About the Book Originally published in hardcover in 2015 by Crown Publishers with the subtitle Mastering the habits of our everyday lives. Book Synopsis NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The author of The Happiness Project and a force for real change (Bren Brown) examines how changing our habits can change our lives. If anyone can help us stop procrastinating, start exercising, or get organized, its Gretchen Rubin. The happiness guru takes a sledgehammer to old-fashioned notions about change.-- Parade Most of us have a habit wed like to change, and theres no shortage of expert advice. But as we all know from tough experience, no magic, one-size-fits-all solution exists. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives. In Better Than Before, acclaimed writer Gretchen Rubin identifies every approach that actually works. She presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habits--and to change them for good. Infused with Rubins compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, Better Than Before explains the (sometimes counterintuitive) core principles of habit formation and answers the most perplexing questions about habits: - Why do we find it tough to create a habit for something we love to do? - How can we keep our healthy habits when were surrounded by temptations? - How can we help someone else change a habit? Rubin reveals the true secret to habit change: first, we must know ourselves. When we shape our habits to suit ourselves, we can find success--even if weve failed before. Whether you want to eat more healthfully, stop checking devices, or finish a project, the invaluable ideas in Better Than Before will start you working on your own habits--even before youve finished the book. Review Quotes We are totally comfortable calling Gretchen Rubins new book, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives , life-changing. --Better Homes & Gardens If anyone can help us stop procrastinating, start exercising or get organized, its Gretchen Rubin. The happiness guru takes a sledgehammer to old-fashioned notions about change. --Parade Its exciting to find a self-help book thats not only full of eye-opening insight but also provides practical tips to help you procrastinate and stress less, exercise and eat more healthfully, and spend time on activities that matter. Were really glad that Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project , decided to investigate her affinity for habits, because in the process shes come up with a great guide to help us lay the foundation of a more satisfying life. Best of all , Better Than Before is a really fun read--Rubins friendliness, candor, and humor mirror a lively conversation with a best friend. -- Apple iBooks The Happiness Project lays out lifes essential goals...Her new book, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives , serves as a kind of detailed instruction manual on how to achieve them. --New York Times Sunday Book Review In Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives , Gretchen Rubin picks up where [William] James left off, integrating a wealth of insight from psychology, sociology, and anthropology in an illuminating field guide to harnessing the transformative power of habit in modern life. -- Brain Pickings Change can be good. Particularly if it helps us live longer, healthier, indeed, happier lives -- the objective of Rubins latest project. --Chicago Tribune Author Gretchen Rubin says most people fall into one of four motivation types. Knowing yours is key to taking on new habits. --Lifehacker Gretchen Rubin... [is] lighthearted and inviting--full of insights that sound familiar and advice that sounds less like what you should do and more like what you want to do.... With her focus on taking first steps and creating early successes, this is a refreshing take on how to change stubborn patterns that limit what we can enjoy about our lives. -- Audiofile Magazine Do you have a bad habit youre trying to shake, or a good one you wish you could cultivate? Gretchen Rubin is one of the most charming and erudite authors of her generation. Here, she uses her gifts to help you eat right, sleep well, stop procrastinating, and start enjoying all that life has to offer. --Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet Gretchen Rubin combines deep research and observations from her own life to explain how habits emerge and--more important--how they can change. Its indispensable for anyone hoping to overhaul how they (almost unthinkingly) behave. --Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit Filled with insights about our patterns of behavior, Better Than Before addresses one of lifes big and timeless questions: how can we transform ourselves? In a way thats thought-provoking, surprising, and often funny, Gretchen Rubin provides us with the tools to build a life that truly reflects our goals and values. --Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post and New York Times bestselling author of Thrive Is there a habit in your life youd like to change? If so, heres your first step: Read this book. Its loaded with practical, everyday tips and techniques that will guide you to success. --Dan Heath, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Made to Stick , Switch , and Decisive Almost everyone wants to be better--slimmer, smarter, better looking, more interesting, more productive--and we want to know were improving, we want the reinforcing evidence. Gretchen Rubins new masterpiece, Better Than Before , shows us how. Unlike other books on habits, Rubins book gives us the specific tools and a blueprint for getting back on track--the fast track. --Brian Wansink, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of Slim by Design and Mindless Eating With bold and original insights, Gretchen Rubin reveals the hidden truths about how to change our habits--from resisting junk food and hitting the gym to ending procrastination and saving money. Better Than Before is a gem, and the first habit you should form is reading a chapter every night. --Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take Gretchen Rubins superpower is curiosity. Luckily for us, shes turned her passionate inquiry to the topic of making and mastering habits. Weaving together research, unforgettable examples, and her brilliant insight, Better Than Before is a force for real change. It rearranged what I thought I knew about my habits, and Im better for it. --Bren Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection About the Author Gretchen Rubin is one of todays most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. Shes the author of many books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Outer Order, Inner Calm; The Four Tendencies; Better Than Before; and The Happiness Project. She has an enormous readership, both in print and online, and her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, in more than thirty languages. On her top-ranking, award-winning podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin , she explores happiness and good habits. She is also a CBS News contributor, providing weekly solutions for living a happier life. Gretchen Rubin started her career in law and was clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor when she realized that she wanted to be a writer. Raised in Kansas City, she lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.