83 pages 2 hours read

James Clear

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2018

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Introduction-Chapter 3

Reading Check

1. What life event shaped the author’s life experience with habits?

2. According to Clear, what are the three different types of change?

3. What are the four stages of a habit?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How did the British cycling team manage to make such large gains in a short amount of time?

2. How do habits become unconscious?

Paired Resource

Investors in People

  • In this 4-minute video, Sir Dave Brailsford talks about how he used the philosophy of 1% gains to transform the British cycling team.
  • Which elements of Clear’s argument are evident in this video?

Chapters 4-7  

Reading Check

1. What is the purpose of the Japanese railway conductor’s habit of pointing and calling?

2. What is the format of an implementation intention?

3. What is habit stacking?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Clear suggest readers apply pointing and calling to their own habits?

2. Describe the Diderot Effect.

3. Why does Clear say that every habit should “have a home.” (Chapter 6)