This month’s reading picks focus on the habits that support learning and the small changes that can make getting back into a routine a little easier, just as a new school year has started in many parts of the world.
For this selection, we’ve brought together books on learning, organization, and habit-building that come recommended by educators, experts, and people from different fields who have found value in their pages.
Atomic Habits, James Clear
Self-help
Published: 2018
Pages: 320
Atomic Habits explores how the small changes we repeat every day can lead to significant results over time. James Clear starts from the idea that lasting change requires more than setting ambitious goals. It also means building systems and creating an environment that make the behaviors we want to maintain easier to follow.
His approach encourages us to focus less on sudden transformations and more on creating sustainable routines that support learning, consistency, personal organization, and long-term progress.
Among those who have recommended Atomic Habits are Brené Brown, author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers, Kevin Kelly, founder of WIRED and bestselling author, and Eliud Kipchoge, world champion, Olympic gold medalist, and marathon world record holder.
Who’d like this?
It is an especially worthwhile read for students, young people, and adults who want to better organize their routines or develop habits they can sustain over time.
It may also appeal to those who tend to start projects with enthusiasm but find it difficult to keep them going.
Quotes
- “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
- “You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”
Readers say
- “What a great book! So many useful techniques, put simply, to inspire growth in all aspects of life,” says an Amazon user.
- “It is filled with dozens of science-backed and actionable nuggets of wisdom,” says an Amazon user.
Make It Stick, Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III and Mark A. McDaniel
Study guide
Published: 2014
Pages: 336
What makes what we learn truly stick in our memory? Make It Stick takes a close look at this question.
Written by cognitive psychologists with extensive experience researching learning and memory, the book challenges widely used study practices and presents research-backed strategies, including actively retrieving what we have learned, spacing out practice, and alternating between different types of problems.
The book has strong academic backing and appears among the recommended books from The Learning Scientists, a group of cognitive scientists who make research on learning accessible to a general audience.
Who’d like this?
Its relevance extends beyond students. Teachers, families, educators, and anyone who needs to learn and retain new knowledge can find useful ideas in its pages.
Quotes
- “Trying to solve a problem before being taught the solution leads to better learning, even when errors are made in the attempt.”
- “It’s not just what you know, but how you practice what you know that determines how well the learning serves you later.”
Readers say
- “Really helping me rethink my approach to my own learning as well as my teaching to be more effective,” says an Amazon user.
- “The classroom is about learning, and this book can be a key to making that happen,” says an Amazon user.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, Sean Covey
Self-help
Published: 1998
Pages: 288
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens brings the principles of the seven habits popularized by Stephen R. Covey into the world of teenagers, adapting them to the decisions, concerns, and challenges that come with this stage of life.
Rather than presenting success as a race for immediate results, the book encourages readers to develop habits that can help them make better decisions and gradually build a more balanced life.
Among those who have recommended the book are Michael Phelps, winner of 28 Olympic medals, and Salome Thomas-El, an award-winning educator and author.
Who’d like this?
It may be especially relevant for those looking to become more organized, set goals, gain independence, or learn to navigate relationships and everyday pressures with greater confidence and judgment.
Quotes
- “Isn’t it kind of silly to think that tearing someone else down builds you up?”
- “We are free to choose our paths, but we can’t choose the consequences that come with them.”
Readers say
- “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens spoke directly to the ‘younger me’… it’s a valuable resource for anyone needing to go back a few steps and rebuild their confidence, especially if you’ve faced difficult circumstances early in life,” says an Amazon user.
- “Wonderful read and very inspiring too!,” says an Amazon user.