The Health Habit (Amantha Imber, Penguin Life)

There are books about health and books about habits, but rarely are the two combined as they are in The Health Habit: Shape up, sleep better, feel amazing, a practical and evidence-based approach to behaviour change. Dr Amantha Imber, host of the How I Work podcast and author of Time Wise (2022), is a successful organisational psychologist who has worked with some big names (Google, Apple, Disney, Lego). In The Health Habit, trend-based health hype is missing, replaced with evidence-based information written in a personable, easy-to-read style. It is inclusive of people at all levels of the health journey. The first section of the book focuses on describing health habits, with a focus on sleep, movement and nutrition. Imber consults leading health researchers in Australia and internationally and presents information in bite-sized guides without jargon, diets, or strict regimens. Her prose is peppered with anecdotes, making it relatable rather than intimidating. The second section of the book then focuses on the mental processes that hijack habit formation and includes highly customisable guides to sticking to new habits through considering motivation, environment, relationships, and thoughts. Are you more motivated by the carrot than the stick? If you don’t know, you can find out in this book. It’s one that readers may find themselves referring to often. It will especially appeal to readers who enjoyed How Not to Die by Michael Greger and Gene Stone.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Becca Whitehead is a features and content writer based in Naarm-Melbourne. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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