Charles Duhigg

Charles Duhigg is an investigative journalist whose work focuses on the effects of habit and decision-making on individual and corporate behavior. He has written several books and articles, as well as co-authored a best-selling business book. His NYT bestseller, The Power of Habit, has been translated in to seventeen languages and has sold more than 3.5 million copies.

Duhigg was born in 1976 in Los Angeles and grew up in Texas. He graduated from Harvard and began his career in journalism with The Wall Street Journal in 2004. After 7 years at the Journal, he left and joined The New York Times in 2011 as a Business reporter. In 2013 he was part of a Pulitzer Prize winning team for its coverage of Apple Inc.

Duhigg's first book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business was published in 2012. It was an instant bestseller and examines the science behind the power of habits and how individuals and organizations can use them to their advantage. He draws on psychological and neurological research, as well as data mining and lab experiments to highlight how habits, whether good or bad, can determine an individual's and a group's fate. The major themes of the book are: recognition of habitual loop, understanding its functions and effects, building better habits and breaking bad ones, and finally, applying the concept to organizational dynamics and larger, more complex systems.

Duhigg began researching habits in early 2008 and the initial idea that emerged for the book was "The Big Idea". The Big Idea approach recognizes that an organization's success depends on how effectively it can change its habits and use them to its advantage. Duhigg breaks the process down into three stages; cue, routine and reward. The cue is an act or event that triggers a certain response. The response is the learned routine. Finally the reward is the prize or pleasure the individual or organization receive in exchange for engaging in the routine.

Eventually, usage of "The Big Idea" spread to numerous organizations and became the linchpin of his book. In terms of application, the implementation of the concept is not always successful and often surprises individuals, since it relies heavily on trial and error. However, he gives ample proof that his principle work, if applied in the above-mentioned manner, can bring about large-scale changes within an organization.

In addition to The Power of Habit, Duhig has co-authored a New York Times bestseller and is currently working on a third. His writing has been featured in various international newspapers and magazines, and he speaks to companies and universities about the power of habits and the impact it can have on an organization's success.

In conclusion, Charles Duhigg is one of the most prolific authors and thought leaders on the topic of habits and their ability to shape our lives. His research and books come highly recommended if you are looking for ways to get better at decision-making or better understand organizational behavior.