The Ritual Effect

Fascinating, lively storytelling and cutting-edge science, The Ritual Effect sticks with you. In this ground-breaking and inspiring guide, a renowned Harvard psychologist demonstrates how turning everyday habits into rituals can improve our work, our relationships, and our lives.

Think of the quirky traditions that you keep up with your friends, or the unusual ways that you and your family mark special occasions, or the gifts that your partner gives—and what you'd think if they'd bought the same for an ex. These are rituals: practices that are imbued with symbolic meaning. And they have the power to turn black-and-white moments into technicolor.

Along the way, Norton shares stories from sporting superstars (Serena Williams always bouncing the ball five times before her first serve), million-dollar companies (Zipcar urging staff to destroy their old desktops with sledgehammers), and ordinary people (inventing their own "ritual signatures"), who reimagine everyday moments, build camaraderie, and spark joy.

Rituals can help us to forge winning teams, heal families experiencing grief, and encourage us to rise to challenges, big or small. Now it's time to create yours.