We all get stuck. How do we break through?
Whether it’s a relationship, your career, a creative pursuit, a financial opportunity, or even an athletic goal, we all experience getting stuck. However, rather than treating these frustrating points in our lives as obstacles, there’s actually a way to turn these into opportunities for flourishing in your life and your work. In ANATOMY OF A BREAKTHROUGH, Adam Alter (author of Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible) provides a roadmap for breaking through the stuckness. The roadmap is grounded in a blend of science, philosophy, personal stories, and interviews. It involves 4 major steps:
1.HELP: Understanding the nature of being stuck—when it’s most likely to happen, why ithappens, etc.
2.HEART: Managing the (often negative) emotional experience of being stuck.
3.HEAD: Learning how to think in ways that are helpful/strategically valuable in driving youtowards getting unstuck.
4.HABIT: Acting in the right way to unstick yourself and manufacture breakthroughs.
People tend to associate challenges with failure. But challenges – and the experience of struggling – are signals that you’re ready to move beyond the obvious towards something truly great. In this way, ANATOMY OF A BREAKTHROUGH turns preconceived notions of success on its head. It’s a groundbreaking thesis that proves excellence is better than perfectionism, thinking like a beginner is better than being an expert, and recognizing what is important instead of what isn’t, will get you much farther than the wall you originally believed you’d run into. You may even discover a whole new room.
About the Author:
Adam Alter is a professor of marketing and psychology, and the Stansky Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellow at New York University’s Stern School of Business, with an affiliated professorship in social psychology at NYU’s psychology department. In 2020 he was voted professor of the year by the faculty and student body at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and was among the Poets and Quants 40 Best Professors Under 40 in 2017. Alter is the New York Times bestselling author of two books: Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible
About the Book:
Title: Anatomy of a Breakthrough
Subtitle: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most
Author: Adam Alter
Publication date: May 16, 2023
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Hardcover ISBN: 9781982182960
Pages: 320
More info: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Anatomy-of-a-Breakthrough/Adam-Alter/9781982182960
PRAISE FOR ANATOMY OF A BREAKTHROUGH ***
“Anatomy of a Breakthrough is important, entertaining, practical, and timely. Alter reveals how to turn
sticking points into breakthroughs in pursuits as diverse as entrepreneurship, art, music, writing,
athletics, friendship, and personal relationships.”
—Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global
“A brilliant detective story about the sources of human creativity. I loved it.”
—Malcolm Gladwell
“Whether in a career, a creative project, or a relationship, everyone will get mired in a rut at one point
or another. Anatomy of a Breakthrough brings the often-private struggle to get ‘unstuck’ into the light,
and provides a handbook for moving on from your personal plateau. Adam Alter is simply one of the
best science communicators at work.”
—David Epstein, New York Times bestselling author of Range
“Rooted in science and enlivened by stories, Anatomy of a Breakthrough offers insight after insight and
the rallying cry of “action above all” as an antidote to enemy #1: inertia.”
—Angela Duckworth, Ph.D., author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
“Adam Alter marries research-based solutions with genuine insight. This book is an invaluable guide to
turning hurdles into breakthroughs.”
—Scott Galloway, NYU Stern professor of marketing and author of Adrift
“A deeply researched and compelling guide to breaking through the inevitable obstacles on the path to
meaningful accomplishment.”
—Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work