Duhigg is an exceptional nonfiction writer with a rare understanding of suspense, pace and structure. Each chapter functions as a stand-alone story or a gathering of related stories. Duhigg’s dramatic approach will please readers who enjoy tales of counterintuitive solutions and disasters avoided or handled intelligently. To give this book context, read Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, and for more great stories with useful insights, Malcolm Gladwell’s books are also worthwhile companion reads.