Why People Do What They Do

"With this book, Saadi Lahlou has done something we haven't seen before. By analysing thousands of naturally occurring behaviour sequences recorded from small body-worn video cameras (along with relevant in-depth interviews), he has developed an original and highly instructive framework for understanding the factors that drive and shape our conduct in a wide variety of situations. Anyone serious about accounting for and predicting human action needs to incorporate Lahlou’s insights into their thinking."
Robert Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion

"'Yes, change is possible' is the convincing conclusion of this densely packed, yet lightly presented, result of a theory-guided approach, which is deeply rooted in practice and experience. Using a sophisticated theory that presents itself in the guise of common sense, Saadi Lahlou provides us with an impressively rich account of how carefully designed interventions can succeed in changing our most ingrained forms of behaviour."
Helga Nowotny, ETH Zurich and Former President of the European Research Council

"Many books chronicle our challenging times and the complex issues we face. What is different about this crucially timely book is that it goes beyond calling for the major necessary changes in direction for the world's populations. Based on understanding why people do what they do, Lahlou provides clear, practical guidance about how to encourage people at scale to adopt the necessary new behaviours required to address the multiple existential crises we face."
James D. Hollan, University of California San Diego

"This novel approach to behavioural change is based on decades of observational research about how people’s behaviours are “channelled” in real-world contexts. It elegantly combines the details of behavioural patterns with the many layers of social and environmental influence."
Susan Michie, University College London