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A review by citrusmoths
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
informative
medium-paced
2.75
The ideas discussed in this book are useful, and the clarity with which Clear (hah) discusses them makes them simple and straightforward to implement. I do appreciate the emphasis on simplifying the process of adding and building on positive habits.
However, Clear has a tendency to be repetitive, creating a text replete with clichés. I often found myself skimming over the fluff to get to the substance of what was being said. I suspect several pages could have been shaved off had his approach been leaner and more to the point.
And on the subject of repetitiveness, the most damning aspect of this text lies in the fatphobia woven throughout. The prevalence of weight loss as a stock example of a desirable goal is jarring. It doesn't need to be there, and Clear contradicts himself by using it. The chapter on habit tracking ends with Clear stating that you should not focus solely on the number on the scale. Yet all throughout the book, Clear speaks about health and fitness primarily in terms of weight; the book itself focuses on the number on the scale. I would not be the first nor the last to point out how this rhetoric is harmful, and conducive to unhealthy behavior. I would be a poor friend to recommend this to anyone with a history of disordered eating or exercise patterns.
It's a shame, really. The core ideas are valuable, and I hesitate to throw the baby out with the bath water. All the same, I cannot recommend this book without caveats.
However, Clear has a tendency to be repetitive, creating a text replete with clichés. I often found myself skimming over the fluff to get to the substance of what was being said. I suspect several pages could have been shaved off had his approach been leaner and more to the point.
And on the subject of repetitiveness, the most damning aspect of this text lies in the fatphobia woven throughout. The prevalence of weight loss as a stock example of a desirable goal is jarring. It doesn't need to be there, and Clear contradicts himself by using it. The chapter on habit tracking ends with Clear stating that you should not focus solely on the number on the scale. Yet all throughout the book, Clear speaks about health and fitness primarily in terms of weight; the book itself focuses on the number on the scale. I would not be the first nor the last to point out how this rhetoric is harmful, and conducive to unhealthy behavior. I would be a poor friend to recommend this to anyone with a history of disordered eating or exercise patterns.
It's a shame, really. The core ideas are valuable, and I hesitate to throw the baby out with the bath water. All the same, I cannot recommend this book without caveats.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia