Everyone, even businesses and organizations, has habits. Some are necessary to function properly and others we’d like to change.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg tells how habits develop and how others change and why. One of the thought provoking themes the book discusses is why some habitual behaviors are vilified while others prompt compassion.

Take for instance a man who habitually walked in his sleep and during one episode killed his wife. In another example a woman developed a gambling habit that cost her over $250,000. The murderer was found not guilty but the woman was persecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

It’s an intriguing read well worth the time.