James doesn’t merely report the research of others. He tries out the concepts for himself as he experiments with building better habits as an entrepreneur, writer, and weightlifter. In the end, his talks end up being one-part storytelling, one-part academic research, and one-part personal experiment, forming a colorful blend of inspirational stories, academic science, and hard-earned wisdom.

As of July 2019, his book Atomic Habits has sold over 1 million copies worldwide in 1 year, enjoyed 12 straight months on the New York Times bestseller list, spent 33 weeks on the Wall Street Journal bestselling list, and topped Amazon’s Most Sold List for 31 weeks. Readers have given the book consistently high ratings: Amazon (4.8/5 stars), Audible (4.8/5 stars), and Goodreads (4.32/5 stars).