A New York
Times
bestseller!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah Breivogel, 212-572-2722
[email protected]
When we change our habits, we change our lives.
From Gretchen Rubin, #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Happier
at Home, comes the groundbreaking book that will change your perspective on
habits forever
NOW IN PAPERBACK
BETTER THAN BEFORE
What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits—to Sleep More, Quit Sugar,
Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life
by Gretchen Rubin
Whether good or bad, habits are the invisible architecture of our
everyday lives. Habits shape our existence and our future; we repeat
about 40 percent of our behaviors every day. But while changing
habits may be simple, it’s not easy. And most of us have no idea
where to start.
Gretchen Rubin is one of the most influential and thought-provoking
writers on happiness. Her pioneering work on the subject, which is at
the heart of her bestsellers, The Happiness Project and Happier at
Home (more than two million copies sold worldwide), has sparked powerful conversations about
the human search for happiness. Her work has been widely covered in the national media and she
is consistently called upon to speak at major conferences. Rubin is also the host of a popular
weekly podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, writes a lively daily blog, is a top “Influencer” on
LinkedIn, and enjoys huge followings on both Twitter and Facebook.
In her provocative yet practical New York Times bestseller, BETTER THAN BEFORE: What I
Learned About Making and Breaking Habits—to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less,
and Generally Build a Happier Life (Broadway Books; On Sale December 15, 2015), now in
paperback, she turns her attention to the crucial question: How do we change our habits? With
her signature mix of rigorous research, easy humor, and personal experimentation, Rubin
identifies and illustrates the core principles of habit change. In doing so, she answers questions
such as:
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Why do some habits take years to develop while others get picked up overnight?
Why do some people resist habits while others adopt them eagerly?
What can I do to help my child/spouse/colleagues make a change?
How can I keep my healthy habits when I’m surrounded by temptation?
Why can I make time for everyone else, but I can’t take time for myself?
Why do I find it tough to create a habit for something I love to do?
As we all know from tough experience, and as BETTER THAN BEFORE makes clear, no onesize-fits-all solution exists. Rubin reveals a key insight: To change our habits, we must first
figure out ourselves. For instance, some people do better when they start small; others, when
they start big. Some thrive with occasional breaks from good habits, while others do better when
they never break the chain. When we choose the strategies that work best for us, going to the
gym can be as automatic as putting on a seat belt. Filing expense reports or passing up that piece
of chocolate cake won’t drain us. With a foundation of good habits, we can build a life that
reflects our values and goals.
In a book filled with stimulating ideas and practical tips, Rubin identifies the twenty-one habitchanging strategies that allow you to put this self-knowledge into action—whether that means
choosing the right time to begin a new habit, setting up a counterintuitive system of reward, or
using the power of “monitoring” to strengthen a good habit. Throughout, she investigates not
only the well-established strategies for shaping habits, but also many that are often ignored or
misunderstood. When we shape our habits to suit ourselves, we set ourselves up for success—
even if we’ve failed before.
BETTER THAN BEFORE can also provide valuable guidance to anyone trying to help others
change: a boss looking to help employees be more productive at work, a health-care provider
seeking to prod people to take their medication, a coach or trainer helping people achieve their
goals, a teacher or parent trying to help a child be more organized.
Whether you’re a perpetual procrastinator, a yo-yo dieter, a packrat, a leader who would like to
see employees work better and be healthier, or a parent who wants to instill good habits in a
child, BETTER THAN BEFORE will help you harness the power of habits to create lasting
change.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
GRETCHEN RUBIN is the author of several books, including the blockbuster #1 New York
Times bestseller The Happiness Project. Rubin started her career in law and was clerking for
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor when she realized that she really wanted to be a
writer. Raised in Kansas City, she lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
Visit Gretchen Rubin at gretchenrubin.com.
BETTER THAN BEFORE
What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits—to Sleep More, Quit Sugar,
Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life
by Gretchen Rubin
Broadway Books • Publication date: December 15, 2015 • Price: $16.00 paperback
320 pages • ISBN 978-0-385-34863-8
Also available as an ebook and on audio
Visit www.crownpublishing.com or www.gretchenrubin.com
Or follow Gretchen on Twitter at @gretchenrubin or on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/GretchenRubin