Habits. At once both irritating and comforting. Everyone has them, and few things are more difficult to quit! New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg joins Vicki today, bringing to light how habits are formed and how they can make a difference in your life! Plus advertising genius Peter Rosch discusses his life as a recovering alcoholic and his new thriller!

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On its most basic level, a habit is a neurological loop. Take brushing your teeth, for instance. It begins with a cue (my mouth tastes funny), which leads to a routine (time to brush my teeth), which ends with a reward (minty fresh!). Many daily activities are the result of habit, rather than an actual decision making process. In his New York Times bestseller The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg examines how habits are born, and retraining the brain to stop the bad habit trigger. But habits are not always a negative! He also looks at how implementing “keystone” habits can lead to the difference between utter failure and unparalleled success! Whether you are looking to stop having that midnight snack or to learn how athletes like MIchael Phelps rely on race-day habits to win, this book has something for you. Charles Duhigg is an investigative reporter for the New York Times, where he has most recently been the lead writer for it’s front-page series on Apple. He is a winner of the National Academy of Sciences, National Journalism, and George Polk awards, and was a part of a team of finalists for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize. He frequently contributes to NPR, This American Life, PBS’s Newshour, and Frontline.

“The hit show Mad Men entertains viewers with escapades in the advertising world, but life in the real world of advertising can be anything but entertainment,” says Peter Rosch, the creative genius behind popular ad campaigns for Miller Brewing Company, Levi’s, Rolling Stone Magazine, and the new acclaimed Fear No Susan Glenn AXE campaign. In his new fiction thriller My Dead Friend Sarah: A Novel, he calls upon his experiences as a recovering alcoholic, expertly exploring the psychology of an alcoholic while skillyfully rendering a unique story of a missing woman. When Rosch isn’t writing ads, educating his fans via his blog Level9Paranoia.com, or performing in his rock band, The Future, you will most likely find him playing fetch with his cat, Target. Yes, his cat plays fetch! In October, Rosch will celebrate four years of sobriety.

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