Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

Fromtheauthorofthe"NewYorkTimes"bestsellingphenomenon"ThePowerofHabit"comesafascinatingnewbookthatexploresthescienceofproductivity,andwhy,intodaysworld,managing"how"youthinkratherthan"what"youthinkcantransformyourlife.Atthecoreof"SmarterFasterBetter"areeightkeyconceptsfrommotivationandgoalsettingtofocusanddecisionmakingthatexplainwhysomepeopleandcompaniesgetsomuchdone.Drawingonthelatestfindingsinneuroscience,psychology,andbehavioraleconomicsaswellastheexperiencesofCEOs,educationalreformers,four-stargenerals,FBIagents,airplanepilots,andBroadwaysongwritersthispainstakinglyresearchedbookexplainsthatthemostproductivepeople,companies,andorganizationsdontmerelyactdifferently.Theyviewtheworld,andtheirchoices,inprofoundlydifferentways.AyoungwomandropsoutofaPhDprogramandstartsplayingpoker.Bytrainingherselftoenvisioncontradictoryfutures,shelearnstoanticipateheropponentsmisstepsandbecomesoneofthemostsuccessfulplayersintheworld.AgroupofdatascientistsatGoogleembarkonafour-yearstudyofhowthebestteamsfunction,andfindthat"how"agroupinteractsismoreimportantthan"who"isinthegroupaprinciple,itturnsout,thatalsohelpsexplainwhy"SaturdayNightLive"becameahit.AMarineCorpsgeneral,facedwithlowmoraleamongrecruits,reimaginesbootcampanddiscoversthatinstillingabiastowardactioncanturneventhemostdirectionlessteenagersintoself-motivatingachievers.ThefilmmakersbehindDisneys"Frozen"arenearlyoutoftimeandonthebrinkofcatastropheuntiltheyshakeuptheirteaminjusttherightway,spurringacreativebreakthroughthatleadstooneofthehighest-grossingmoviesofalltime.Whatdothesepeoplehaveincommon?Theyknowthatproductivityreliesonmakingcertainchoices.Thewayweframeourdailydecisions;thebigambitionsweembraceandtheeasygoalsweignore;theculturesweestablishasleaderstodriveinnovation;thewayweinteractwithdata:Thesearethethingsthatseparatethemerelybusyfromthegenuinelyproductive.In"ThePowerofHabit,"PulitzerPrizewinningjournalistCharlesDuhiggexplainedwhywedowhatwedo.In"SmarterFasterBetter,"heappliesthesamerelentlesscuriosity,deepreporting,andrichstorytellingtoexplainhowwecanimproveatthethingswedo.Itsagroundbreakingexplorationofthescienceofproductivity,onethatcanhelpanyonelearntosucceedwithlessstressandstruggle,andtogetmoredonewithoutsacrificingwhatwecareaboutmosttobecomesmarter,faster,andbetterateverythingwedo.Advancepraisefor"SmarterFasterBetter"Ashedidin"ThePowerofHabit,"Duhiggmeldscutting-edgescience,deepreporting,andwide-rangingstoriestogiveusafuller,morehumanwayofthinkingabouthowproductivityactuallyhappens.SusanCain,authorof"Quiet"Duhiggusesengagingstorytellingtohighlightfascinatingresearchandcoreprinciplesthatwecanalllearnanduseinourdailylives.Amasterfulmust-readforanyonewhowantstogetmore(andmorecreative)stuffdone.DavidAllen,authorof"GettingThingsDone"Duhigghasagiftforaskingjusttherightquestion,andthenignitingthesamecuriosityintherestofus.In"SmarterFasterBetter"hefindsprovocativeanswerstoariddleofourage.JimCollins,authorof"GoodtoGreat""